Has anyone ever grown to like an auto?
Poll: Has anyone ever grown to like an auto?
Total Members Polled: 241
Discussion
I bought a 330d (new) 5 years ago. I was a little worried that it was only available as an auto but thought that it would be OK as it had the paddles and I could still change manually if I wanted to. But I have never really got used to the auto and find the manual mode a very poor substitute for a "proper" manual gearbox. With 8 gears and an engine that makes so little noise, I lose track of what gear I'm in and have to keep looking down at the tachometer and gear indicator - and that's not great when driving briskly down a country lane.
And in case you're wondering, I haven't forgotten what a manual is like as I also have an Elise, which is obviously manual, and often drive my wife's i20 around town.
An auto is certainly better when driving in traffic and the seamless acceleration when I plant my right foot is great - but I've decided my next car will have to be a manual, which does limit the choice a bit.
And in case you're wondering, I haven't forgotten what a manual is like as I also have an Elise, which is obviously manual, and often drive my wife's i20 around town.
An auto is certainly better when driving in traffic and the seamless acceleration when I plant my right foot is great - but I've decided my next car will have to be a manual, which does limit the choice a bit.
Thankfully I no longer have to commute, and can usually avoid rush hours altogether. 
Most of my driving is 30+ miles trips using dual-carriageways and Motorways, and just a few short local trips a week.
Both my cars have the 3 litre N52 engine (E86 and E90) which I think really suits a manual gearbox, so both are manual and I never find myself wishing either was an auto. - well maybe it would have been better when I drove to Hammersmith the other weekend!
But in over 40 years driving I've only owned 4 autos, in each case because manuals weren't available. And all four were old-fashioned ones with a torque-converter and only 3 or 4 speeds.
I'd probably feel differently about it if I tried a newer auto like the ZF 8-speed, particularly if I was in traffic and built-up areas more often.
So the same as most others on here my preference is largely dictated by where, when and how I drive!
Most of my driving is 30+ miles trips using dual-carriageways and Motorways, and just a few short local trips a week.
Both my cars have the 3 litre N52 engine (E86 and E90) which I think really suits a manual gearbox, so both are manual and I never find myself wishing either was an auto. - well maybe it would have been better when I drove to Hammersmith the other weekend!
But in over 40 years driving I've only owned 4 autos, in each case because manuals weren't available. And all four were old-fashioned ones with a torque-converter and only 3 or 4 speeds.
I'd probably feel differently about it if I tried a newer auto like the ZF 8-speed, particularly if I was in traffic and built-up areas more often.
So the same as most others on here my preference is largely dictated by where, when and how I drive!
I’m an auto convert. The ZF8 is really very good; it made me realise just how slow the ZF in my E90 was. It makes day to day driving loads easier but is still responsive when pressing on. It does it’s thing much faster than I can. Plus BMW manual gearboxes aren’t great; the one in my vRS is much nicer than any BMW one I’ve driven.
Stuff like the DCT gearbox really suited the E9x M3 in my opinion, the manual one wasn’t as nice.
Stuff like the DCT gearbox really suited the E9x M3 in my opinion, the manual one wasn’t as nice.
I'm not really bothered; but modern autos are a thing of wonder, if a little disengaging. I had 5 manuals then 2 autos and now a SMG. I'll skip over the first 4 manuals (all clios) but the 6-speed in my 9-3 Aero was great fun, especially after I had the car chipped and you could hang on to a gear longer as the turbo spooled up. First auto was my 645ci which suited the car really well, although obviously not as engaging on the twisties (although the car was too big to really enjoy b roads); second auto was the ZF my 640i and again suited the car and was fantastic but the paddles were somewhat redundant.
Latest is the SMG in my Z4 and I've grown to really like it. Use the paddles to change up around town is second nature and it handles downshifts automatically if I let it so nice and easy to drive much like a full auto (although the full auto option on this gearbox is horrendous - like a early 90s vauxhall) but on b-roads and in sport mode it's just as engaging to drive as a full manual.
Latest is the SMG in my Z4 and I've grown to really like it. Use the paddles to change up around town is second nature and it handles downshifts automatically if I let it so nice and easy to drive much like a full auto (although the full auto option on this gearbox is horrendous - like a early 90s vauxhall) but on b-roads and in sport mode it's just as engaging to drive as a full manual.
Edited by parabolica on Friday 19th July 16:53
Court_S said:
It does it’s thing much faster than I can.
You see I hear this argument all the time about an auto changing gear faster than a manual & I personally don't think the argument holds any water at all.I drive around in my manual & when I see an overtake coming up (because I am looking & thinking ahead) I manually put my manual gearbox in the right gear to successfully and safely achieve the overtake beforehand, accelerate & then put the car back into the new correct gear for the scenario after the overtake & everything is good.
Now let's try that in an auto, accelerate, little happens, then kickdown occurs and the car revs it's nuts off, then as you back off it changes back up & kicks you in the back because the engine is over-revving for the new gear it has changed into.
Well I am sorry but being in the right gear beforehand is much quicker than waiting for an ECU to satisfy it's algorithm for a gearchange & then achieve the gear change & wait for the turbo to spool back up again.
AFAIK there is no auto box in the world that will put you in the right gear before you need it rather than 2 seconds afterwards, by which time the "safe" part of the above window is rapidly dwindling.
No they don't do it quicker.
E-bmw said:
You see I hear this argument all the time about an auto changing gear faster than a manual & I personally don't think the argument holds any water at all.
I drive around in my manual & when I see an overtake coming up (because I am looking & thinking ahead) I manually put my manual gearbox in the right gear to successfully and safely achieve the overtake beforehand, accelerate & then put the car back into the new correct gear for the scenario after the overtake & everything is good.
Now let's try that in an auto, accelerate, little happens, then kickdown occurs and the car revs it's nuts off, then as you back off it changes back up & kicks you in the back because the engine is over-revving for the new gear it has changed into.
Well I am sorry but being in the right gear beforehand is much quicker than waiting for an ECU to satisfy it's algorithm for a gearchange & then achieve the gear change & wait for the turbo to spool back up again.
AFAIK there is no auto box in the world that will put you in the right gear before you need it rather than 2 seconds afterwards, by which time the "safe" part of the above window is rapidly dwindling.
No they don't do it quicker.
Afaik and it seems to work, the *rate* at which you push the accelerator down affects the gear the box selects. So if you push you foot slowly vs. quickly it'll change to a different gear. Or use kickdown which is very quick to drop a few cogs.I drive around in my manual & when I see an overtake coming up (because I am looking & thinking ahead) I manually put my manual gearbox in the right gear to successfully and safely achieve the overtake beforehand, accelerate & then put the car back into the new correct gear for the scenario after the overtake & everything is good.
Now let's try that in an auto, accelerate, little happens, then kickdown occurs and the car revs it's nuts off, then as you back off it changes back up & kicks you in the back because the engine is over-revving for the new gear it has changed into.
Well I am sorry but being in the right gear beforehand is much quicker than waiting for an ECU to satisfy it's algorithm for a gearchange & then achieve the gear change & wait for the turbo to spool back up again.
AFAIK there is no auto box in the world that will put you in the right gear before you need it rather than 2 seconds afterwards, by which time the "safe" part of the above window is rapidly dwindling.
No they don't do it quicker.
Another way is to use the manual mode and preselect the gear you need.
As for speed of actually swapping the cogs I doubt a manual box can do it in 200ms or whatever the latest zf8 can do it in. Not with any degree of mechanical sympathy anyway?
E-bmw said:
You see I hear this argument all the time about an auto changing gear faster than a manual & I personally don't think the argument holds any water at all.
I drive around in my manual & when I see an overtake coming up (because I am looking & thinking ahead) I manually put my manual gearbox in the right gear to successfully and safely achieve the overtake beforehand, accelerate & then put the car back into the new correct gear for the scenario after the overtake & everything is good.
Now let's try that in an auto, accelerate, little happens, then kickdown occurs and the car revs it's nuts off, then as you back off it changes back up & kicks you in the back because the engine is over-revving for the new gear it has changed into.
Well I am sorry but being in the right gear beforehand is much quicker than waiting for an ECU to satisfy it's algorithm for a gearchange & then achieve the gear change & wait for the turbo to spool back up again.
AFAIK there is no auto box in the world that will put you in the right gear before you need it rather than 2 seconds afterwards, by which time the "safe" part of the above window is rapidly dwindling.
No they don't do it quicker.
It’s pretty easy to preempt ant such situation especially with paddles. My ZF8 seems pretty damn quick to react and I can’t recall any such situation happening, not even with the slower 6 speed ZF in my old 330.I drive around in my manual & when I see an overtake coming up (because I am looking & thinking ahead) I manually put my manual gearbox in the right gear to successfully and safely achieve the overtake beforehand, accelerate & then put the car back into the new correct gear for the scenario after the overtake & everything is good.
Now let's try that in an auto, accelerate, little happens, then kickdown occurs and the car revs it's nuts off, then as you back off it changes back up & kicks you in the back because the engine is over-revving for the new gear it has changed into.
Well I am sorry but being in the right gear beforehand is much quicker than waiting for an ECU to satisfy it's algorithm for a gearchange & then achieve the gear change & wait for the turbo to spool back up again.
AFAIK there is no auto box in the world that will put you in the right gear before you need it rather than 2 seconds afterwards, by which time the "safe" part of the above window is rapidly dwindling.
No they don't do it quicker.
Court_S said:
not even with the slower 6 speed ZF in my old 330.
Please stop giving me terrible flash backs...and I endured that gearbox for 4 years in mine!! 
Thankfully the ZF8 is world's apart though in comparison and I thought that it was a very nice match to the engine in my 640d.
E-bmw said:
Court_S said:
It does it’s thing much faster than I can.
You see I hear this argument all the time about an auto changing gear faster than a manual & I personally don't think the argument holds any water at all.I drive around in my manual & when I see an overtake coming up (because I am looking & thinking ahead) I manually put my manual gearbox in the right gear to successfully and safely achieve the overtake beforehand, accelerate & then put the car back into the new correct gear for the scenario after the overtake & everything is good.
Now let's try that in an auto, accelerate, little happens, then kickdown occurs and the car revs it's nuts off, then as you back off it changes back up & kicks you in the back because the engine is over-revving for the new gear it has changed into.
Well I am sorry but being in the right gear beforehand is much quicker than waiting for an ECU to satisfy it's algorithm for a gearchange & then achieve the gear change & wait for the turbo to spool back up again.
AFAIK there is no auto box in the world that will put you in the right gear before you need it rather than 2 seconds afterwards, by which time the "safe" part of the above window is rapidly dwindling.
No they don't do it quicker.
E-bmw said:
Court_S said:
It does it’s thing much faster than I can.
You see I hear this argument all the time about an auto changing gear faster than a manual & I personally don't think the argument holds any water at all.I drive around in my manual & when I see an overtake coming up (because I am looking & thinking ahead) I manually put my manual gearbox in the right gear to successfully and safely achieve the overtake beforehand, accelerate & then put the car back into the new correct gear for the scenario after the overtake & everything is good.
Now let's try that in an auto, accelerate, little happens, then kickdown occurs and the car revs it's nuts off, then as you back off it changes back up & kicks you in the back because the engine is over-revving for the new gear it has changed into.
Well I am sorry but being in the right gear beforehand is much quicker than waiting for an ECU to satisfy it's algorithm for a gearchange & then achieve the gear change & wait for the turbo to spool back up again.
AFAIK there is no auto box in the world that will put you in the right gear before you need it rather than 2 seconds afterwards, by which time the "safe" part of the above window is rapidly dwindling.
No they don't do it quicker.
Pica-Pica said:
E-bmw said:
Court_S said:
It does it’s thing much faster than I can.
You see I hear this argument all the time about an auto changing gear faster than a manual & I personally don't think the argument holds any water at all.I drive around in my manual & when I see an overtake coming up (because I am looking & thinking ahead) I manually put my manual gearbox in the right gear to successfully and safely achieve the overtake beforehand, accelerate & then put the car back into the new correct gear for the scenario after the overtake & everything is good.
Now let's try that in an auto, accelerate, little happens, then kickdown occurs and the car revs it's nuts off, then as you back off it changes back up & kicks you in the back because the engine is over-revving for the new gear it has changed into.
Well I am sorry but being in the right gear beforehand is much quicker than waiting for an ECU to satisfy it's algorithm for a gearchange & then achieve the gear change & wait for the turbo to spool back up again.
AFAIK there is no auto box in the world that will put you in the right gear before you need it rather than 2 seconds afterwards, by which time the "safe" part of the above window is rapidly dwindling.
No they don't do it quicker.
. Things have moved on from the Ford granada 
I think this is at the root of my question whether people adjust, because there’s clearly a learned technique to working with the box to achieve what you want. I had exactly the above described experience in the one I borrowed, but I’m assuming there’s a way to tell the box in advance you want to shuffle down a couple of gears? I’m guessing with the ZF8 and paddles you could be cruising in 7th in full auto mode, spot an overtake and then give the ‘down’ paddle a couple of pulls to get the car in 5th ready to overtake? Similar when you spot a nice corner that you want higher revs for to control the car?
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