Manual or Auto

[Rich B]

I’ve never owned an auto, but I drove my mums for about 2 years (19/20yo) and virtually forgot how to drive a manual (with it being so early in my driving career). It was a particularly gutless 1995 facelift Renault 19 1.4 with a 3 speed box. If you were starting at the bottom of a hill, it would struggle to get over 15/20mph up it. You could also stall it by doing 3 point turns - changing gear+ power steering full lock would stump it!

[scotta]

Auto for maximum commute waft, manual for driving like a spoon when it suits

This.

Auto on the daily and manual on the sportscar.

The auto in the 128ti is an aisin 8 speed torque converter. It's absolutely spot on imo for daily road use. Would i want it in my track car - no. but sitting in traffic and doing the daily duties then auto all the way.

[Jobbo]

I’ve never owned an auto, but I drove my mums for about 2 years (19/20yo) and virtually forgot how to drive a manual (with it being so early in my driving career). It was a particularly gutless 1995 facelift Renault 19 1.4 with a 3 speed box. If you were starting at the bottom of a hill, it would struggle to get over 15/20mph up it. You could also stall it by doing 3 point turns - changing gear+ power steering full lock would stump it!

That's how they all are - it's such a shame how autos are so shit.

[Matty]

There's a certain 'Alpha' stigma about autos too - like everyone claiming the 4C would be a much better car if it were a manual, except for the fact that was the least if it's problems.

The Evora IPS is a other, that box is apparently very good, and I think it suits a car like that, but they're shunned and difficult to sell. Not only that, the manual box isn't particularly good!

For me, it wouldn't dictate a car choice, but after driving the AMG I wouldn't have an auto that doesn't rev-match again.

[Delphi]

Volvo is an auto which is perfect for what it is, similarly the Boxster is a manual which is perfect for what it is.

928 is an auto which I think suits the car perfectly. There's a premium on 928 manuals, but I really don't understand why - the clutch is heavy, it's a dog leg box and the shifts aren't great. If you know how the auto box modes work there's no reason to go for a manual.

[mik]

The Evora IPS is a other, that box is apparently very good, and I think it suits a car like that

Buy one
Buy one
Buy one
Buy one

[Mito Man]

I don't mind too much manual or auto. Most my driving in hours is across London and I do prefer an auto for that however it depends on the gearbox. Some cars have really bad calibration to be more economical so they change up for too quickly, then they have no power, then you have to wait for them to change down and it just gets frustrating. Mostly an underpowered hire car problem as I've never experienced it in something with a decent engine.

[mik]

Horses for courses. I wouldn't want a manual SUV, nor would I want a torque converter auto in a sports car (Jag F type I'm looking at you).

That. Disco3/4 would have been 'orrible with manuel boxes. Conversely, the CVT on my mum's Honda Jazz is hateful, and I am extremely suspicious of auto on my "focussed" car.

[Mito Man]

What about CVT in a racing car Several seconds a lap faster and banned before the season started.

[scotta]

Horses for courses. I wouldn't want a manual SUV, nor would I want a torque converter auto in a sports car (Jag F type I'm looking at you).

That. Disco3/4 would have been 'orrible with manuel boxes. Conversely, the CVT on my mum's Honda Jazz is hateful, and I am extremely suspicious of auto on my "focussed" car.

I had a nissan note when i lost at courtesy car lotto. It had CVT. It was bloody awful and drank fuel. It gave worse economy than the Golf R it was temping for. it was also sloooooooooow.

[KevH18]

Horses for courses. I wouldn't want a manual SUV, nor would I want a torque converter auto in a sports car (Jag F type I'm looking at you).

That. Disco3/4 would have been 'orrible with manuel boxes. Conversely, the CVT on my mum's Honda Jazz is hateful, and I am extremely suspicious of auto on my "focussed" car.

I had a Jazz hybrid with the CVT as a courtesy car for half a day today and I was pleasantly surprised by it. It wasn't fast but it didn't seem to mind being ragged on a dual carriageway. When I first got it in, accelerating on the motorway up to 70 at about 3/4 throttle felt awful and that's when it just stuck at the same revs but on full throttle the revs seems to rise a bit more and it wasn't a bad noise for a small 4-pot.

[integrale_evo]

I’ve never owned an auto, but I drove my mums for about 2 years (19/20yo) and virtually forgot how to drive a manual (with it being so early in my driving career). It was a particularly gutless 1995 facelift Renault 19 1.4 with a 3 speed box. If you were starting at the bottom of a hill, it would struggle to get over 15/20mph up it. You could also stall it by doing 3 point turns - changing gear+ power steering full lock would stump it!

‘Murcans can never understand why so many Europeans hate autos, they’ve had big cars with big engines and roads laid out in grids, while we had small light cars with feeble little engines and were completely ruined with slow witted, heavy, power sapping autos.

I’m sure many of us on here have fond early motoring memories of thrashing an underpowered crap box until the valves bounced making you feel like a racing driver while barely troubling the speed limit.

[integrale_evo]

Horses for courses. I wouldn't want a manual SUV, nor would I want a torque converter auto in a sports car (Jag F type I'm looking at you).

That. Disco3/4 would have been 'orrible with manuel boxes. Conversely, the CVT on my mum's Honda Jazz is hateful, and I am extremely suspicious of auto on my "focussed" car.

Depends on the car and what you use it for. The x5 would be fun to be able to blip the throttle at will and heal and toe the odd downshift when the mood takes you. Obviously it’s never going to be a wonderful driving machine to thread down the twisties but can still be fun in its own way.

Strangely, having enough grunt means on my commute which rarely means I have to come to a complete stop, I could pretty much leave it in 6th the entire time anyway.

If it was a 3.0d then sure, I can’t image why you’d want a manual one.

[scotta]

Horses for courses. I wouldn't want a manual SUV, nor would I want a torque converter auto in a sports car (Jag F type I'm looking at you).

That. Disco3/4 would have been 'orrible with manuel boxes. Conversely, the CVT on my mum's Honda Jazz is hateful, and I am extremely suspicious of auto on my "focussed" car.

Depends on the car and what you use it for. The x5 would be fun to be able to blip the throttle at will and heal and toe the odd downshift when the mood takes you. Obviously it’s never going to be a wonderful driving machine to thread down the twisties but can still be fun in its own way.

Strangely, having enough grunt means on my commute which rarely means I have to come to a complete stop, I could pretty much leave it in 6th the entire time anyway.

If it was a 3.0d then sure, I can’t image why you’d want a manual one.

I remember when the X5 just came out. Local dealer had a 3.0.d manual in the showroom. I said to the sales man I wasn’t even aware they came in manual. “Someone never ticked the correct box. We’ll never sell it”

[integrale_evo]

They seem to have a bit of a cult following now, some people actively seek them out, those with them like to tell everyone they have a rare manual

[Matty]

The Evora IPS is a other, that box is apparently very good, and I think it suits a car like that

Buy one
Buy one
Buy one
Buy one

Alas it remains 3rd on the list

[nuttinnew]

1995 facelift Renault 19 1.4 with a 3 speed box.

Probably the same 'box I had in my Scirocco That was from the '70s though, when the manuel had only 4 gears. No pas to make it stall either I miss that car, was a trusty friend

[nuttinnew]

the CVT on my mum's Honda Jazz is hateful

Why so bad (I know, "coz cvt")?

[Rich B]

1995 facelift Renault 19 1.4 with a 3 speed box.

Probably the same 'box I had in my Scirocco That was from the '70s though, when the manuel had only 4 gears. No pas to make it stall either I miss that car, was a trusty friend

the car I bought after driving that R19 was a Scirocco 1.6GT - a manual though!

[mik]

the CVT on my mum's Honda Jazz is hateful

Why so bad (I know, "coz cvt")?

Yeah CVT and small engine. Full throttle is probably appropriate, but it requires about 75% throttle travel before it will start pulling away from a standstill on the flat, and all part-throttle work seems to use more revs than should be necessary, so it’s constantly buzzing.

It does have a manuel mode where it creates 7 imaginary fixed gears, which feels better, but it drops down through them without your input as you slow, so the next time you apply the throttle you have no idea which imaginary gear you are in without locating the display - most annoying.