Driving an Automatic

[BrianM]

Automatics are the way forward, once you've driven one you won't go back to a manual.
Ive never had any issues coming out of junctions, quick enough on sport mode 😀

 

[Dando]

I switched to an auto last year when I got my Tucson and I love it.
the dct gearbox is smooth compared to mrs dando's fiesta.
no issues if I need a speedy get away as I just put it in sport mode and for a 1.7 diesel it can really shift

 

[pembsali]

I originally changed to automatic back in 2007 for health reasons. Hubby prefers it now too. He does have a manual box on his Ford Transit Custom campervan, so I only drive it for very short distances - but we plan to replace it next year.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Fair enough, just drive everywhere in Sport mode then and kill your fuel economy :thup:

 

[Smiffy]

Just make sure you buy a decent auto box rather than a "semi-auto".
Semi autos are crap and lose their value like nobodies business....
You have been warned

 

[Dando]

Just make sure you buy a decent auto box rather than a "semi-auto".
Semi autos are crap and lose their value like nobodies business....
You have been warned

good job my semi auto is leased then!

 

[Deleted member 18121]

autos are for people who dont enjoy "driving".... manual all the way for me.

 

[Reemul]

I'm 6 and passed my Driving test just over a year ago. Ridden motorbikes since I was 16. My first car is a 307 xsi and it's ok reasonably nippy for my first car. My next car once I have done the 2 years and got some decent no claims will be an automatic. I am already fed up changing gears...

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Which is where left foot braking comes in. Hold brake then gas and off brake the same time, no delay. Otherwise there will always be a delay when moving your foot from brake to gas pedal.

My DSG VW van has hill hold as standard, so will hold the van stationary after releasing the foot brake for about 6 secounds before releasing and the van will roll back slowly on a hill. Also if you hit the brake whilst still pressing the throttle, the engine will die down with the electronics stepping in.

The delay when pulling away is in the gearbox itself. The trick is to pre-empt moving, or feather the throttle fractionally before the loud press

 

[pembsali]

Fair enough, just drive everywhere in Sport mode then and kill your fuel economy :thup:

If you heard the sound from our Maserati in Sport Mode, you would understand why sometimes it is worthwhile to ignore fuel economy for a while!

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

If you heard the sound from our Maserati in Sport Mode, you would understand why sometimes it is worthwhile to ignore fuel economy for a while!

I don't even have to bother to put my Ferrari in sport mode for it to sound good :ears:

 

[Mastercracker]

Automatic BMW M135i for me, and while I'd go back to a manual for the right car, I wouldn't want a manual in this. The shifts in sport mode are ridiculous, accompanied by some lovely bangs and pops from the exhaust. Gear box back in comfort and it turns into a small GT car just cruising along on all the torque.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Just ordered a new company car and went for a manual. As the automatic was less economical and throws out more CO2s so it would cost me more in tax. So I decided I could put up with changing gears as I have managed it OK for the last 30 odd years. And I put the money I would have spent on extra tax for an automatic towards a upgraded ICE system when the standard one was perfectly adequate. Boys and their toys.....

 

[Mastercracker]

Just ordered a new company car and went for a manual. As the automatic was less economical and throws out more CO2s so it would cost me more in tax. So I decided I could put up with changing gears as I have managed it OK for the last 30 odd years. And I put the money I would have spent on extra tax for an automatic towards a upgraded ICE system when the standard one was perfectly adequate. Boys and their toys.....

Strange, most Autos are more economical and therefore spit out less CO2 that manuals - On paper at least.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Strange, most Autos are more economical and therefore spit out less CO2 that manuals - On paper at least.

Not a Passat with the diesel engine I'm getting. On paper they throw out 10 more CO2s and are 6mpg less economical on their figures. Mind you that is VW, so chuff knows if that is true.

 

[Robster59]

It depends on the gearbox. It is reckoned the double clutch (DSG) gearboxes are meant to be better but not all cars have these.

 

[brendy]

Strange, most Autos are more economical and therefore spit out less CO2 that manuals - On paper at least.

It's the other way round, manuals are more efficient. Autos mostly seem to be taxed a little more too.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I'm getting a Superb 2.0 d, dsg. The emissions are slightly higher, one band up from the manual, the theoretic economy slightly lower. Both were so close that it was not a deal breaker though.

The lure of an easy life outweighed the slight impact of this. I'm also coming from an XC60 so the fuel economy will be better in my new car anyway despite it being an auto.

 

[SaintHacker]

I don't even have to bother to put my Ferrari in sport mode for it to sound good :ears:

Comeback of the year award winner right there!:rofl: