Engineered
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Picked our new TA Lounge Dualogic up yesterday and all’s well…
We’re both delighted at the quality, finish and how well it drives.
TwinAir with the Dualogic gearbox works extremely well, but, what takes some getting used to is the fact that, because useful torque is available so low in the rev band – barely above tickover, the Dualogic is programmed to change up early to exploit this characteristic. In this sense it almost drives like a diesel and, in stop start traffic, it hangs on to second gear to lower than walking pace. If feels like it might stall – but it never does. At higher speeds it always seems to be in the right gear, top gear is a high ratio giving quiet cruising (wind noise is noticeable though). It changes up smoothly and changes down equally smoothly when asked with a dab of throttle and it is, so far, turning out to be an extremely economical combination.
After picking it up yesterday (tight new engine) I had a 30 miles cross country drive followed by 40 miles round the M25 (Friday tea-time) which was stop-start for 15 miles or so around Heathrow. Consumption (reset as I drove out of the dealers) door to door = 52.2mpg.
This morning I’ve driven in to work in light north London traffic making a real effort to economise and achieved 57mpg from a cold start.
Nowt wrong with these figures!!!
The engine has the most addictive sound when underway. I won’t dwell on this, but try one and you’ll be hooked!!
Stop-start takes getting used to – after 30 odd years of associating “it going very quiet” with “I’ve stalled the engine”! After a hundred or so miles I’m now getting used to it. I don’t know how it works on manuals, but on the Dualogic when you come to a standstill with your foot resting on the brake pedal, the engine stops within three seconds. As you lift off the brake pedal the engine immediately (and quietly) re-starts – so quickly is this re-start that its running before your foot even touches the throttle. This all works really well and I see no need to disable it (there’s a switch on the heater panel). After reversing it senses you’re manoeuvring and doesn’t work, neither does it work when the engine is cold.
Eco button – now this really is a waste of time with this engine transmission combination! Seriously blunting the performance is one thing, but it also forces the transmission to change up far too early and hold on to high gears, notwithstanding what I’ve said earlier regarding good torque at low revs – in eco mode you’d need a V8 diesel to sustain this high a gear in comfort.
I’ve tried the eco button and it’s possibly only of use when in slowish moving traffic (motorway roadworks for example) where you might gain a mpg or so. I suspect this button’s been fitted to help trick the authorities to give it the zero tax band rating. Switching this on also makes the steering go into the old “city mode” ultra light at low speeds – equally a waste of time.
Bad points? Not many. Only one electronic key and one cheapo metal one is a bit mean on so expensive a car. The tailgate “pulling down” strap looks like a cheap afterthought, and why can’t we have a proper lidded glovebox like the Americans?
Good points? Lots!!!
Trouble? – I’ll be in lots when the missus wakes and realises I’ve taken her 500 to work – on the day she was supposed to taking it round to show her mates!!!
We’re both delighted at the quality, finish and how well it drives.
TwinAir with the Dualogic gearbox works extremely well, but, what takes some getting used to is the fact that, because useful torque is available so low in the rev band – barely above tickover, the Dualogic is programmed to change up early to exploit this characteristic. In this sense it almost drives like a diesel and, in stop start traffic, it hangs on to second gear to lower than walking pace. If feels like it might stall – but it never does. At higher speeds it always seems to be in the right gear, top gear is a high ratio giving quiet cruising (wind noise is noticeable though). It changes up smoothly and changes down equally smoothly when asked with a dab of throttle and it is, so far, turning out to be an extremely economical combination.
After picking it up yesterday (tight new engine) I had a 30 miles cross country drive followed by 40 miles round the M25 (Friday tea-time) which was stop-start for 15 miles or so around Heathrow. Consumption (reset as I drove out of the dealers) door to door = 52.2mpg.
This morning I’ve driven in to work in light north London traffic making a real effort to economise and achieved 57mpg from a cold start.
Nowt wrong with these figures!!!
The engine has the most addictive sound when underway. I won’t dwell on this, but try one and you’ll be hooked!!
Stop-start takes getting used to – after 30 odd years of associating “it going very quiet” with “I’ve stalled the engine”! After a hundred or so miles I’m now getting used to it. I don’t know how it works on manuals, but on the Dualogic when you come to a standstill with your foot resting on the brake pedal, the engine stops within three seconds. As you lift off the brake pedal the engine immediately (and quietly) re-starts – so quickly is this re-start that its running before your foot even touches the throttle. This all works really well and I see no need to disable it (there’s a switch on the heater panel). After reversing it senses you’re manoeuvring and doesn’t work, neither does it work when the engine is cold.
Eco button – now this really is a waste of time with this engine transmission combination! Seriously blunting the performance is one thing, but it also forces the transmission to change up far too early and hold on to high gears, notwithstanding what I’ve said earlier regarding good torque at low revs – in eco mode you’d need a V8 diesel to sustain this high a gear in comfort.
I’ve tried the eco button and it’s possibly only of use when in slowish moving traffic (motorway roadworks for example) where you might gain a mpg or so. I suspect this button’s been fitted to help trick the authorities to give it the zero tax band rating. Switching this on also makes the steering go into the old “city mode” ultra light at low speeds – equally a waste of time.
Bad points? Not many. Only one electronic key and one cheapo metal one is a bit mean on so expensive a car. The tailgate “pulling down” strap looks like a cheap afterthought, and why can’t we have a proper lidded glovebox like the Americans?
Good points? Lots!!!
Trouble? – I’ll be in lots when the missus wakes and realises I’ve taken her 500 to work – on the day she was supposed to taking it round to show her mates!!!
