Manual or Auto - which do you prefer?

[foggyjames]

The owners manuals normally suggest you should hold the car on the handbrake in Drive at traffic lights, etc. Moving it in and out of Drive is supposed to put more wear on the box, and holding it on the footbrake is both anti-social (especially with LED brake lights, etc) and bad for your brakes (warped discs, much?).

Another factor to consider - I feel far less comfortable owning a high mileage auto than a manual. Only one automatic car with high(ish) mileage I've had contact with has been well behaved. Having said that, the widespread introduction of dual mass flywheels on more modern cars makes high mileage manuals more worrying, too.

cheers

James

[johnjp]

I`ve been driving autos for years as I come from a modernized country!
I don`t think I`ve used the handbrake for - well forever!
The car`s handbook is a document which brings a compromise between reliability and road sense but still also contains some motoring myths.
My Celebration has done >373,000 on the original box with the only servicing being fluid changes.
I use the foot-brake when necessary though on uphill slopes the box tends to hold the car stationary, though I do hover over the foot-brake!
My car is a `97 and has the benefit of an extremely reliable auto box such as found on many modern motors, which with overdrive keeps the motorway cruising speed revs between 2500 and 2800 rpm.
I don`t really understand why peeps are so wedded to manuals, the fuel savings are marginal - in any case manual drivers tend to change up later than necessary which means poorer fuel economy.
An auto box is a much easier, relaxing, smooth, progressive drive.

[henryb]

I would prefer Auto.Manual is little boring for me.

[Daim]

Hmm... Hard decision...

I like to change gear myself, when I am in a sporty mood but then again hate having to change my gears myself, when I'm in everyday traffic.

Additionally, manual uses less fuel than a normal torque converter automatic...

BUT I'd take automatic again (last car was auto). No manual box can be changed quicker than an automatic can do. And no manual clutch can applied with as much smoothness, as a modern automatic can. AND then the noise and driving style...

...you accelerate, the revs go down and the speed rises. Then the noise the engine makes whilst accelerating. That "I don't care if I'm reving, I'm not connected to your wheels" when in the torque converter...

[damsel]

prefer autos sooooooooooo smooth

[kebab10]

Have driven auto cars but never owned one. Just prefer the left hand doing stuff rather than just hanging there.

[mrc1501]

My previous 2 V70s were autos (Classic SE and V70R) and I'm about to get rid of my 6 speed manual VW for another..........yep, V70 AUTO. Well XC70 really but still an auto. The VW has been doing my head in changing the gears....

[AndyPants]

Man theres a lot of manual bashing going on in here lately! Anyone would think humans didn't have two legs!!!

Originally Posted by AndyPants

Just got my first auto, a 21 year old 760 and despite being an avid manual fan I suprisingly don't actually mind it that much so far although it does have its odd moment where its not quite sure which gear to be in, usually going up hills. Also sometimes it seems to like to go between pootling about and booting it which isn't always ideal even if it is entertaining. But man does this thing shift! especially for an auto

Still prefer manual though but I enjoy the experience.

Further to my post in Nov '10 I'm liking my auto a bit more now as its behaving better and it even did 34 mpg on a very long trip (315 miles) I was gob smacked... although that was after having a load of work done to the car. But quite impressive all the same

Part of the reason my fondness for autos has grown is the fact that recently I've got stuck in two stupid traffic jams which meant it took me 1 or 2 hours to get too and from work. And guess which car I was driving each time? Thats right... the manual C70 arggghhhh

Having said this trying to give my 760 a bit of an italian tune up is just about impossible. It doesn't like being left in '1' and with '2' you'd run out've road or get a big fine by the time it got the full beans... So yes for sporty driving my auto at least is pretty useless. Having said this it is nice to plant your foot and let the auto do the work, no having to watch the red-line like when giving the C70 the beans (bad enough having to watch the speedo!).

I think if I was to replace my C70 I'd buy another manual car. If I was selling my 760 I would strongly consider another auto, the biggest factor against it wouldn't be gearbox preference, but would be economy.

[XC60MY12]

Originally Posted by kebab10

Have driven auto cars but never owned one. Just prefer the left hand doing stuff rather than just hanging there.

How about steering?

[Simon J]

I'm a confirmed auto guy with fifteen years behind me of auto T5s. We had a V70 T5 auto for six years and now have a C70 T5 and a V50 T5, both auto, not to mention a Jeep Cherokee I have here in the Balkans, also auto. And my daughter has a Smart Roadie, also auto. Only way to go!

I recently hired a BMW M120 diesel with a six speed manual box - what a turd of a car! Utterly ghastly. Constantly rowing up and down through six gears by hand - no thanks. And it also had that awful 'economy' mode where it switches off the engine when you stop, say at a pedestrian crossing, and then when you press the clutch to engage first gear it starts. Yuk!

And if we don't need manual ignition advance and retard any more, or manual chokes, why do we need a manual gearbox. Ban 'em, I say!