Manual or Automatic?

[jenks69]

In an Automatic, i thought you don't get engine braking? you NEED that for offroading, though something tells me they have some sort of system for hill descent etc?

You still get an element of engine braking just not the same neck snapper that a manual can achieve. Auto rangerovers and discoveries have been doing fine off road for donkies years.... to get the level of engine / gear braking you set the auto into 1 or 2 instead or D (drive) this stops the box from changing out of the gear you choose.

Hill descent generally uses the ABS and braking components to keep you from going above a set speed - eg it'll apply the brakes in an ABS style to keep the speed down and to avoid a skid. the idea of hill descent is to stop the rear end overtaking the front.

 

[Kier]

You still get an element of engine braking just not the same neck snapper that a manual can achieve. Auto rangerovers and discoveries have been doing fine off road for donkies years.... to get the level of engine / gear braking you set the auto into 1 or 2 instead or D (drive) this stops the box from changing out of the gear you choose.

Hill descent generally uses the ABS and braking components to keep you from going above a set speed - eg it'll apply the brakes in an ABS style to keep the speed down and to avoid a skid. the idea of hill descent is to stop the rear end overtaking the front.

If that happened, wouldn't the car be flipping over?

 

[Modette]

I prefer automatics, my longest drive ever from Orlando Florida to Houston Texas and back (about 1800 miles each way) was done in an automatic. Sadly it was only a Dodge Neon lol.

I learned to drive in an automatic but at the time I was advised against pursuing that route due to not being able to drive a manual if I passed in an automatic and then having my choice of potential cars seriously limited.

I was also told that manual gearboxes are cheaper to repair than autos although that hasnt prove to be the case on my Stilo.

The best automatic car I ever drove was a 3L Vauxhall Senator that belonged to someone I knew. I had it for a few months and it was heaven to drive although watching the electronic display showing the petrol consumption going down at an alarming rate wasnt fun at all

 

[Shadeyman]

The best auto I ever drove was an old 5.3l v12 Jaguar XJ12 with a NOS kit fitted at Santa Pod(BullDog Bash). Deffinately the fastest £600 car I've ever driven.

(Its not me in the vid but its the same car)

 

[jenks69]

If that happened, wouldn't the car be flipping over?

Nope..... Think of when the rear of the car starts to slide on a steep hill, it'll soon spin you round thus overtaking the front and getting to the bottom first

 

[x Alex x]

The best auto I ever drove was an old 5.3l v12 Jaguar XJ12 with a NOS kit fitted at Santa Pod(BullDog Bash). Deffinately the fastest £600 car I've ever driven.

(Its not me in the vid but its the same car)

Jaguar V12 12.2 at Santa Pod RWYB - YouTube

i've loved those V12 jags for years! sadly never got to drive one but i've seen a few on ebay go for silly money, common sense kicked in before i bid one on.. one day though

 

[Shadeyman]

i've loved those V12 jags for years! sadly never got to drive one but i've seen a few on ebay go for silly money, common sense kicked in before i bid one on.. one day though

Talking to the guy that owned it, he paid £300 for the car and £300 for a second hand NOS kit.

A 40 year old, 2 ton car doing a 12 second standing quarter, I was gobsmacked, its frighteningly quick for an auto.

 

[sludgeguts]

I did a lovely hill descent on Monday in the dobbin, cars in front had brake lights on all the way, I just dropped into 2nd.
The rev counter hit 4k for a little while but soon eased back enough for me to hear the radio, managed the whole descent within the 30mph speed limit & not touching the brakes once. Those cars in front were in danger of losing their brakes.

 

[Janep1]

Manual is for real drivers. Car enthusiasts.
Automatic is for people that just drive to get places and aren't bothered about much else.

Not always - my Dad put an automatic 2.9 Cosworth engine in a fibreglass kitcar. It did 0-60 in 5 seconds and had a max speed of 150mph.

I drive the dualogic because most of my driving is in town and I can't be bothered to keep changing up and down in stop start traffic. An automatic just makes life so much easier.

 

[Grande Mark]

Having had a shot of driving both, I would Say Auto...

I just love the way when you put the pedal down, you get that split second delay before the car gives a surge of pure power.... Love it.

I also like the ease and stress free option of not having that possibility of stalling then being 'pressured' by other cars behind me.... Just prefer Auto's.

 

[StevenRB45]

I'd go manual in small cars just because it makes the most of what is usually not a huge amount of power that is on tap. Also most small 4 banger cars are not the most beautiful sounding things and say you were going up a hill in 5th in a manual you see the top coming up you are losing momentum you push the throttle down and crest it with no drama...in the auto...it drops two gears and goes BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! until you get to the top and changes up again. Big cars by all means auto as it suits the purpose and usually has the power to overcome the inherent inefficency unless its a performance car then manual all the way.

 

[Rawb]

I will never drive an automatic, I imagine it'd take part of the fun of driving away for me.. Therefore no matter what the car, what ever the circumstances, I will never have one.

 

[Grande Mark]

I will never drive an automatic, I imagine it'd take part of the fun of driving away for me.. Therefore no matter what the car, what ever the circumstances, I will never have one.

SO, If I were to give you this for free, you would not drive it... Because its An Automatic...

Thats what I thought.

 

[Eklipze3k]

SO, If I were to give you this for free, you would not drive it... Because its An Automatic...

Thats what I thought.

No, because its fugly

 

[bludvl_x19]

No, because its fugly

So, so true...


I hate Autos, it makes driving boring, and driving should be a fun experience. There is nothing quite like heel-toeing down through the gears into a corner, then dancing on the pedals on the way out.

 

[x Alex x]

that's what i don't get though, saying auto's make driving boring, how does shifting a little stick around manually selecting gears make driving more fun? it's only a tiny part of driving, but like i say, at the moment driving for me is just to get around, the bike is for pleasure, whatever makes driving easier for me is a plus.

 

[bludvl_x19]

Anyone can point and shoot and be fast, but it takes some amount of skill to manipulate all the controls to have the same outcome. And you get a smug feeling of self satisfaction too

 

[x Alex x]

Anyone can point and shoot and be fast, but it takes some amount of skill to manipulate all the controls to have the same outcome. And you get a smug feeling of self satisfaction too

but changing gear, i'd say was one of the easier parts of driving.. isn't it?

getting the right line into a corner at the right speed etc takes more skill..

anyway, i'm not on about racing cars, i'm on about day to day cars, where the majority of time is spent around the doors or stuck in traffic.

 

[DlightSwitch]

I'd sell the Bentley and buy something manual

but changing gear, i'd say was one of the easier parts of driving.. isn't it?

Yes but there's more to a manual than that, there's clutch control, knowing which gear to be in. It's great because I push the stick into third and I've got it straight on the power. In an automatic, I put my foot to the floor, there's a lag while the ECU tells the gearbox: "He wants a bit of poke, so move some cogs about please". Boring



Don't mean to get it off topic, but just out of curiousity, all you strongly in favour of either, how do you feel about paddle shifters? I had the chance to try them out for the first time recently. In my opinion they're great for downshifting into corners, and they are seriously quick and responsive, but I thought it still lacked the fun of a manual

 

[Mrsam21]

I have no option but to drive an auto as that is what I passed my test in. I have a dualogic so I use the auto most of the time as it is nice and relaxed to drive but then every now and then I go into manual and give it a good hammering! I like to have the option of manual and auto in one and I do agree when using manual it is more fun but when you are stuck in traffic or going through town in a normal manual I bet you wish you got an auto!