Manual or auto? (But not watches)

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Amor Vincit Omnia
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Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

I think a lot of people know me well enough to realise that I’m not particularly interested in cars and don’t even enjoy driving that much.

However, when I took possession of a hire car in Cyprus last week my first thought was: oh good, it’s a Yaris just like mine.

My second thought was: oh ****, it’s an automatic! (I had an automatic for a week in France about 30 years ago, but since then I have always driven a manual car.)

Well, after a couple of spectacular emergency stops when I decided some action was needed on the clutch, I really enjoyed driving it for three days.

If I decide to carry on with PCPs as I have done for the last 15 years or so, my car will be up for renewal in about 15 months and I am seriously considering an automatic.

Any experiences or thoughts?
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Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by H0rati0 »

Modern autos (at the risk of being too technical, automatic clutch/direct drive gearbox) are very nice, the old torque converter not so much. As you don't really take deep pleasure in driving then I would say that is the way to go, but for serious piston heads only a manual gives full intimacy with the machine.

Of course, with modern traffic conditions almost all driving is a chore. Personally I used to love to drive (grew up on motorcycles and didn't even get a car licence until I was 25 and needed it for work) but nowadays not so much excepting some rare moments, though I still indulge myself with a manual box, for now.

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Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by TigerChris »

Years ago traditional torque convertor automatics were terrible! 6 years ago, I test drove a VW CC with DSG box and it was sublime. I bought one! I then moved on to my current car, a BMW X3, with their 8 speed auto. I would never buy a manual daily driver again (my MX5 is manual, but thats different!). My preference is the ZF 8 speed in the BMW over the DSG, but theres not much in it. I found going from forward to reverse in the DSG a little jerky sometimes if you are manoeuvring quickly. The BMW box is slightly smoother. Not much of a difference in normal driving though (they are both fantastic). Our lass took to the auto that much that when we changed her car last year she went for an auto too. I'm not keen on it as its a CVT and I like to have gears and the option to drive manually if I want to. She loves it though and would never go back to manual either. With the traffic on our roads these days, the amount of start/stop in traffic, not having to be on and off a clutch pedal makes for a more relaxing drive in my opinion. If you'd have asked me 10 years ago I wouldn't have touched an auto with a barge pole, now I wouldn't buy anything else as a daily drive. For a weekend 'fun' car though, when I want to actually 'drive' the car, manual all the way still.
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Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by jtc »

I couldn't go back to a manual now. A modern auto is just so convenient and easy. Even my lowly Ford "Powershift".
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Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by Mikkei4 »

Other than 2 old automatics that I had in the first few years after passing my driving test (early 1970s!) I've always had cars with manual gearboxes.

Early this year I needed a new car and thought I'd test drive both the manual and automatic versions of the car I fancied. Years of playing football and a back injury/operation meant that it was becoming increasingly difficult to find many manual gearbox cars that gave me a good and comfortable compromise of driving position to operate the 3 pedals, in particular the relationship between length and effort of depression on the clutch pedal and the accelerator.

Both versions of the test drive car were comfortable but the response of the modern auto-box and the ease of use meant I really liked and preferred the auto so I bought that. It's been easy for me to forget all about the clutch operation maybe due to the experiences of driving autos in the '70s but maybe also because the foot-well is nice and wide with a foot-rest position for my left foot. We still own a manual gearbox car and it's been not a problem for me to move from driving 1 to the other and back again.

So I would say to you definitely try the automatic but with 2 main considerations - that rear-wheel drive automatics, unless they have 4w drive capability (e.g. BMW X-drive), are generally pretty poor in snowy or slushy conditions and also ensure that the engine power/torque is more than sufficient to give good acceleration particularly on kick-down and away from a junction.
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Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

Automatic. :thumbup:

Two feet; two pedals.

Right foot, accelerator. Left foot, brake.

Simples. :eek:

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Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by timor54 »

Currently driving a manual and have had a few auto’s, but never really liked traditional ‘mechanical’ auto’s. My last one was a Ford DSG with paddle shift, which was much nicer to drive and also more appropriate for smaller engine cars.

The choice will probably over time disappear anyway as the move to hybrids, and in turn electric’s, will remove the requirement for traditional gearboxes.
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Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by Kip »

I had no issues driving a manual shift in my youth. I switched to an auto when the knees started to give out and never looked back. Find it far more enjoyable to ride and drive in comfort these days. The mileage difference is of no significance to me.

However, if I was to get a weekender, I would want the joy of driving a manual. I could do that on a limited basis.
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Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by hughesyn »

Unless it's a sports car, I can't see the point of a manual.
Even then, flappy paddles for enthusiastic driving and auto for the other 90% would be best.

I hate driving manuals, I resent the fact that I have to put in effort because the manufacturer or person who bought the car was too cheap to automate it.

I'm also a big fan of auto high beams. Once you have it, normal cars seem archaic having to push a lever constantly on country roads...
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Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by TigerChris »

hughesyn wrote: Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:00 pm I'm also a big fan of auto high beams.
Our lasses car has that and I have to admit its fantastic - one of the 'gizmo's' that I actually do find useful. Lane assist on the other hand.......
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Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by BobMunro »

Manual when I was younger but have driven autos for the thick end of 25 years.

I don’t mind the odd drive in a manual just to remind me of the skills I now rarely use, and always manuals for the infrequent track day. But I would never consider buying a new car that wasn’t an automatic. I like resting my left foot!

I will no doubt have a second mid-life crisis (who am I kidding - not really mid!) when I retire and plan to buy an old English classic sports car, and that will almost certainly be a manual - but clearly it won’t be my daily driver.
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Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by downer »

I can confidently predict I will never own another manual car.

However, when choosing the motorcycle, I decided an auto would be a step too far.
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Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by jkbarnes »

My daily driver is an auto. It’s got a “manual” mode, but it’s not even close to the same experience as a true manual. It never gets used.

My MX-5 however is a manual, and driving it is sublime. It is the perfect antidote to a rough work week. Tossing it around on twisty roads while cycling through the gears is the best therapy.
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Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by Thegreyman »

My cars had always been manual, other than a 1984 Audi 80 I bought from my dad years ago when he got another car. That had a 3 speed auto gearbox although was a decent car.

My more recent cars - I had a couple of MX5's (seems like a few of us have had these) and I agree small sports cars probably seem to suit a manual gearbox.

My last car was a BMW 320d 6 speed manual but when I came to change it last year I tried another BMW 320d this time with the 8 speed auto. Both cars have a virtually identical c. 190 bhp engine but I massively prefer the auto so went for that. The quoted acceleration times are actually faster for the auto than manual so it's not really a slower option these days...the point though is that it is so much more smoothe and relaxing a drive, plus when you want to get a move on, the pick up is excellent and you can keep both hands on the steering wheel, probably safer. Of course there may be a correlation between reaching 50 years old and preferring autos :?

The point re the rear wheel drive automatics in the snow/slush, I just stick a set of winter tyres on the car from mid November and have never had any traction issues even in snow with the Beemers. In fact I saw a film comparing rear wheel drive with winter tyres vs front wheel drive and even four wheel drive without winter tyres and the rear wheel drive had better traction.

I still keep my hand in, so to speak, by driving my wife's Fiat which is a manual.
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Re: Manual or auto? (But not watches)

Post by Lavaine »

I'm going to sound like a parrot, but as others have said, auto for the daily driver, manual for the toy (yet another Mx-5!). I absolutely love having an auto with a manual mode and flappy paddle shifters. 10 years ago a DSG was the only way to go, but as TigerChris said, some of the current torque converter autos, such as the BMW ZF as as good or better, while being simpler and cheaper to maintain.
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