Automatic car: unexpected benefit

....... · 01-05-2019 4:49pm

Ive only ever had small cars, and manual.

Until last year the clutch was gone in my car and I got a rental and it was an automatic. I drove it home nervously and then got out and declared that next car I got would be an automatic.

My leg used to get sore on the clutch on long drives, so before xmas I got rid of the old car and got myself a small automatic - I love it.

Ill never drive manual again.

the_syco · 01-05-2019 5:10pm

zilog_jones wrote: »

Just floor it and it'll kick down, couldn't be easier

I would floor it, and it'd slowly increase speed for overtaking. Okay on motorways, but couldn't do it on normal roads, as I need instant speed.

But it was a rental, and the passenger was a family member, so couldn't check out what the various buttons/options did. When I go back to Canada, will probably be getting an auto RAM of some sort.

Wibbs wrote: »

I mean it's hardly a hassle to keep a throttle pedal in position.

I use it to not get points due to having a heavy foot

ForestFire · 01-05-2019 5:15pm

Wibbs wrote: »

This. Like I say I never found one where I wasn't regularly looking down at the gearbox going WTF? You change now? Or not.

You can take manual control of most new automatic's via the stick or paddles. You also have normal and sports modes.( At least VAG DSG and the new peugeot 508 for example)

Even the new toyota cvt has virtual gears you can manually switch through

zilog_jones · 02-05-2019 11:40am

the_syco wrote: »

I would floor it, and it'd slowly increase speed for overtaking. Okay on motorways, but couldn't do it on normal roads, as I need instant speed.

But a manual isn't exactly instant if you're downshifting either, and even slower if it's a diesel. You need to really stab the throttle and totally floor it, as a modern automatic may take into account velocity of pedal movement as well as position. It may take time to get used to how the throttle responds, but they're usually adequately responsive when needed.

I don't get these arguments about changing the gears manually - that kind of defeats the purpose of an automatic! There's usually a L or B mode for holding lower gears if you're dealing with serious hills, but D's usually fine, and it's hopefully choosing more efficient ratios than what you're used to.

02-05-2019 11:42am

I always use the tiptronic for overtaking,
probably the only time i use it

rgodard80a · 02-05-2019 12:07pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Have the auto box for about 9 months now and since I got it I've had a very good run of not being bent over with back pain.

I've no history of back issues but was getting twinges for a while until I realised I needed to readjust the seat properly.
I was sitting 1-2 seat notches slightly far forward so was taking more effort to raise my foot off the manual pedals.
Didn't help when the missus readjusted the seat now the odd time.

So it's worth taking the time to adjust both your seat position and angle and the steering wheel position and angle to the most comfortable position.

Now, I'm driving an automatic and it's so much better in stop/start traffic on the daily commute. I used to hate the stop/start driving on the M50 when even first gear was too fast for extended periods of time.

cpoh1 · 02-05-2019 12:34pm

Only downside of an auto is getting going in the snow, i really miss my manual in those conditions when you can really fine tune your control taking off and going slow. Even with decent all season tyres my auto DSG was poor in the snow earlier in the year and i ditched it for herselfs manual qashqai with all seasons.

the_syco · 02-05-2019 12:38pm

zilog_jones wrote: »

But a manual isn't exactly instant if you're downshifting either, and even slower if it's a diesel.

2L Petrol Mondeo. Drop a gear and floor the pedal. Maybe not instant, but in 3-5 seconds I get the burst of speed I need to overtake the car(s) in front before the next car/bend/obstacle gets in my way.

zilog_jones wrote: »

You need to really stab the throttle and totally floor it, as a modern automatic may take into account velocity of pedal movement as well as position. It may take time to get used to how the throttle responds, but they're usually adequately responsive when needed.

As I said, the auto's I've had, I only had briefly, so didn't get a chance to RTFM. The uHaul trucks were ancient. Also very fuel hungry. Kept at a low'ish speed to ensure it didn't drink the tank try. The Dodge Caravan, or whatever I got instead was newer, but putting the foot to the floor didn't get me any instant speed boost, so would need a km to slowly overtake the truck that was in the way.

zilog_jones · 02-05-2019 1:54pm

The manual won't tell you the specifics of how the throttle responds, it's something you need to get a feel for. Modern autos certainly don't take over 3 seconds to kick down, but trucks and crappy rental MPVs (probably underpowered base model) aren't exactly the pinnacle of driving dynamics. Some have a kickdown switch underneath the pedal that needs to be engaged, i.e. you do literally have to floor it for it to work.

DelBoy Trotter · 02-05-2019 2:14pm

I've always had manual cars, and swore i'd never get an automatic. I've only driven a couple of the older types of automatic cars, but I'm definitely interested in trying out the automatic boxes in the newer BMW's, Audi's and VW GTi's. If I find an automatic box I like in a car I really like, I could be tempted. However, I will more than likely be keeping a second manual car as a toy!

Comhrá · 02-05-2019 3:54pm

I have a 2016 Audi A4 1.4 TFSI petrol S tronic and I'd never buy a manual again. Smooth, very quiet and comfortable.

150ps is adequate if not spectacular from the 1.4 engine but overall it's a very nice combination. A doddle around town in traffic.

15-10-2019 2:02pm

Dero wrote: »

Depressing? You're clutching at straws now. :pac:

Heh, what's that?

Padre_Pio · 15-10-2019 2:15pm

I love my auto.

Thought I'd miss the fun of a manual, but honestly 99% of my driving is commuting or going to the shops. For that it's just so easy to use.
My BMW has a sport mode which drops a gear and makes it more responsive, perfect for overtaking, as well as tiptronic, but I never bother with that.

BraveDonut · 15-10-2019 2:37pm

Got my first Auto in February and will not be going back.

Coupled with the automatic handbrake option I sometimes forget how to drive her manual when I get into it.

corks finest · 15-10-2019 7:26pm

BraveDonut wrote:

Got my first Auto in February and will not be going back.

Automatic is the only way to go,,,,had a bad accident a few years back and without automatic then I'd have been snookered,school 13 km away , smallie would have had to get 2 buses etc

DaveyDave · 15-10-2019 7:41pm

I don't understand why automatics are so taboo in Ireland. Majority of small Japanese cars are CVT as standard but over here they're reserved as an option on the top spec model only.

People in Ireland are very stubborn towards automatics. The GF is learning in one and is getting a lot of grief from coworkers and some friends, some of which don't even have a car or license.

Anyone I know who has one swears by them. Close friend of mine didn't like the thoughts of them and ended up with a hybrid and loves it.

15-10-2019 10:00pm

To be honest, I would learn and do the test on a manual if only for the option later on.

Emmersonn · 16-10-2019 6:46am

Driving for 20 + years and never drove an automatic until I visited my son in Australia. Drove his automatic and loved it. I'm on my second now and love it. Would not go back to a manual.

Stallingrad · 16-10-2019 9:33am

Another unexpected benefit if you do sports. Autos are great for when you break your left leg/knee/ankle, you can be behind the wheel much sooner than a manual, which can be invaluable from a work point of view. I tested this with great success recently.

BlackandGreen · 16-10-2019 10:21am

As a professional driver, you can pry the manual gear stick out of my cold dead hands before I'll submit to automatic bollocks.

Henry Ford III · 16-10-2019 10:48am

I drive both and I can appreciate the ease of operation for the auto box particularly in urban traffic.

Given a choice it'll still be manual though. Much more involving.

corks finest · 16-10-2019 11:56am

DaveyDave wrote:

People in Ireland are very stubborn towards automatics. The GF is learning in one and is getting a lot of grief from coworkers and some friends, some of which don't even have a car or license.

My teen will learn and drone only automatics,going for a little honda fit import for him when he gets his licence ( been practicing in his mother's old BMW automatica) in a car park( no other vehicles) since 15

mickdw · 16-10-2019 12:06pm

Autos are the way forward but saying that, I think it is a big mistake to be learning people to drive on automatics.
There is an amount of feel and mechanical sympathy that comes with knowing how to drive a manual that is lost on autos.

16-10-2019 12:22pm

mickdw wrote: »

Autos are the way forward but saying that, I think it is a big mistake to be learning people to drive on automatics.
There is an amount of feel and mechanical sympathy that comes with knowing how to drive a manual that is lost on autos.

Really limits you in terms of future cars too, just in case, or rentals

16-10-2019 12:55pm

My late grandmother drove a Hudson Terrane car, bought used post-war. It had crash gears, requiring double-declutching, and was a bit of a monster to drive. She taught my Dad how to drive in it, so he used to tell me all about it. By the time synchromesh gears came in, my grandmother had stopped driving, but I’m quite sure she wouldn’t have yearned for the old days of “more feel” in the gears and transmission.

I’ve gone automatic for many years and now have a hybrid which is a joy to drive, has superb braking, reverse camera, and even warns me if I go past the speed limit and applies brakes automatically if I were to react too late. Cars are becoming ever more refined and easier to drive, and gears are most surely going to become a thing of the past except in a few select sports cars and retros, where drivers want that. Rental firms are slow enough to catch up, but thankfully each time I have have managed to get one, even out in the Hebrides. .

?Cee?view · 16-10-2019 12:58pm

mickdw wrote: »

Autos are the way forward but saying that, I think it is a big mistake to be learning people to drive on automatics.
There is an amount of feel and mechanical sympathy that comes with knowing how to drive a manual that is lost on autos.

You drive a manual.

You point an automatic.

Tazzimus · 16-10-2019 2:50pm

Auto's always bored me, much prefer manuals. I like to be able to change gear when I want to, not when the car decides it wants to. Tiptronic is somewhere in the middle, some control but not complete control.

They are handy in traffic, mind.

corks finest · 16-10-2019 5:22pm

Deleted User wrote:

Really limits you in terms of future cars too, just in case, or rentals

All future cars will be minimum auto

corks finest · 16-10-2019 5:25pm

zilog_jones wrote:

I drove my Prius in the snow last year, "Eco Mode" reduces throttle response so it was very easy to accelerate gently without losing traction, and the traction control would kick in and cut power if I tried doing anything dumb. Continuously variable so no option to change gears anyway. Was easier than any manual in the snow.

Same
Honda insight CVT ,never again manual

16-10-2019 6:27pm

corks finest wrote: »

All future cars will be minimum auto

Not for the next 5-10 years so up to 15 for 2nd hand market

Odelay · 16-10-2019 6:29pm

BlackandGreen wrote: »

As a professional driver, you can pry the manual gear stick out of my cold dead hands before I'll submit to automatic bollocks.

They said the same about the steam engine.

Rodin · 16-10-2019 6:31pm

I want my car to accelerate when I want to, not having to wait for a kickdown.
Manual is for proper drivers

DaveyDave · 16-10-2019 7:30pm

I don't think some people on here have driven a dual clutch or any decent auto setup.

A good gearbox will downshift before you even have your clutch in.

zig · 16-10-2019 7:40pm

mickdw wrote: »

Autos are the way forward but saying that, I think it is a big mistake to be learning people to drive on automatics.
There is an amount of feel and mechanical sympathy that comes with knowing how to drive a manual that is lost on autos.

True, but there will also be no need for that amount of feel and mechanical sympathy. It will just be a nostalgic thing for us old folk to moan about youngsters not having

I’ve never even driven an auto but I gotta say this thread is tempting me!

Gonad · 16-10-2019 7:43pm

Whenever I drive an auto I always say I would never go back but then always seem to get a manual next . Have had 2 autos and much better drive . Especially on my big 7 seater

Dartz · 16-10-2019 8:10pm

The oulfella got an auto. Now he complains about the clutch in my car numbing his foot, and having to pedal it down the motorway rather than just setting cruise.

OTOH the last time I drove an auto I was rolling to a halt at the traffic lights and plopped my foot on the clutch to let it roll to a halt.

It stopped a lot faster than I meant it to.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime · 16-10-2019 11:16pm

BlackandGreen wrote: »

As a professional driver, you can pry the manual gear stick out of my cold dead hands before I'll submit to automatic bollocks.

As a professional driver, you can shove your gear stick where the sun don't shine

Been in the auto brigade a few years now, still drive the odd manual car, bus, truck and am always relieved to be getting back into an auto (any vehicle auto).

galwaytt · 16-10-2019 11:26pm

Rodin wrote: »

I want my car to accelerate when I want to, not having to wait for a kickdown.
Manual is for proper drivers

you've clearly haven't driven an auto in the last. ...10 years......all "autos" have a manual capability : some by lever, some by paddle, some by thumbswitch.

There is literally no downside...

he'll, I've just bought a dual-clutch 1000cc Honda bike as well.....same as "DSG" or "PDK" in VAG speak...

Tazzimus · 16-10-2019 11:29pm

galwaytt wrote: »

you've clearly haven't driven an auto in the last. ...10 years......all "autos" have a manual capability : some by lever, some by paddle, some by thumbswitch.

There is literally no downside...

he'll, I've just bought a dual-clutch 1000cc Honda bike as well.....same as "DSG" or "PDK" in VAG speak...

You must not have driven a Renault auto recently so.
By the time it changes gear, you'd have gotten out and walked there

Yakuza · 17-10-2019 7:47am

When I was starting to learn to drive, I thought autos were the preserve of fat cat businessmen in their jags and mercs (but to be fair, they mostly were in the late 80s!) Until my current car, Id only ever driven the odd auto rental and never owned one. Now that I do, I ain't ever going back!. A bit like electric windows

It's 4-wheel drive so not worried about the odd dusting of snow we get here and I've the steptronic option (never used in 10 months of ownership) and Sports mode for overtaking (zero lag once selected). After about a week of ownership I was saying to myself that for the last 30 years I'd been manually changing gears, like an eejit

:p:D

Padre_Pio · 17-10-2019 7:58am

Tazzimus wrote: »

You must not have driven a Renault auto recently so.
By the time it changes gear, you'd have gotten out and walked there

I think it's a mistake to use a Renault as any kind of an example for auto excellence.

corks finest · 17-10-2019 5:55pm

Padre_Pio wrote:

I think it's a mistake to use a Renault as any kind of an example for auto excellence.

Haha agree

Harry Palmr · 17-10-2019 6:19pm

When I had an automatic I found the single greatest benefit in terms of actual driving was just how quick you could negotiate roundabouts, the advantage being no gear changing "slack" to take up as one slowed approaching, dropped a gear and then accelerated and changed up again. With the auto you are always in the right gear and the revs are high enough to pull/push you (depending on drivetrain) smoothly round. Its hard to explain any better than that. However the worst thing (old school 4 speed) was that sometimes the box got "stuck" in say 4th when third was needed when going along a very gradual incline. It needed a quick prod on the accelerator to prompt the change.

nogoodnamesleft · 17-10-2019 7:23pm

From the modern cars I have driven in the past 18months or so the best auto boxes are in the Merc/BMWs. The auto can change quicker and more efficently than any human can.

On the step automatics entering a roundabout for instance may not even require the driver to brake as the car deaccerates the car changes down and "engine brakes" the car and it does so in millseconds.

I have also driven the VW DSG and its also good but not as good as the Merc/BMW. I also have had a auto 3008 Peugeot and the box was ****e slow to change and not that refined.

Ubbquittious · 17-10-2019 7:33pm

Hate automatics, always did. The odd time I drive one I'm always glad to go back to the manual box

pah · 17-10-2019 11:07pm

is250 auto here, lovely smooth auto box. Paddle shift gear change in sport mode took some getting used to as it allows you to select maximum gear but it is fun to drive.

By all accounts the manual box on this model is muck.

_Kaiser_ · 18-10-2019 3:46pm

Been driving auto's for over a decade now and could not drive a manual at this stage

Plus I have been in the VAG camp for most of that time so decent auto's were fairly readily available.

I do agree that the lag can be annoying when trying to overtake rapidly or pull away from a busy roundabout/junction. It can be mitigated by putting it into Sport first, but you have to remember to do that!

Main advantages are slow/stop-start traffic and urban driving in general, the ease and speed of moving off from lights, navigating roundabouts, and (with cruise control) very easy motorway trips.

A good auto does need a decent box and engine mated to it though, but if you have that it's far superior for 99% of driving needs IMO.

Blazer · 18-10-2019 3:48pm

One of the main benefits of an auto box is being able to eat a 99 cone in one hand without trying desperately to avoid dumbass pededstrians, other cars in the forecourt while trying to steer and change gears in a manual.

Tazzimus · 19-10-2019 1:06am

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

and (with cruise control) very easy motorway trips.

Manual cars have cruise control too

19-10-2019 7:40am

Tazzimus wrote: »

Manual cars have cruise control too

Which has to be restarted after every touch of the clutch

Automatic car: unexpected benefit

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