So many different kinds of auto box these days I find it all quite confusing....
I’ve no preference either way, but really liked the PDK box on the Macan GTS. Equally the manual box on the GRYaris is a delight to use, and on my numerous rental cars it’s interesting how shift quality varies from car to car.
Two people I know have irrational fears of auto boxes...simply would never consider one.
One person wanted a replacement Lexus but wouldn’t buy one because they weren’t straight forward 6 speed manual, and another wanted an Audi S3 but again wanted a ‘normal’ manual so hunted for ages until they found one of the last 2017 manuals....citing reliability issues .
OTOH I have friends who after years driving auto boxes would never revert to a manual
Ideally I’d prefer an auto with flappy paddles...the 208 GT Auto rental I had worked a treat, but it’s never going to be a deal breaker for me.
Strange old world...
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I have had only autos for over 20 years. Wouldn't dream of buying a manual.
What's all this flappy paddle nonsense? My most recent MB has got them, I think. Load of rubbish.
Stick the thing in D and just drive. You're making life too complicated.
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The 208 GT auto, with only 130 horse, did seriously run out of puff on long uphill motorway stretches in Spain....maybe a feature of that box, but it didn’t change down and speed dropped off from 130kph to 80 kph....I tested it...used the paddles to drop it down a few cogs.
Small 1.2 PureTech engine I suppose...a larger more powerful engine wouldn’t have that issue I would hope.
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I quite enjoy a manual on open flowing roads, but I much prefer an auto in traffic or town. Don’t really mind either way ultimately. Probably slightly more in favour of an auto now that my left arm and hand are a bit compromised. Lack of proper grip or full mobility means that getting reverse on some manuals is a bit painful.
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The autobox is man's best friend. One hand on the wheel, the other on the missus. Or somebody else's missus.
My daughter's car is a manual and I have to drive it once a week or so (to tank it up). I hate it. I can manage perfectly well with just second, fifth and reverse though. I don't don't faff around with the others.
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If you guys end up with electric cars you'll wonder why you ever got so much pleasure from gears.
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The Audi is my ( UP apart) 5th auto. I wouldn't want a manual these days. The UP was different though.
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I get that, there’s something nice about a small analogue car too. Depends on what I’m in a mood for.
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I've never owned a car with an auto, I never avoided them just the way it worked out. Most cars on the market being manuals it can be a search to find an auto in many versions of cars.
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I’ve driven both manuals and automatics since I was 17, and indeed left and right hand drive cars from the same age onwards, resultantly perhaps, I don’t really mind what the controls are or what side of the car they are attached to, or what side of the road is the local convention.
They are all just machinery that require similar operation.
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>> They are all just machinery that require similar operation.
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Quite right and as long as you don't fall off, you should be ok.
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The only car I’ve ever fallen off was a Land Rover. It had a tent thing on the roof and one night I got up to go for a pee and managed to forget that I was so far above ground when I stepped out of the tent.
I blame a beer brand called Grolsch for most of it.
Landed on a portable barbecue to add to the indignity of it all.
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Tucked away in the memory bank for possible use in the future.
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>> Landed on a portable barbecue to add to the indignity of it all.
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Well done!
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>Well done!
Don't you mean "Well Done?"
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No, the barbecue was cold by the time I used it to break my fall. I do though remember feeling irrationally proud at the time of managing to light a cigarette on the way down. None of it was planned of course, it was just a random set of concurrent events. I expect it was the Zippo that clinched it, they stayed lit in the most trying of circumstances. Still have the lighter actually, despite having had no particular use for it for many years. Don’t drink beer much now either come to think.
The Land Rover was a manual in case you were wondering.
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Thanks Humph - that made me laugh
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Too kind Rob really. There is a short epilogue to it if anyone was wondering or could be bothered to read on.
The barbecue had originally had a domed lid arrangement and spent the rest of that short but otherwise enjoyable holiday with a dual imprint of the cheeks of my backside pressed into it. It took quite a while to get over the trauma of understanding why the handle remained more or less unscathed, but I suppose the Batman print boxers I was coincidentally wearing must have contributed to preventing any real damage.
The fold out legs of the thing were never again fully fit for purpose though.
The girlfriend with me at the time, was a Canadian nurse mercifully, who had initially remained in the tent. Her main immediate contribution was to remark that she had never previously heard such loud and continuous swearing without repetition, and indeed how much more emphatic it sounded to her ear when delivered in the dead of night in a Scots accent.
Other occupants of the camp site seemed less impressed by that element when the event was briefly mentioned the following morning.
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>> They are all just machinery that require similar operation.
Sometimes you need to turn the wheel a bit more on others tho.
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>> I've never owned a car with an auto, I never avoided them just the way
>> it worked out. Most cars on the market being manuals it can be a search
>> to find an auto in many versions of cars.
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I haven't either. I've driven four of them, but for a combined total of about ten miles in all. I'd quite like one, but nothing suitable came up whenever I was after a car
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>> If you guys end up with electric cars you'll wonder why you ever got so
>> much pleasure from gears.
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If you ever drive a Grrrrr Yaris you’ll understand….that’s if you enjoy driving.
No offence intended
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Have you tried driving an EV LL?
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I agree. Driving a manual hire car for a month seemed a lot of unnecessary faffing about after having an EV.
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‘Faffing about’…you mean changing gear ?
I find touch screen controls far more faffing about than changing gear which comes instinctively and I don’t notice I’m doing it.
My first auto was a Marina…that’s a long time ago. And I had a Mk1 Passat auto..think that was R reg.
I’ve never driven an EV…I’d like a go in a good one, but I’m
Never going to Pay the extra to hire one on holiday.
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Outlander is auto, much better for towing, parking, manoeuvring, stop-start traffic. It has steering wheel switches (paddles) which I rarely use, usually only for forcing a down change when descending a steep hill.
MX-5 is manual, much more engaging when the journey is as important as the arrival. It's off to revisit the Italian alps again in June.
The Roomster is DSG (TIP/Auto rather than paddles) and is the least good to drive IMO.
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Italian Alps aka Dolomites ?
Probably 15 years since I’m walked Alta Via 2. Somewhere else to return to.
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I've driven autos, but never owned one, apart from a Mobylette that I, sought of, accidently acquired. Damn thing 'topsided' me when I went sliding round a frosty corner and found some grip.
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My X1 is automatic and first one I have owned. Bought it cos I was fed up sitting in stop start rush hour commuting traffic, dipping the clutch in and out.
Week after I got it, in summer 2019, I got made redundant so no commuting!
Got a new job in Jan 20, got furloughed 10 weeks later, and been commuting across my hallway ever since!!
But love driving the car, even now 4 years later, I still find myself just going for a drive with no particular destination in mind and much of that has to do with the lovely auto gearbox. I love it and would never buy another manual car.
Missus car is manual and any time I drive that, I don’t need to think twice about clutches and changing gears. Can easily go from one car to the other and no issues around gearboxes.
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Manual or auto ? - Duncan
