What reliable, smallish, automatic car with v high mpg?

iolanthe07

I personally would rather have a DSG box than a standard auto.

I've read some alarming accounts of a significant time delay when you try to accelerate away at junctions and roundabouts.

bigjl

iolanthe07 wrote: »

I believe your car has a CVT box,

It depends. Post 2003 Micras had a torque converter conventional auto box. The pre 2003 'Noddy' shaped Micras had a CVT.

Didn't know that, though I suppose they will just have the same box as the Clio?

bigjl

iolanthe07 wrote: »

I personally would rather have a DSG box than a standard auto.

I've read some alarming accounts of a significant time delay when you try to accelerate away at junctions and roundabouts.

This was on mainly the 140 TDi engine, and it was a trait on the manual cars aswell, but it was magnified on the auto.

I know a couple of blokes that had theirs remapped and this got rid of the problem.

It was an issue with the engie management, rather than the gearbox, as there is no torque convertor I would think.

I used one till the DMF went POP, and apart from the delay pulloing away it was a really nice gearbox to use, especially the way it would "Blip" the throttle on a downchange.

It was the bst autobox I have ever driven, till it went bang obviously.

I suspect it may suit a petrol engine better.

Though we are very likely to get them in our new generation of rapid response cars, either Octavia Scout or Yeti, both would have the 140 tdi engine.

anotherbaldrick

The DSG box is assessed by the DVLA as a semi-automatic gearbox ( twin pre-selector boxes with crossover clutch and automatic ratio selection) but to all drivers it is a straight automatic box in operation.
Our Golf with DSG box does 50-52mpg out of town and as it is the 1.4 petrol has no dual mass flywheel to worry about. The Tiptronic is not worth using as with 7 ratios, mainly at the lower end, the auto D selection does a far better job than any driver could. That is why the DSG box is more economical and gives better performance than the manual option.
At the roundabout or lights it accelerates faster than any other car I have owned and that is in D. If you want an adrenaline fix the S position awaits.

custardy

anotherbaldrick wrote: »

The DSG box is assessed by the DVLA as a semi-automatic gearbox ( twin pre-selector boxes with crossover clutch and automatic ratio selection) but to all drivers it is a straight automatic box in operation.
Our Golf with DSG box does 50-52mpg out of town and as it is the 1.4 petrol has no dual mass flywheel to worry about. The Tiptronic is not worth using as with 7 ratios, mainly at the lower end, the auto D selection does a far better job than any driver could. That is why the DSG box is more economical and gives better performance than the manual option.
At the roundabout or lights it accelerates faster than any other car I have owned and that is in D. If you want an adrenaline fix the S position awaits.

if a 1.4 is the fastest accelerating car you have driven then you need to drive some faster cars

vikingaero

custardy wrote: »

if a 1.4 is the fastest accelerating car you have driven then you need to drive some faster cars

Actually there is some truth in what anotherbaldrick is saying. I had my mums 1.4 auto Corsa and from the traffic lights it could beat any car... up to about 30mph when it would get toasted.

anotherbaldrick

custardy wrote: »

if a 1.4 is the fastest accelerating car you have driven then you need to drive some faster cars

I can beat all the local oinks away which is all that I want.

Kilty_2

custardy wrote: »

if a 1.4 is the fastest accelerating car you have driven then you need to drive some faster cars

I assume it's a 1.4 TSI, which actually doesn't hang around

custardy

Kilty wrote: »

I assume it's a 1.4 TSI, which actually doesn't hang around

i had already checked
just under 10 seconds 0-60

anotherbaldrick

Kilty wrote: »

I assume it's a 1.4 TSI, which actually doesn't hang around

Correct, but only the single turbo model not the twincharger which to me seems a bit OTT. Actually I think the acceleration quoted is a bit misleading as I am sure they downplay the true figure so that the R20 looks better.