Automatic cars

[Dan!]

Automatic cars - talk to me! :think:

Iv never even lookied into how you drive them, how they work or anything at all, and im looking at some cars which are Auto but being massively put off by no manual gears

So go on, someone help me

(Im off to wikipedia for a read-up while I wait for some replies )

[THE_Liam]

My Calibra has a slushbox

Basically, you put your foot on the brake, put it in D and it starts to pull at the brakes. Take your foot off and it creeps forward, touch the accelerator and it just moves off, and changes gear as the revs rise. If you start to slow down it drops back down the gears, and you can just stop without it stalling. If you put your foot down harder it'll hold lower gears longer and change faster, and if you floor it or put it in "Sport mode" it'll hold gears to the redline. Also, if your just driving along and you floor it, it kicks down a couple of gears to give you power for fast acceleration or overtaking

Do I like it? Yes and no. If I was ONLY driving to work and back (4 mile commute, almost all of it sat in traffic) I'd have an auto every time, but on a nice road it's gash, you know how on a country road you drop a cog before a corner, hold that gear through the corner and then floor it after the apex? Can't do that in an auto, it'll change up halfway round the bend, so you come out of the bend, floor it and you sit there waiting for it to kick down

I wanted to try an auto, which is why I got one in a car that was always gonna be temporary, and Im going back to a manual next. You should also bear in mind, auto boxes are very complex if they go wrong and make fuel economy about 20% worse, my 2.0 16 valve Calibra struggles to do 20 mpg in traffic...

[Dan!]

Thanks Liam, thats fairly easy to understand

After reading on wiki I got the impression they were very complex, sound expensive if it goes wrong :think:

[THE_Liam]

It can be, I know a slushbox specialist who charges 90 quid an hour! Best bet is just try one, Pete and Kyle both tried mine at the Sheffield meet, you could too if you were closer

[mark_airey]

Thanks Liam, thats fairly easy to understand

After reading on wiki I got the impression they were very complex, sound expensive if it goes wrong :think:

Expensive to fix if they brake and to start with every time you come to a junction you will find your self slamming on the brakes and nearly throwing yourself out of the windscreen trying to depress the clutch that isn't there so you hit the brake pedal as you would the clutch one, on the plus side it makes you learn quick

[THE_Liam]

You need to program yourself to keep your left foot on the floor! I'm off up the A1 to see an Audi A3 now, I wonder how long it'll take to get the hang of a clutch again?

[Ed Doe]

As Liam said, its not a bad thing if you're just motorway-munching. Real easy to drive; you can just switch off really.

To add to Liams description, I found that at some speeds the one I drove couldn't fecking decide what cog to take and kept swapping up and down. I also found when you give it the means and then let off slowly, it lurches as it changes up, and you look like a shit driver. Also I've always wanted to know how responsive kick-down is. so I took my foot off the throttle, and then PLANTED it. It actually took about 2secs to engage a gear.

Imagine that then, steaming into a bend on a country lane, hard onto the brakes (autobox natually puts you in neutral, further altering the balance of the car :S ), then the back steps out and you need to catch it, so stamp on the throttle......and wait.......... back-end of the car swaps ends with front-end...........aaaand autobox engages the gear. FAIL!

So in the short period I drove the thing (incidentally this was my bosses truck LOL) I have confirmed that I will never own an auto. Ever.

[ginge191]

My friend just bought a S2000, turbo jobby..... with an auto box, and jesus, theres identicle cars and they have the power.

To me, when being in an auto car, you loose all drivability, automated gear changes (unless booooting it) just seems useless, unless, like others said your motorway munching or commuting.

[Midnightclub]

I think unless it's tiptronic or flappy paddle, i couldn't deal with an auto, i like being able to choose what gear i'm in too much!

[Connor]

It all depends on what sort of system it is, as I know the BMW has very complex and smart computers, learning your driving style, location, taking all sorts of information in to calculate what gear to be in, when to change up/down

[Megamonkey]

Autos are good, as stated if your in stop start traffic they are fine. Will creep you out the first time you drive one and you put it in drive and you start going forward without pressing anything! Obviously its needed for when your on a hill so you don't slip backwards!

Definately better on a diesel with high torque ... I drove a 1.6 petrol renault cilo once with bikes on the top of the motorway ... it couldn't deicede if it wanted to be in 4th or 5th at 70mph which scare the shite out of you when it drops a gear because it deciedes its in the wrong one!

[Niall]

My old Saab was an auto and I wasn't to sure about it at first but after a few days it was brilliant. So much easier and the sport mode on the Saab actually did something unlike a lot of them!
I had a fault with the box on mine and it was the range selector. Nice easy job but the garage that serviced it picked it up. Had a good old chat with him about it and learned a lot. There not actually as bad to own now as a lot of people think and there just as easy to repair as a manual until you start getting to things like flappy paddle boxes. I would definitely own another and my next car will almost defiantly be a auto!
Even looking into getting a auto from work for my next company car. Superb for all the London driving I do!

[springs]

dsg / flappy panel ones look the best..

My dad has a Mk5 Golf GTI with DSG and you can have it in manual or auto and can overide the auto when you please.

The only auto i've driven is a Disco V8 but that was only in 1st gear as i was doing off roading..

[THE_Liam]

Just went and test drove that A3, stalled it twice because I kept forgetting to de-clutch at junctions

[1616six]

Dan, ask amber nicely tomorrow & she might let you drive the C2..

It can go in fully auto, or paddle shift. Piece of pish to drive once you get used to it.

Just cost £150 to have the clutch replaced at a garage with a courtesy car provided just for an idea of repair costs..

[Toms306]

How are they complex to drive Dan....they have one less pedal and a missing stick...................my aunt has to have one as she 'can't deal with gears'.... :blink:

I don't like them though, drove the C3 and the micra with autoboxes......both were crap imo, gearchange was jerky and not nice, infact worse than my own!! (And that really is saying something lol). And really boring as I like having something to do while Im driving........I get bored otherwise and get distracted (happens a lot in the golf as Im always in 6th lol, might as well be an auto!)

[declantg]

Manual transmission is for real men

Sent from my HD7 T9292 using Board Express

[THE_Liam]

Manual transmission is for real men

Sent from my HD7 T9292 using Board Express

Why, because you don't feel like a man unless your playing with a knob?

[Curt]

^

I've looked at cars which are mostly autos previously (530i and 540i ) but come to the conclusion that I couldn't live with an autospastic. Not until I'm old, lazy and boring anyway

[declantg]

Thanks :L suppose I did leave myself wide open for that!

Sent from my HD7 T9292 using Board Express

[Pete]

As Liam said I had a go in the Calibra as I've never driven an auto before, found it bloody weird

I'd like one for my daily grind on the M62 though.

[Jonny81191]

I often drive a VW caravelle that has an auto box, I hate driving it in normal auto, it's rubbish. BUT... Drop it to sport mode and its pretty good. Go over to DSG and its great, like having a proper sequential box. When I drive it, it lives in DSG mode!

As for the stamping on the brake, I just sit on my left foot or put it over in the passenger footwell (bear in mind it's a van lol)

[Strikeforce]

Ive driven a few auto's and there not too bad well the ones i drove anyway but you cant beat a manual imo
On the plus side you can literally eat a 3 course meal when your driving an auto lol not that i would

[THE_Liam]

It would be great if I still smoked

[Ian]

My next car is going to be a 3.0tdi A6 with an auto for pure lazy motorway driving.

The twin clutch setups coming out now are as good if not better than manuals. Sometimes better economy, faster, seamless shifts. Bonza!

[Flynn]

*Generic Sweeping statement specifically aimed at causing a thread-closing argument*

[Ian]

Autos are getting better than a manual.

Edited for Accuracy

[mark_airey]

Autos are getting better than a manual.

Edited for Accuracy

^^ repped..........oh, wait :roll:

[Niall]

Autos can NEVER be better than a manual.

That's a stupid statement. What if you have a bad knee like my old boss did? Clutch makes it worse so a auto is better!
Autos are getting just as good as manuals now. It's just down to preference now!

[Eeyore]

Autos are for people who cant drive... my ex tried to tell me they used autos in powerful cars but she had an auto and it was a daewoo lanos...