Automatic or Manual..

[mustang1]

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.

I drove a stang auto V6 in Palm Springs. It had a top speed of 55mph at that altitude with the ideal to the metal. Not saying Tia a thing with the stang, maybe other cars would have been like that at high altitude also.

 

[Stephenite]

I'm going electric (and therefore, auto) for my next car.

There's a thought - are E-bikes auto?

 

[mustang1]

I'm going electric (and therefore, auto) for my next car.

There's a thought - are E-bikes auto?

Don't think so, they still have gears you change within lever?

 

[PK99]

Honda Civic Tourer Auto - would never go back to manual.

The normal setting is - well - perfect for normal roads.

The Sport - oops, Sequential - setting and dynamic suspension setting is ideal for twisty country roads.

 

[johnnyb47]

I love my auto Rover 75. Its a nice and lazy drive and it changes through the gears silky smooth. The only draw backs is the the taxation class is higher than a manual in it does around 5 mpg less than a manual.
A small price to pay though for something I like.

 

[I like Skol]

Stop farking about Potsy! You're not going to change anyway, you've only just got this one.

Automatics are great. If I like them they can't be bad at all.

The modern ones are just as economical, if not more so, as their manual counterparts apart from maybe in stop/start town centre traffic where you may lose some mpg. I have been driving auto's on and off since 2003. Started with my huge 03 plate Merc Sprinter luton van which had the Sprintshift gearbox. This was great for the first 90k but once the clutch started playing up it was never right again for more than 5-10k at a time. Real shame because it was beautiful to drive when it was working right and as a mechanised manual box with dry clutch was just as fuel efficient as a manual.
After that came my yr 2000 4ltr Jeep Cherokee auto. Not very hi-tech but brutal and effective. Again a pleasure to drive even with all the off-road modifications done to the vehicle. The best bit was that it was a blast when off-road too, always in the right gear and gave the ultimate in control. Coming from diesel Defenders I had worried about it, but it was in so many ways the better vehicle! (slightly off-topic. I had the chance to drive one of the Landrover 50th anniversary V8 auto Defenders and I am ashamed to say the transmission behaviour wasn't a patch on the Jeep, a bit like the engine and gearbox just weren't in tune).
Had an 05 plate Passat Tdi auto up until very recently. The last of the B5.5s and this was also a very nice and very quick car. Supposed to be 130hp officially but always felt like more to me and the traditional TC gearbox was perfectly matched to the engine. Very economical, would regularly return 50mpg without trying and even doing rush hour commutes around the M60 and out to Skelmersdale (lots of nose to tail stop/starting etc) I would often jump in and see the trip computer showing a tank average over 45mpg.
Just replaced the Passat a few months ago and went diesel auto again. Now Mrs Skol drives an Audi A4 Tdi with 190hp and the CVT auto box. They don't do this box in the current range but it is bl**dy amazing. Goes the instant the accelerator is pressed but is smooth, calm, quiet and always just right. Also holds back on the engine nicely when going down hill. Touch wood it doesn't ever go wrong though.......
I guess if you are staying with VW then you will get a DSG box. Haven't owned one but test drove a few because we were going to get a newer Passat and they seemed to do the job just as well as any other good automatic so can't really fault them either.

In a nutshell, I don't think you will regret going auto.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

[QUOTE 5003100, member: 9609"]if you want hairs on your chest you need to go three stick for the ultimate driving experience. doubt this boy fires off many texts whilst on the road.

at about 4:40 you here the beautiful sound of the jake as he comes down through the box.[/QUOTE]
My god, he has his hands away from the wheel for scarily long periods!

 

[Bazzer]

[QUOTE 5003100, member: 9609"]if you want hairs on your chest you need to go three stick for the ultimate driving experience. doubt this boy fires off many texts whilst on the road.

at about 4:40 you here the beautiful sound of the jake as he comes down through the box.[/QUOTE]

I'll admit to never having driven a lorry myself, but it strikes me that there is fundamental design fault, if any driver is required to take both hands of the steering wheel simply to change gear, let alone someone in charge of an HGV.

 

[raleighnut]

Dunno about the gearshifting but that turbine 'whistle' would get right on my nerves.

 

[I like Skol]

Dunno about the gearshifting but that turbine 'whistle' would get right on my nerves.

What?

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

One of the first autos I drive was a mid 90's Fiesta 1.1 CVT. Hateful thing. At anything above about 30mph you could plant your foot to the floor and I swear it didn't go any faster, it just got louder.

I remember driving a Volvo 66 (think that was the model?), the built under licence DAF Variomatic

(slightly off-topic. I had the chance to drive one of the Landrover 50th anniversary V8 auto Defenders and I am ashamed to say the transmission behaviour wasn't a patch on the Jeep, a bit like the engine and gearbox just weren't in tune).

I've driven one of those too, it was seemingly set-up wrongly, as the vehicle was a lot lighter than the Discovery that the engine/box was taken from
At that time (1998), the Range Rover was on the 'H' pattern shifter, with no separate low-range lever
I didn't like it either, but did like an earlier 90 of mine
A genuine factory build V8 CSW (not a transplanted engine), it was the 134BHP on SU carbs
That was fun, & accelerated well on the 205 section tyres

 

[potsy]

Stop farking about Potsy! You're not going to change anyway, you've only just got this one.

I'm not Accy, this will happen

Just been looking at Carwow and got some offers in, one of them was in Cornwall and saved 0 (zero) £££'s

Hopefully go test one out next week, then it's just a choice of colour if I like it.

 

[vickster]

I'm not Accy, this will happen

Just been looking at Carwow and got some offers in, one of them was in Cornwall and saved 0 (zero) £££'s

Hopefully go test one out next week, then it's just a choice of colour if I like it.

What car?

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Switched to an auto about 5 months ago and soon got used to it. Not so good at manouvring in tight spaces where ordinarily I would be riding the clutch and inching my way around. Don't feel quite as "in control" in those situations.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

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?

Now that manufacturers have got away from the slush boxes it's not as bad, the issue used to be that there was was no physical drive between the engine & the power was transferred by a fluid clutch which had to be spun up before any motion could start. Now it's all done by electronics & a more traditional direct drive clutch. The VAG DSG boxes are simply superb, I believe the Merc is supposed to be good as well.