Hi,
We are new here, my wife has asked me to find a late 500 auto, we are aware they are different to a standard auto but can anyone tell me how they work with hill starts as my wife is concerned and unfortunately I can’t find a local one for sale to test drive
Thank you
Michael

Hi Michael,

Can't really comment re the 500 "auto" (presume you mean DuaLogic), but we recently sold our 2010 Lancia Musa 2nd Series which had the same trans. Bought it at 63,000km in 2015 and reached 104,000 at sale time.

Definitely this "auto" which is really a manual trans with robotised shifting requires a pretty relaxed driving style to get the best out of it. Most of our driving was done in locations where we were able to start on the level or down hill - I always worried about that single clutch on uphill starts as this is the weak point. We fitted one new clutch, at 81,000km in 2018 (E750), don't know if this was the first replacement but probably was.

Uphill starts are very difficult to manage without clutch slipping. With a 500, being lighter than the Musa, the trans may manage uphill starts easier.

Ideal solution for your wife would be a 500 ex-Japan with a real auto trans, like my mum's Punto Mk II which we had in NZ, but that's probably not an option!

Ciao ciao!

As described above, it is a manual trans with robotised clutch and gearchanges. There is no clutch drag when stationary, so no creep, like a cvonventional auto. If you hold the footbrake, it will try to keep the clutch disengaged, and pressing the accelerator at the same time will confuse the robot, and results in lots of clutch slip, noise, and that nasty burning smell of hot clutch.

With mild hills, it is possible to hold on the footbrake, release that and onto the accelerator promptly, to catch it before any roll back. Better, is to use it like a manual, keep the handbrake on, apply a little accelerator until the clutch starts to grip, release the handbrake and away.

The handbook may suggest a technique.

If you live in a hilly area, or regualr journeys include several hill starts, this may not be the right vehicle.

MalvernMichael said:

We are new here

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Hello, and a warm welcome to the forum.

MalvernMichael said:

my wife has asked me to find a late 500 auto

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Before you commit to this, I'd suggest you read this thread.

A 500 dualogic is not a car I'd recommend considering, unless buying brand new and planning to trade in before the warranty runs out.

I can't comment on later models but our two, one a dualogic and the other manual, from 2013, were equipped with hill holder. On any but the gentlest slopes after releasing the brake pedal the brakes would hold the car for two seconds, allowing ample time to get on the accelerator and move off.

Piccolo Nero e Bella said:

I can't comment on later models but our two, one a dualogic and the other manual, from 2013, were equipped with hill holder. On any but the gentlest slopes after releasing the brake pedal the brakes would hold the car for two seconds, allowing ample time to get on the accelerator and move off.

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Would need to be checked on individual UK vehicles, as I don't think it was standard here.

A lot of people on here have had issues with the Dualogic.

I can only speak of our 8 years with a 500c Dualogic.

The car is 11 years old and has done 80,000 miles now. The gearbox has been reliable over that period; It doesn’t always change gear when you want and occasionally it will stick in second for too long.

Stop/start traffic can cause it to be jerky. Strangely the gearbox seems more suited to A road driving where it provides very smooth cruising.

When it comes to hill starts I generally coordinate my left and right foot. The wife just uses the parking brake. Neither of us have had a problem.

portland_bill said:

Would need to be checked on individual UK vehicles, as I don't think it was standard here.

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Hill start assist is on my daughter's 2015 manual car, UK based