Automatic or Manual..

[numbnuts]

15 years driving an auto - what's not to like

 

[Salar]

I like Auto's a lot, having had Geartronic and Tiptronic in big engined Subarus and Volvos.

Not sure what autos are like in smaller less powerful cars though.
The Subaru did whine a bit , it had chains instead of rubber belts in the transmission.

The only one which played me up was my old Volvo V70 a good few years ago, which for a couple of years Volvo, for whatever reason fitted General Motors gearboxes.

 

[Profpointy]

my "lack of control" comment wasn't intended in the sense of on the limit or other hooliganry but just smooth driving round a bend with appropriate use the throttle. An automatic is just less smooth and tends to lurch, albeit not as much as an unsympathetically driven manual. Doesn't bother some people, but I find it irksome. I don't find changing gear irksome at all and do it "automatically" but conversely others find gear changing irksome

 

[Profpointy]

...and those silly flappy gear thingies are rubbish.

Against all reason a pal bought a flappy paddle Alpha. He ended up scrapping the thing after a year taking a huge loss. I dare say a jap or gerry one would be ok though, albeit not for me.

 

[Markymark]

I had a Smart Roadster for a while and that was something of a compromise...

Between a car and a roller-skate?

 

[User33236]

I’ve owned three automatics:-

1. Honda Insight with a CVT gearbox which wasn’t very good.
2. Ford Mustang with a 3 speed auto and overdrive. That was great simply due to the power from the engine. Only thing to remember was there was no engine braking with overdrive turned on.
3. VW Passat with a DSG (semi automatic) gearbox (6 speed version). By far the best box of the three

Keep forgetting to change gear, especially down, when I drive my wife’s car.

 

[BrumJim]

I've had 4 autos and have driven frequently another 3, lack of control never crossed my mind. Never seemed to suffer from this being in the wrong gear thing others complain about.

The car I've most enjoyed driving was a Nissan Leaf - but I would fall into the category of a car being a tool for A to B way above all else.

That's the thing about autos - they become much nicer and easier to drive when you just forget about what gear you are in. The only problem I had was on switch-backs on mountain roads, where you needed to be in a lower gear than the car suggested ready to power round and up the bends.

 

[biggs682]

Hated auto's for years loads of different reasons , then for last 12 years have only driven auto's and love them to bits.

can be a bit heavier on fuel compared to manual variants

 

[AndyRM]

Drove an automatic when I lived in the States (in LA & Chicago), so a lot of stop-start traffic, a manual would have done my head in.

Manual all the way in Britain, but I do drive a lot less.

 

[potsy]

can be a bit heavier on fuel compared to manual variants

Wonder what sort of difference we are talking?

Currently get around 50 mpg out of my manual, if the same car was the auto version how much lower would that be?

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Automatic every time, I'm far too busy and important to change gear. When you've got an option to have the engine sort itself out on its own why would you get involved with another pedal and that stick thing.

 

[Salar]

In my sensible big old Volvo dieseI I was easily getting 45mpg +.

It had a hard life as a load lugger and where I live we have lots of hills and bendy lanes.

 

[Nonethewiser]

I've only driven a couple of autos back in the 80's and 90's and wasn't that keen. I like to drive cars and changing gear when I decide as opposed to an auto box deciding for me is part of the attraction. I can understand someone living in a large city with a lot of stop start driving favouring the auto option but to me it's like driving a dodgem car. If, however, I had issues with my left leg and my ability to operate a clutch pedal safely was impaired then, yes, I would consider going auto. One of my mates has a Toyota Prius hybrid which has a full-on CVT box and he loves it. After years of driving manual cars he now says that he wouldn't go back. I've been a passenger in the Prius and the change is seemless.

 

[screenman]

Auto for me next, driving for me has never been a pleasure.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Every automatic I've had you have the ability to manually change gear if you want, but why would you!