Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Here you can post stuff that is not related to Christopher Ward
User avatar
jkbarnes
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 7852
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 8:39 pm
CW-watches: 3
Location: Virginia, USA

Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by jkbarnes »

Lavaine wrote: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:54 pm...(yet another Mx-5!)...
Perhaps with need an MX5 sub-forum! Or at least a thread, if it doesn’t already exist.
Drew
User avatar
Amor Vincit Omnia
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 33792
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2011 7:34 pm
CW-watches: 4
Location: Norfolk, UK

Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

Thanks for all the feedback. I was really surprised by the number who prefer autos!
Steve
Linguist; retired teacher; pilgrim; apprentice travel writer

Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time


Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. (Max Ehrmann)
User avatar
Paul Drawmer
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 2347
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2013 9:42 am
CW-watches: 7
Location: Deddington, Oxfordshire

Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by Paul Drawmer »

Confirmed petrol head here. No way would I buy a manual car for normal street use, I've been hooked on autos for years.

EXCEPT for track days of course, then it's got to be manual. Do you do many track days?
There's always time for one more.
User avatar
welshlad
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 11301
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2012 12:33 am
CW-watches: 27
Location: Yorkshire, UK

Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by welshlad »

Like others, I'd never go back to a manual gearbox now. Tiptronic autos are where it's at now.

Re auto high beam, I turned mine off as it kept taking too long to switch to dipped lights and hence was annoying drivers coming the other way. But now that I've cleaned the sensors I may well turn it back on again to see if that helps.
Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future. - Niels Bohr
User avatar
Thermexman
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 6225
Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2016 6:40 am
CW-watches: 4
Location: South West UK

Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by Thermexman »

When I bought my first BMW 320D back in 2015, (my grail car) I deliberated for ages, over the manual/auto question. Once I’d actually test driven the auto and realised how nice it was to drive, I was hooked.

I’m now on my second BMW with an auto. It’s an X1 with the 8 speed ZF. I was disappointed when the X1 was initially launched with a 7 speed auto Japanese gearbox, that used a big chunky gear lever, that you moved through a gate, rather than the ZF’s lovely electronic linkage, that is simply “rocked” back & forth” on a ball joint.

I’ve often said that I’d happily go back to manual for the “right” car but that’s probably not going to happen, now I’m on my second auto. I just love the ease of driving it. Especially now a days, that there’s so little compromise.

Anyway, the wife’s Seat Ibiza FR has a manual for those occasions when I get the itch for a refresher.

Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:23 pm Automatic. :thumbup:

Two feet; two pedals.

Right foot, accelerator. Left foot, brake.

Simples. :eek:

Guy
At the risk of being shouted down, I’m going to stick my neck out and contradict Guy’s method for driving an auto.

Forget the left leg, it’s now redundant if you drive an auto. I think that the consensus will be that you use the right foot for both acceleration and braking.

The reason being that you are doing one or the other and, unless you are a rally driver, you don’t want to risk doing both together!

Just my understanding from research.
Steve.
User avatar
downer
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 25482
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 11:02 pm
CW-watches: 4
Location: UK

Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by downer »

^^^ Fully agree.
Richard
User avatar
neilj568
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 1384
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2015 12:08 pm
CW-watches: 2
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by neilj568 »

I have no choice in the matter (company car; get what I'm given) but I'd imagine an auto would be great in stop/start traffic?
_________________________________________
Wrist Size 210mm/8.2"
User avatar
gaf1958
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 12431
Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2012 6:24 am
CW-watches: 24
Location: ɐᴉlɐɹʇsn∀ 'ʇsɐoƆ ǝuᴉɥsunS

Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by gaf1958 »

I’ll weigh in on the left foot braking with an auto. I learnt to do it a couple of decades ago and haven’t looked back - with one exception detailed below. I find it easier, smoother and probably much safer due to better braking reaction times.

My one break from that left footed braking routine was my VW Jetta 2 litre DSG (6 speed dual clutch auto-manual). It had a fairly serious bug in the software when tried to accelerate before my foot was completely off the brake (typical of driving off from a complete halt up a slight incline for example - smoother remember). In that situation the engine would just lose all power, so you’d limp off the line - or even worse - limp out of an intersection. It was so bad that I almost had a number of accidents. It also happened if I drove off than had to brake, the accelerate again in short order. PITA.

As a result I retrained myself to use only my right foot, but the result was never as smooth as it could have been, and I could never reach the brake as quickly as I could with left foot braking.

Enter the Macan. The Porsche PDK (their version of VW’s DSG, or should I say that DSG is VW’s version of the PDK) works like a charm, with the ability to always, but always, be in the right gear, or one instant shift away from it. In addition it didn’t faff around at lights like the Passat did, so left foot braking has come back in vogue at the gaf household. Even better, the VW Beetle (7 speed DSG) we bought for my wife, doesn’t have the annoying, potentially dangerous bug the 6 speed DSG had. So left foot braking all round. Happy days...
CW C1+2xC3+6xC6/60K+C7+C11+3xC60T+2xC65+C90+2xC600
Omega Ω 11xSpeedy+14xSeamaster+4xConnie+DeVille
Cartier+2xPanerai+2xFarer+2xOris+Sinn+11xSeiko+ManyVintage
B&R+Halios+5xVisitor+TagH+6xTissot+2xZelos+4xCertina+more
Family12xCW+2xΩ+Cartier
User avatar
nburgess
Guru
Guru
Posts: 397
Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2013 1:42 pm
CW-watches: 4
Location: Surrey, UK

Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by nburgess »

Quite surprised just how many recommend Auto's. I thought Auto would probably win the day, but not quite so emphatically.

I think my next car (whenever that may be) might be an Auto - had manual all my life, and as everyone has stated previously - get sick of driving manual's in all the traffic.
Plus the fact, my views have changed somewhat after taking a road trip towards the end of last year with a couple of friends down to Switzerland/Italy in my friend's Mercedes which was an Auto - was a revelation! Took all the stress out of driving. Although some of that could be attributed to the wonderful roads in France - that and the fact it was a C63 AMG.

I'd be interested to hear thoughts on mpg now though - as my thinking was that back in the day manual always had better fuel consumption.
My guess is now, what with 8 speed boxes and a jump in technology and wotnot, there's little in it - or maybe some auto's are more efficient than their equivalent manuals now ?
Neil
User avatar
Thegreyman
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 12066
Joined: Sat May 21, 2016 3:45 pm
CW-watches: 6
Location: Edinburgh

Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by Thegreyman »

nburgess wrote: Mon Jan 07, 2019 12:35 pm
I'd be interested to hear thoughts on mpg now though - as my thinking was that back in the day manual always had better fuel consumption.
My guess is now, what with 8 speed boxes and a jump in technology and wotnot, there's little in it - or maybe some auto's are more efficient than their equivalent manuals now ?
From Parker's Car Buying Guide:

Is an automatic gearbox more efficient?

Years ago when automatics tended to be fitted with slow-witted, three-speed gearboxes, fuel consumption was dreadful compared to their manual counterparts. Now, with electronics monitoring the car’s efficiency and with more gears on hand, automatics are frequently more economical than the manual versions. With greater fuel efficiency comes lower CO2 emissions too.

Fiat 500 TwinAir
Manual five-speed: 60mpg, 110g/km CO2
Automatic five-speed: 62mpg, 105g/km CO2

BMW 320d
Manual six-speed: 72mpg, 102g/km CO2
Automatic eight-speed: 74mpg, 99g/km CO2

Porsche Boxster
Manual six-speed: 38mpg, 168g/km CO2
PDK automatic seven-speed: 40mpg, 158g/km CO2
Patrick

C60 Pro 300, C60 Sunrise, C63 Sealander Lucerne blue LE, C65 Dartmouth, W11 Amelia (wife), C63 Sealander (son)

Some others + a few on the way
User avatar
Bahnstormer_vRS
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 35161
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2012 3:06 pm
CW-watches: 34
LE-three: 1
LE-foura: 1
LE-fourb: 1
LE-six: 1
Location: Hertfordshire, UK

Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

Those figures from Parkers are all well and good Patrick, but they are forgetting the drivers mantra;-

It ain't what you drive, it's the way that you drive it.

Guy

Sent from my Xperia XZ Premium using Tapatalk

In small proportions, we just beautie see:
And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)

Inscription on the Longitude Dial
Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 5NB, England
User avatar
golfjunky
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 6842
Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2010 7:32 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by golfjunky »

i was always a manual kinda guy until i got my Outlander PHEV and you have no choice, As i see hybrids and full ev's as the future i dont see a point in going back. if i ever get some spare cash i do want a nice little caterham 7 though.
Current collection = Omega Seamaster 2225.80.00, Omega Speedmaster 'Moonphase' 3576.50.00, Breitling Aerospace Evo, Vintage Azur, Vintage Seiko Sprtsman, Grand Seiko SBGX059, Omega SMP NTTD 210.92.42.20.01.001, Casioak Milkyway, Casioak Tiffany Sky.
Mikkei4
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 3587
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2017 7:20 pm
CW-watches: 0

Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by Mikkei4 »

golfjunky wrote: Mon Jan 07, 2019 2:42 pm i was always a manual kinda guy until i got my Outlander PHEV and you have no choice, As i see hybrids and full ev's as the future i dont see a point in going back. if i ever get some spare cash i do want a nice little caterham 7 though.
That'd be a interesting transition, 1 day sitting at SUV height then next day scraping your bottom on the road. Like you I always wanted a Cat7 until I tried to get in 1 a few years ago at a motor show...not good for me.
User avatar
Thegreyman
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 12066
Joined: Sat May 21, 2016 3:45 pm
CW-watches: 6
Location: Edinburgh

Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by Thegreyman »

Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Mon Jan 07, 2019 2:33 pm Those figures from Parkers are all well and good Patrick, but they are forgetting the drivers mantra;-

It ain't what you drive, it's the way that you drive it.

Guy
That's true Guy but that applies equally to manual or auto i.e. you can drive either hard and get nothing like those figures (real world mpg always lower).

It was to illustrate the point that there is no real mpg advantage of manual over modern autos (unlike days of old).
Patrick

C60 Pro 300, C60 Sunrise, C63 Sealander Lucerne blue LE, C65 Dartmouth, W11 Amelia (wife), C63 Sealander (son)

Some others + a few on the way
User avatar
smegwina
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 11771
Joined: Sun May 26, 2013 10:04 am
CW-watches: 11

Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by smegwina »

Auto for me all the way. I think DSG boxes are bloody dangerous. The hesitation at junctions etc is simply ridiculous. (Similar problems to Gary). It also crapped itself at 80k.

I love the way that with my auto, I can simply mash the throttle, let the electronics do the work and embarrass many a sports car with my old man fat mobile.

The one issue I do have with the Jaguar 8 speed is that too often it is quite aggressive and simply spins the wheels when accelerating out of corners/off of roundabouts which leads to some very interesting power slides in the dry, and some rather terrifying moments in the wet. (This is despite having 275 width tyres)

I was going to swap for the 575R version of mine, had an extended test drive, and it was almost undriveable in certain conditions. A lot of that was down to the sensitivity of the Jag auto box. I am therefore keeping mine for another year whilst I decide!

Costs..... MPG is good with the auto..... but Tyre life is simply woeful.... 5-10k on the rears, which proves a tad frustrating. I am sure that with a manual I would get better life.

So to sum up.... Manual gives more control but requires more effort, auto gives less control and DSG is dangerous!

Despite the above.... Auto is king. (I also never use the paddles)

Sent from my Redmi Note 6 Pro using Tapatalk


  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post