Reliable and fairly economical auto cars?

F1F93

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

If that were true, diesel drivers would be in 2nd or 3rd gear all the time.

It's getting the engine well warmed up (not revving the testicles off it) up that helps.

Sorry, I phrased that awfully.

What I meant was, comparing an hour of driving at 30mph and an hour of driving at 70mph, then 70mph is better as the revs are higher.

melbury

Always used to be the case that small automatic cars were pretty gutless with slow acceleration.

My dad always had automatics and said minimum 2.0 litre engine if you are going for an auto.

However, perhaps they have improved now:)

F1F93

melbury wrote: »

Always used to be the case that small automatic cars were pretty gutless with slow acceleration.

My dad always had automatics and said minimum 2.0 litre engine if you are going for an auto.

However, perhaps they have improved now:)

Definitely not the case with mine! 0-62 in 10 seconds exactly, 105 bhp and it only weighs just over a ton.
It's not a ferrari, but (especially for a first car!) it's certainly not bad.

Same goes for the Ford 1.0 EcoBoost engine, its got 100bhp IIRC and is enough to power a Fiesta to 62 in 10.8 seconds. (Both of these times are for the auto boxes).

melbury

F1F93 wrote: »

Definitely not the case with mine! 0-62 in 10 seconds exactly, 105 bhp and it only weighs just over a ton.
It's not a ferrari, but (especially for a first car!) it's certainly not bad.

Same goes for the Ford 1.0 EcoBoost engine, its got 100bhp IIRC and is enough to power a Fiesta to 62 in 10.8 seconds. (Both of these times are for the auto boxes).

Like I said, they have obviously improved now.

Personally I prefer to drive a manual car, but OH says he would never go back to manual, loves his auto:)

F1F93

melbury wrote: »

Like I said, they have obviously improved now.

Personally I prefer to drive a manual car, but OH says he would never go back to manual, loves his auto:)

I always vowed I'd never get an auto. I like to be in control too much :rotfl:

But I saw the DSG auto box from VAG being raved about and decided to test drive it back-to-back with a manual (obviously with identical engines).

Yes, I don't have a clutch, but you can move the gear lever into "manual mode" and use it as a sequential manual box, so I am still in control of what gear I am in. Although, to be honest, its such a clever box that it knows what gear to be in before I do! :rotfl:


I certainly wouldn't like to go back to a manual, and the OH has driven mine and now wants an auto too!

[Deleted User]

F1F93 wrote: »

Although, to be honest, its such a clever box that it knows what gear to be in before I do! :rotfl:

It can look ahead and see an upcoming hill :huh:

forgotmyname

Its when your in a situation where it cannot make up its mind. Change up, Change down. UP and Down like a yoyo....

Not driven an auto for some time. So maybe they got better?

knightstyle

Wonder how much you want to spend? We have just sold our Toyota Auris, 07, 1.4d auto after 4 years, always gave over 50mpg and never let us down.
The Yaris version has the same engine and gearbox so will give 60mpg, great for a cheap auto.

Iceweasel

Nothing wrong with modern auto-boxes at all.

I was a late convert to auto-boxes - being put off by bad experiences with Ford and even M-Benz autos back in the 70s and early 80s. Horrible 3-speed things they were and even the 4 or 5 speeders were never in the correct gear in my opinion.

As an ex-rally driver I always thought I could do better than any box of tricks.

I also believed that autos were slower and more thirsty/less efficient than the manual equivalent - and rather foolishly considered that autos were for old men or lazy folks who perhaps couldn't handle a proper manual gearbox with any great degree of skill.

How wrong I was - I've had an auto for the last 10 years (as well as other manual vehicles in the garage) and I don't think I will ever buy a manual again.

My current car - a BMW 320d is faster and uses less diesel than the manual version.

The latest model has 8 speeds and can do a better job than any human can. (I can imagine eye-brows being raised and an indignant few reaching for a hatchet. )

I only ever over-ride the electrickery when on Alpine hairpins having fun. Only because it cannot see the next hairpin coming immediately after.

I also have much more control over the gear-box - I determine which gear by pressure on the accelerator - I can make it change up or down at will - as well as having the Steptronic 'Sport-mode.'

However, apart from the above rare exception I leave the box in the fully auto 'D' position virtually all the time.

For those die-hards who want to 'be in control' and poo-poo autos I would cite the example of Ferrari who no longer offer manual gear-boxes on any of their cars. IIRC the last time they had such an option the uptake was less than 4% of new buyers.

Porsche too are almost all auto these days

On BMW forums there are complaints from those who are seeking 2nd hand cars that there are not enough manuals to satisfy the demand - I wonder why - obviously buyers of new ones prefer to buy autos.

Perhaps the old-school gear-stick wagglers should hold a demo/protest outside the dealers - instructing new-car buyers to opt for a manual so that they can buy it in a couple of years when they trade in.

I'll stop now and await the wrath of those to which the above is heresy.

[Deleted User]

However you look at it, an automatic gearbox is not (and cannot be) as "intelligent" as a human being.

Human beings can anticipate an upcoming change in circumstances, while an automatic gearbox can only respond to the change, after it has occurred.

For example, I can drop a cog as (or the instant before) I reach the beginning of a hill, whereas the automatic can only drop a cog once the car has started up the hill.

Likewise, I can change down before I accelerate, whereas the automatic can only change down in response to the throttle being opened.