First drive of an Automatic today, not really impressed

Ned Senior

Thankyou for that..... its only me and a tiny chihuahua ( I inherited him when me and the Mrs split)
Its the hard top part I like unlike the soft roof on the bmw 2 series
Might have to look at deals on a bmw 4 series this time however as I occasionally carry 3 of us, it is rare but it does happen
BUT I fully intend to have an SLC or equivalent at the time at some point in the future [emoji41]
Be great for me and my son when he turns up (if) usually this entails a 50 mile round trip to collect him and then another 50 when he goes home
He is 30 but would rather buy clothes and stuff than have his own car plus he lives a short walk from most of his lifestyle needs
Great lad never any bother APART from refusal to visit very often

Ned Senior

Back on topic...... been putting some traffic miles in today and agree the left leg work was a bummer after yesterdays scoots

djbsom

Always amused by these auto/manual threads.
As previously alluded to, it would be considered bizarre choosing a manual top loader washing machine or wrangle over a modern 'zanussi' these days.
When I started buying cars (1975 ish vintage) autos were already shedding their reputation for poor economy and reliability.
My first auto was a Triumph 2500Tc. Three speed and bereft of any modern type of 'sports' mode gadgetry.
You could assume probably 5% worse fuel economy over the Manual 4 overdrive transmission the standard car came with and there were still horror stories of the box burning itself into oblivion with astronomical repair bills to match. Nobody batted an eye lid at changing a clutch every 60/70 thousand miles though. That was the norm though, decoke the engine at 100k and a new clutch halfway there. By the time my Carlton 2.0i auto came along the fuel deficit was banished to the past and these days autos are usually more efficient.
I drove a Dacia Duster dci auto the other day and it was very good. 6 speed and very smooth indeed.
I'm a very keen driver and have a manual as a school car because the business dictates that (at the moment) but I'd rather gouge my eyes out than run a manual as 'my' car. Hateful things.

Ned Senior

Enquired today about swapping out but value is £3k less than settlement figure currently so adding £70 per month to the cost of a new one I was advised wait untill 30 months into the lease (pcp)
That ties in with funds freed up elsewhere aswell
Thing is I am getting on fine with manual again today!!!!!
It even crossed my mind to get shut of motors altogether early this morning which would save me £500 a month

tony @ suffolk

Getting a modern auto car's a bit of a one-way ticket; manual gearboxes are incredibly tedious things, particularly in traffic. A few folks somehow believe that stirring a manual gearbox is somehow more “Sporty” and macho than an auto. Complete cobblers of course.

Makes me think of the old “Cadbury's Mash” adverts with the robots - “...so they have to put their foot on this pedal...” (he-he!) “...and then move this stick about..” (ho-ho)...

Andrew1472

I would like an auto, but I can never forget a disastrous parking accident years ago.
A automatic Ford Cortina, so definitely years ago. My foot hit the wrong pedal. My brain refused to acknowledge what was happening and instead of switching pedals, I just kept pressing the go pedal harder trying to stop.
Had it been a manual, the clutch would have gone down in an instant I’m sure with no harm done.
I felt stupid afterwards and I probably was, but from the look of a lot of unexplained accidents that others have had, some far more disastrous than mine, I’m far from the only one to have done it.
I’ve driven autos since and love them for the relaxing drive....until it comes to manoeuvres in tight spaces.

TerFar

I'm not familiar with BMW autos, but I guess they are similar to VAG DSG twin clutch automatics. I've now had three: all Skoda, all 6-speed (  reverse) coupled with diesel engines, 2 x Octavia Estates and a Yeti. I will never go back to manual again: these DSGs are far better than me at selecting the correct gear extremely smoothly. I activate the 'coast' function option: when you lift off the throttle, the gearbox disengages so that the car coasts along (except if you are going down hill when it selects a lower gear to keep you at a constant speed without having to brush the brakes all the time). I never use the manual option as the auto management computer seems to be as smart as me!!! I find them nirvana.

mjn

I think you need new skills mate.

P-P-S-S

The only issue I have with my Automatic C200 is that my left leg gets numb from not being used so I have to tap it to the music to keep it active. Quite frankly I dont understand why a lot of humans stubbornly insist on sticking with manuals.

samsf

My main car is now auto, how anyone can say they prefer a manual over auto they must be mad unless they're driving some old auto. Easy driving and there's no way you can change gear quicker than an auto.