Auto or Manual car?

M

mcm511

Guest
My family will be buying a new 7 seater soon (deciding betweenToyota Corolla Verso or Peugot 307SW).

Need advice whether to get auto or manual. Aside from the intial cost difference, what are the disad & advs of one on the other?

Thanks.
 
I have had about 10 manual cars and on my last car I went for an auto and would never go back to a manual.

Its great in traffic where your not clutching all the time however it is more expensive on fuel.

Johno
 
Having switched over to an automatic recently, I'd find it hard to go back. Most of our driving is in the city. If I was doing a lot of open road driving, then maybe I'd like the control of a manual - but it is just so much easier in the city with an automatic.
 
Go with the automatic.

Traditionally automatics were seen as detrimental to both fuel economy and performance. To a large extent this was true as auto gearboxes have many more internal moving parts and torque convertors (the part that acts as a clutch) were very inefficient. Also many were only 3-speed when 4 or 5 speed manuals were the norm.

Modern automatics are much more efficient due to better manfacturing and better techniques such as torque convertor lock up etc. Most (all?) are electronically controlled and are integrated with the engine for smoother gearchanges better economy etc.

If most of your driving is in town the ease of use of an auto becomes more apparent. (More so if you're used to driving an older manual with a heavy clutch).

If you're worried about the traffic light drag race, remember you won't have to lift the throttle like the chap in civic beside you to change gear.
 
cars

Toyota are a more reliable car. Just bought a Corolla Saloon 3 months ago and no problems yet, were friends of mine bought a peugot and its in the garage more than it is on their drive. Toyota are known for their reliability.
 
Re: cars

I prefer the manual.

I had an automatic for a short while and I never got used to it. Particularly when stopped in city traffic, I was always wondering should I change to neutral/park or just keep my foot on the brake. Changing to neutral was a hassle because I had to look down to make sure I wasn't putting it into reverse! But if I left my foot on the brake, I could feel the car straining to move forward & worried if I was stretching/damaging something.

Sluice
 
Re: cars

I'm learning (nearly finished!) in a manual. I'm disgusted at how easy it appears to be to drive an automatic. Frankly, I think anyone with an automatic is a cheater ;-)
 
Re: Auto or manual

When driving an automatic you should always leave it in "Drive", or whatever the forward gear is called on your car.

When you shift from neutral to drive, brake bands are used to lock elements of the gearbox. These are like any other brakes and the more they are used, they more they will wear. Usually this is not a problem but if someone is shifting from drive to neutral to drive at every traffic light or stop this will increase the chances of wear.

When in "drive" the torque convertor (fluid clutch) is transmitting a small amount of power. I just keep my foot on the brake. On modern automatic cars when a gear is selected the idle speed will drop slightly. This is a ploy to save fuel and is not because the engine has come under a lot of strain. Hence the fuel savings shifting to neutral will not be huge (despite what your friendly taxi driver might tell you).

By the way, I only ever use my right foot for braking. The first time you try using your left foot, you'll realise how much work your left leg has to do to press a clutch.
 
..

IMHO, automatics are for those who aren't intersted in carss/driving but need to get from A to B nonetheless. Takes any (residual)fun out of motoring.

Not for the purist, but how many of them are left?
 
Re: ..

Yeah. I've driven automatics in the past but I could never buy one. What little fun you can have in Dublin traffic would then be gone.
Give me manual gearshift any day.
 
Not for the purist, but how many of them are left?
Click to expand...

Chalk, I'm with you there! I almost sold my soul to a semi-auto tiptronic a few months ago but I just couldn't help feeling dirty!

Also, regarding left foot braking, tis a great man for overcoming understeering out of a corner, keeps the revs up nicely for your exit, on a track of course :)
 
Interesting article I just came across regarding automatics and braking.

[broken link removed]
 
Re: Automatic or manual

Have to agree with the lads about automatics being boring but another point about them is how bad are they at picking up speed! They wouldn't be the best on our national roads if ye get stuck behind a crawler!! Give me a manual any day.
 
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