Manual or Auto - which do you prefer?

[Clan]

Originally Posted by BenH

I have the S-Tronic (DSG) box on my Audi S3 at the moment - it really "makes" the car. Unfortunately, due to Co2 / tax reasons, I've gone with the manual box on the V60 D5 that I've just ordered.

Much of the interactivity that you miss when going from manual to auto is there with a DSG 'box - i.e. the ones that are double clutch and come with flappy paddles, launch control and various other features that keep you involved. In fact, the only bit of the box that isn't interactive is the auto function for creeping traffic and the like.

You could argue that DSG isn't strictly an auto, but I will miss the auto function when my V60 arrives. Frankly, Geartronic is a generation behind and I'm really hoping that Volvo apply the (?) Ford dual clutch system to their 5-cylinder engines as soon as possible.

Yes the ford Powershift gearbox is wonderful , and has been available on the 2.0D engine for 3 or 4 years now , and is currently on the 4 cylinder petrol turbo engines . It might not be able to handle the torque from the 5 cylinder engines ,However this will be short lived as volvo have broken away from ford and are currently developing their own engines and transmissions , so watch this sace as they say ..

[Essexboydave]

When I was younger I always swore that I'd never ever have an auto, that lasted until we inherited our first auto 740 from the father-in-law as by the time I'd got it home I was converted! Our current 740 is an auto and I find that very relaxing to drive but our other car is Honda Civic Type S with the paddle change, it has got an auto mode but I never use it as the paddle change is just so much fun! It still hasn't got a clutch pedal though and I don't want one either
When I'm out on the bike however it's manual all the way, auto on 2-wheels just seems all wrong to me!

[jepho]

Manual for me. I don't like the sensation of apparently being in the wrong gear when approaching hazards; that I seem to get when driving an auto.

[green van man]

Manual for me every time, donot like auto wipers even and do not get me started on stop start systems. I am the driver, when I can no longer drive I will turn in my licence.

I have driven auto when circumstance dictated not through choise and didnot like them.

Paul.

[Tony427]

A lot depends on the power to weight ratio of the car. Low power to weight and the parasitic losses of the auto box will kill the driving experience , high power to weight and such losses become secondary to the speed, and the seemless nature, of gear changes afforded by an auto box.

Ask yourself how many Drag racers use a manual box with a clutch?

The best of both worlds is a powerful engine mated to a selectable auto box, auto when you want to cruise or in stop start traffic, and manual when you want to have a play.

When I built my first Cobra I also had a BMW 520i as company car. Both had the Tiptronic auto box. The 520 was an awful underpowered thing strangled by the box.

In comparison the Cobra had 300bhp of meaty V8 4.4 litre goodness enveloped in 1300kg of fibreglass. The driving experience of the Cobra was diametrically opposed to the 520.

Cruising about in "stealth mode" we could get 35mpg ( better than the 520). Then when you wanted to play you'd push the gearstick over into manual sport mode,( nicknamed Kamikazemode) tap it back a couple of gears, bury the accelerator into the bulkhead and suddenly its like going into hyperdrive, and a few moments later you're asking yourself increduously with the traffic behind as specks in the rear mirror....

"How the hell did I get here?"

I'm now building my third Cobra and all have been auto's.

So my take is autos all the way, if the engine is big enough, which is why my day to day nails are all manual. ( I also have an LS400 for high days and holidays.......oh and towing.)

Cheers,

Tony

[Alex121]

Manual for me. I like to be 100% in control of my car without some computer choosing which gear is best for me....I want whatever gear I WANT not what IT thinks is best

To be fair, I've never driven an automatic and I'm sure they're quite a bit more sophisticated now then they used to be and probably do a pretty good job with the gearing - I can't imagine owning an auto T4 though, it would be horrible