Are you an automatic transmission convert?
Discussion
Edition 30 golf GTi DSG was my first and blew me away (especially after an engine and gearbox remap!)
Currently have a Scirocco R DSG cheap lease deal, doesn't feel quite as good.
Parents have a 2.0 tdi DSG Tiguan and I can't stand it. The pairing just doesn't work for me.
Mother in law has an ateca 1.5tsi dsg 7 speed and although it seems quicker to change then standard 6 speed I just cant gel with it.
Recently been in the States and had a new Dodge Durango GT 3.6 V6 with zf 8 speed and that was great.
I enjoy driving like the rest of us, but I don't think I'd ever have a manual daily ever again.
Currently have a Scirocco R DSG cheap lease deal, doesn't feel quite as good.
Parents have a 2.0 tdi DSG Tiguan and I can't stand it. The pairing just doesn't work for me.
Mother in law has an ateca 1.5tsi dsg 7 speed and although it seems quicker to change then standard 6 speed I just cant gel with it.
Recently been in the States and had a new Dodge Durango GT 3.6 V6 with zf 8 speed and that was great.
I enjoy driving like the rest of us, but I don't think I'd ever have a manual daily ever again.
I am!
Had manuals for about 10 years after passing my test, tried a few autos over the years but they never encouraged enthusiastic driving. Then a while back a mate bought a Fabia vRS with the old 7 speed DSG, I really enjoyed driving it. I drove a few other cars with newer boxes, DCT in a mates F80 M3, newer DSG boxes and when it come to choosing a new car for myself I knew I wanted an auto.
For me it's the best of both worlds, UK roads are so busy these days it's a real plus to be able to stick the box in auto and just chill out, start stop traffic, city driving etc it just makes life so easy. Then when the chance to have some fun presents itself I can knock it over to manual mode and away I go.
I was looking at a few cars, the DSG box is nice to use (I prefer the new 7 speed over the older 6 speed) but it feels a little grabby at slow speeds, ended up with a ZF8 in my BMW. It's fantastic, just cannot fault it.
Had manuals for about 10 years after passing my test, tried a few autos over the years but they never encouraged enthusiastic driving. Then a while back a mate bought a Fabia vRS with the old 7 speed DSG, I really enjoyed driving it. I drove a few other cars with newer boxes, DCT in a mates F80 M3, newer DSG boxes and when it come to choosing a new car for myself I knew I wanted an auto.
For me it's the best of both worlds, UK roads are so busy these days it's a real plus to be able to stick the box in auto and just chill out, start stop traffic, city driving etc it just makes life so easy. Then when the chance to have some fun presents itself I can knock it over to manual mode and away I go.
I was looking at a few cars, the DSG box is nice to use (I prefer the new 7 speed over the older 6 speed) but it feels a little grabby at slow speeds, ended up with a ZF8 in my BMW. It's fantastic, just cannot fault it.
Pizzaeatingking said:
I am!
Had manuals for about 10 years after passing my test, tried a few autos over the years but they never encouraged enthusiastic driving. Then a while back a mate bought a Fabia vRS with the old 7 speed DSG, I really enjoyed driving it. I drove a few other cars with newer boxes, DCT in a mates F80 M3, newer DSG boxes and when it come to choosing a new car for myself I knew I wanted an auto.
For me it's the best of both worlds, UK roads are so busy these days it's a real plus to be able to stick the box in auto and just chill out, start stop traffic, city driving etc it just makes life so easy. Then when the chance to have some fun presents itself I can knock it over to manual mode and away I go.
I was looking at a few cars, the DSG box is nice to use (I prefer the new 7 speed over the older 6 speed) but it feels a little grabby at slow speeds, ended up with a ZF8 in my BMW. It's fantastic, just cannot fault it.
I'm not - I'm on number 6 and 7 BMW with manual gearboxes and will hopefully be looking at potential number 8 on Sunday! Had manuals for about 10 years after passing my test, tried a few autos over the years but they never encouraged enthusiastic driving. Then a while back a mate bought a Fabia vRS with the old 7 speed DSG, I really enjoyed driving it. I drove a few other cars with newer boxes, DCT in a mates F80 M3, newer DSG boxes and when it come to choosing a new car for myself I knew I wanted an auto.
For me it's the best of both worlds, UK roads are so busy these days it's a real plus to be able to stick the box in auto and just chill out, start stop traffic, city driving etc it just makes life so easy. Then when the chance to have some fun presents itself I can knock it over to manual mode and away I go.
I was looking at a few cars, the DSG box is nice to use (I prefer the new 7 speed over the older 6 speed) but it feels a little grabby at slow speeds, ended up with a ZF8 in my BMW. It's fantastic, just cannot fault it.
Which had no auto option - if you can't be bothered just get the bus!
Total convert. I've not owned a manual for five or six years now. I've had a licence for 12.
I have a diesel auto X-Type, which suits the car and engine nicely. Mrs Cmvtec's car is a manual Volvo C30, and I quite enjoy it for the novelty factor, but using it for work recently meant an hour of stop start rush hour traffic and that's why I bought an auto.
Any trip that's likely to involve traffic or any amount of distance is done in the auto.
I have a diesel auto X-Type, which suits the car and engine nicely. Mrs Cmvtec's car is a manual Volvo C30, and I quite enjoy it for the novelty factor, but using it for work recently meant an hour of stop start rush hour traffic and that's why I bought an auto.
Any trip that's likely to involve traffic or any amount of distance is done in the auto.
Bought my first car with flappy paddles about 9 years ago and haven’t looked back since. So much easier for day to day life but still a gearshift or paddles when I want to play.
This is despite swearing that the day I bought an auto was the day I’d shoot myself as I’d become my Dad.
Over the years my motorbikes have had a quick shifter fitted for clutchless upshifts whilst on full throttle and now an autoblipper for clutchless downshifts on a closed throttle. The difference this makes on track is incredible.
This is despite swearing that the day I bought an auto was the day I’d shoot myself as I’d become my Dad.
Over the years my motorbikes have had a quick shifter fitted for clutchless upshifts whilst on full throttle and now an autoblipper for clutchless downshifts on a closed throttle. The difference this makes on track is incredible.
cmvtec said:
Total convert. I've not owned a manual for five or six years now. I've had a licence for 12.
I have a diesel auto X-Type, which suits the car and engine nicely. Mrs Cmvtec's car is a manual Volvo C30, and I quite enjoy it for the novelty factor, but using it for work recently meant an hour of stop start rush hour traffic and that's why I bought an auto.
Any trip that's likely to involve traffic or any amount of distance is done in the auto.
I've had a licence for 33 years - auto just isn't my thing! I have a diesel auto X-Type, which suits the car and engine nicely. Mrs Cmvtec's car is a manual Volvo C30, and I quite enjoy it for the novelty factor, but using it for work recently meant an hour of stop start rush hour traffic and that's why I bought an auto.
Any trip that's likely to involve traffic or any amount of distance is done in the auto.
And a diesel X-Type sounds pretty agricultural on a cold start. Still that is your choice (but wouldn't be mine).
Much happier with my E90 330i manual.
What you get is commensurate with what you put in IME.
I've still only experienced comparatively ancient five-speed TC autoboxes but even so I'd not go back to manual for our 'big' car. Our 'little' car will probably be manual for a while yet but only because that's what you tend to get on the secondhand market; if autos become ubiquitous there too then great. One thing I've never really understood re autos, though, is that they always get recommended for long motorway journeys. I find that that's the type of journey where they make hardly any difference. When I drive to/from my parents' place in Cambs from North Yorkshire in a manual I often don't change gear at all for the whole length of the A64/A1/A14 bit, ditto when I go across the A66 to the Lakes. It's on the winding, hilly roads at each end that I'm glad of the auto, but maybe I'm just fortunate to not have to deal with heavy traffic on the motorway very often (hardly ever in fact).
Wife has a manual Juke. She also has a problem with her shoulder that the medical profession are making worse. She hasn't driven for a few months now.
Eventually the NHS might fix it, but it will.be months.
So she needs an auto.
We reckon the Juke is worth £6K so are looking at that as our max. Look at this on eBay
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2...
How much of a liability in the future do we think would potentially be?
I'm happy with my old school 3
2 MV6 omega with proper torque converter.
Probably needs the gearbox oil changing as the last time was never and it's done 213k
Eventually the NHS might fix it, but it will.be months.
So she needs an auto.
We reckon the Juke is worth £6K so are looking at that as our max. Look at this on eBay
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2...
How much of a liability in the future do we think would potentially be?
I'm happy with my old school 3
2 MV6 omega with proper torque converter.
Probably needs the gearbox oil changing as the last time was never and it's done 213k
I have had a few high performance cars with a manual box - an early Murcielago and a Ford GT.
But my preference is for a paddle shift on an auto - quicker, easier and just as involving.
A manual box on a low powered car would be essential so that you can wring out every last drop of performance - but for a powerful engine I can't see the benefit.
I'm currently driving a Morgan Aero +8 which has a large German V8 lump under the bonnet - you drive on the torque and an auto/paddles suits it perfectly. It'll go like snot when pushed, but most of the time it's just burbling around. However for the smaller Morgans, a manual is the only option - they'd be horrid on an auto.
So it depends on the car I reckon.
But my preference is for a paddle shift on an auto - quicker, easier and just as involving.
A manual box on a low powered car would be essential so that you can wring out every last drop of performance - but for a powerful engine I can't see the benefit.
I'm currently driving a Morgan Aero +8 which has a large German V8 lump under the bonnet - you drive on the torque and an auto/paddles suits it perfectly. It'll go like snot when pushed, but most of the time it's just burbling around. However for the smaller Morgans, a manual is the only option - they'd be horrid on an auto.
So it depends on the car I reckon.
Roger Irrelevant said:
I've still only experienced comparatively ancient five-speed TC autoboxes but even so I'd not go back to manual for our 'big' car. Our 'little' car will probably be manual for a while yet but only because that's what you tend to get on the secondhand market; if autos become ubiquitous there too then great. One thing I've never really understood re autos, though, is that they always get recommended for long motorway journeys. I find that that's the type of journey where they make hardly any difference. When I drive to/from my parents' place in Cambs from North Yorkshire in a manual I often don't change gear at all for the whole length of the A64/A1/A14 bit, ditto when I go across the A66 to the Lakes. It's on the winding, hilly roads at each end that I'm glad of the auto, but maybe I'm just fortunate to not have to deal with heavy traffic on the motorway very often (hardly ever in fact).
There’s that and on a long journey it’s a lot easier to eat and drink with an auto. Saves time by not having to stop. I’ll hand my driving purist card in at the door. I went auto on my current car for two reasons. Firstly a great lease deal, and also after choosing them as hire cars when abroad -to stop myself hitting my knuckles on the door when trying to change gear with the wrong hand.
Within 3 months mrs ttt wanted an auto as well.
I’ve only been driving about a year and a half, got my second car in January which was an old BMW 7 series with the 5 speed auto, I love it. A little unresponsive when cold but after 5-10 minutes it’s spot on and when flicking it into sport and putting your foot down it changes right at the limit.
Autos are objectively a step forwards (as are all forms of increased automation, really) and for me are subjectively better in many circumstances but I will always prefer a three-pedal manual for fun.
Most of my driving is on B-roads, so I'll always go for a manual unless my commute changes. The next family car will probably be an auto (most likely a single speed reduction gear).
By and large for me it can be summed up as: when driving is a chore, and automatic makes it less of a chore; when driving is fun, a manual makes it more fun.
Most of my driving is on B-roads, so I'll always go for a manual unless my commute changes. The next family car will probably be an auto (most likely a single speed reduction gear).
By and large for me it can be summed up as: when driving is a chore, and automatic makes it less of a chore; when driving is fun, a manual makes it more fun.
Edited by kambites on Saturday 18th May 08:54
Mr Tidy said:
cmvtec said:
Total convert. I've not owned a manual for five or six years now. I've had a licence for 12.
I have a diesel auto X-Type, which suits the car and engine nicely. Mrs Cmvtec's car is a manual Volvo C30, and I quite enjoy it for the novelty factor, but using it for work recently meant an hour of stop start rush hour traffic and that's why I bought an auto.
Any trip that's likely to involve traffic or any amount of distance is done in the auto.
I've had a licence for 33 years - auto just isn't my thing! I have a diesel auto X-Type, which suits the car and engine nicely. Mrs Cmvtec's car is a manual Volvo C30, and I quite enjoy it for the novelty factor, but using it for work recently meant an hour of stop start rush hour traffic and that's why I bought an auto.
Any trip that's likely to involve traffic or any amount of distance is done in the auto.
And a diesel X-Type sounds pretty agricultural on a cold start. Still that is your choice (but wouldn't be mine).
Much happier with my E90 330i manual.
What you get is commensurate with what you put in IME.
For what it's worth, I had the extensive use of an LCI E90 diesel auto when it was brand new in 2010, and that sounded like a diesel.
Edited by cmvtec on Saturday 18th May 09:01
I’m an auto convert, but only because what I want from a car has changed over the years...
Used to love a sporty manual car, but now the majority of my driving is in stop/start commuter traffic, and for this an automatic car is perfect. Had the older 6 speed which was fine, now have the ZF8 in my 650, and that’s excellent. Lift off and it’ll engine brake, hammer the accelerator and overtaking is easy, and knock it into sport for a spirited drive and it will generally be in the right gear at all times. Can’t say I’ve ever needed to use the paddles.
Don’t think I’d go back to a manual car now, unless I add a second “fun” car.
Used to love a sporty manual car, but now the majority of my driving is in stop/start commuter traffic, and for this an automatic car is perfect. Had the older 6 speed which was fine, now have the ZF8 in my 650, and that’s excellent. Lift off and it’ll engine brake, hammer the accelerator and overtaking is easy, and knock it into sport for a spirited drive and it will generally be in the right gear at all times. Can’t say I’ve ever needed to use the paddles.
Don’t think I’d go back to a manual car now, unless I add a second “fun” car.
For me it all depends on the car/engine/gearbox combination. I've driven varieties of all transmissions that are excellent and others that have room for significant improvement. On the whole I'd say a car that works as a manual will also work as a DSG, as you'd expect because it's a similar type of box but with automatic control of the shifts.
Where I find DSG (and to a lesser extent Manual) gearboxes suffer is where there is a significant step in the delivery of the engine - for example a boosted scenario like a Ford Ecoboost 1.0T, or a 2.0 TDI... here in a manual car you'd drive around the low-rev lethargy by keeping the revs a little higher at times, but for efficiency the DSG shifts up and you end up with laggy delivery, more so when a down shift would be needed.
Conversely, conventional Automatics work well where they can mask holes in power delivery, but that saps a lot of efficiency in the process. Generally I find a Torque Converter/Planetary Gear automatic to be the smoothest transmission on the move. I found that in my 330d I was much more prone to using the paddles to override the ZF8 box than I am in my M40i - which I ascribe to the difference in the torque curves more than anything.
As for CVT, I haven't ever found them to be quick off the line but I have to confess they've never offended me in the way some people are offended by them!
Where I find DSG (and to a lesser extent Manual) gearboxes suffer is where there is a significant step in the delivery of the engine - for example a boosted scenario like a Ford Ecoboost 1.0T, or a 2.0 TDI... here in a manual car you'd drive around the low-rev lethargy by keeping the revs a little higher at times, but for efficiency the DSG shifts up and you end up with laggy delivery, more so when a down shift would be needed.
Conversely, conventional Automatics work well where they can mask holes in power delivery, but that saps a lot of efficiency in the process. Generally I find a Torque Converter/Planetary Gear automatic to be the smoothest transmission on the move. I found that in my 330d I was much more prone to using the paddles to override the ZF8 box than I am in my M40i - which I ascribe to the difference in the torque curves more than anything.
As for CVT, I haven't ever found them to be quick off the line but I have to confess they've never offended me in the way some people are offended by them!
I used to be a keen driver (and Police Class 1) but I haven’t owned a manual for 10 years. I just think that auto boxes are better suited to modern traffic conditions.
Not only that but while autos have been getting better, manuals have been getting worse. Many cars nowadays simply don’t allow heel and toe and others use clutch delay valves which actively frustrate any attempt at a snappy gear change.
I enjoy a good manual but few modern cars seem to have what I would consider to be a decent manual box these days.
Not only that but while autos have been getting better, manuals have been getting worse. Many cars nowadays simply don’t allow heel and toe and others use clutch delay valves which actively frustrate any attempt at a snappy gear change.
I enjoy a good manual but few modern cars seem to have what I would consider to be a decent manual box these days.
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