Manual vs automatic

xyz123

Hi we r looking at 3 year old skoda octavia. Ignoring the purchase price difference automatic or manual are better? I understand automatic tends to have lower mpg but is the difference significant? For what it's worth manufacturer claimed. Mpg difference between the two is 1 mpg.

I am attracted to automatic as we mostly do town driving and it's easier in stoo/start traffic.

Ta

waamo

Well it depends what you mean by better? I've driven both and would like an auto box next. I don't consider either one better it's just which you prefer.

Me, I'm getting old and lazy so an auto is appealing but many people prefer the driving experience a manual box gives.

In short it's personal preference really.

worried_jim

Love my automatics! Ive had Honda, Toyota, Saab and currently a Merc all have been so nice and relaxing to drive. I would always go auto if I have the choice.

Rolandtheroadie

Currently have an auto, love it.
Once you get over the initial slamming on the brake looking for the clutch, it's fine.
I still find myself looking for the gearstick to my left though, even although it's on the steering column.

tacpot12

The difference in mpg will only be significant if you drive a lot of miles in a lot of stop/start traffic. If your driving is mainly motorway and the route is relatively free flowing, other factors will outweigh the impact of a dsg auto box.

They are more expensive to maintain when the car starts getting older, say 100k miles+, which might be worth budgeting for if you are going to keep the car for a long time.

Laz123

I drove manual for about 30+ years but changing gear multi-times in city traffic made me change to auto. The problem I found when living in Kenya when I parked up and the lights were unknowing left on and the battery went flat was you can't push start an auto.

daveyjp

The Octavia will be a DSG. Reliability on these is a lottery and just like their engines VW group design something, fit it to thousands of cars, use buyers as a huge test bed, notice their design is flawed and then redesign.

Do your research carefully. The dry clutch DSG in particular was seriously flawed and fixing one isn't cheap. I had a failed DSG on an A3 and the part was £1500, thankfully it was under warranty, but should it fail at 10,000 miles?

buglawton

I'd miss the 47 real mpg I get from my 1.4L Petrol. While renting a car in the US auto was nice enough, medium sized saloon car got about 28 MPG with very gentle driving. Overtaking on busy freeways was never smooth - foot down a bit, sudden high-revved lurch forward.

thescouselander

I don't get the obsession with manual boxes in the UK. Automatics all the way for me now.

buglawton - don't forget gallons in the US are smaller than UK gallons. 28 mpg in the US is equivalent to nearly 34 mpg in UK measures.

Iceweasel

A lot depends on the size of the engine.

Under 1500 an auto box will likely reduce the mpg and the performance.

With my last car (2litre) and certainly with the current one (3litre) the auto version is faster and more economical.

I have the paddle-shifters but very rarely feel the need to use them.

99% of the time an auto box will give better results than 99% of drivers can.

The 'hair-shirt' traditionalist types who want to be 'in control' are fooling themselves IMHO.

Plus in stop-start situations an auto box makes live a lot more relaxed.

I have much more control over the gear changes simply by varying the pressure on the accelerator.

Many performance cars no longer offer a manual box as an option on most if not all their model range - Porsche, Ferrari,etc. BMW too on the bigger engine 'sporty' models.

I probably won't have another manual-box.

I see no down side apart from the additional cost of purchase.

neilmcl

Iceweasel wrote: »

The 'hair-shirt' traditionalist types who want to be 'in control' are fooling themselves IMHO.

I'm afraid I'm one of those then, I just don't get on with an auto, especially feels a faff when making more "complicated" manoeuvres such as multi-point turns etc.

I think the thing I don't like about them is that in slow speed manoeuvres or coming to a stop in a manual you're "driving" the car with the proper use of brakes, engine braking, clutch control etc and it feels a much smoother and instinctive whereas in an auto you just trying to stop the car from doing something itself, if you get my meaning. I suppose it's just something you get used to.

I do agree they are perfect in higher performance vehicles. Was in a BMW M240i the other day and the 8 speed in that was awesome to the point I think it would be a struggle dealing with the power in a manual box.