Automatic cars suck?

[Noni]

Sorry Im just learning to drive, and in an convo with a mate while walking about looking in cars (were both learning so thats all we talk about lol). But are automatic cars sucky? I see fast cars in automatic, does this mean the power is wasted?

If not, then is there much piont of manual?

Thanks.

[Zak33]

autos vary WILDLY, from truly frikkin dire, to absolute heaven.

A bad auto uses so much fuel, makes you go half as fast, and sounds like it's being murdered. It skips between gears when you don't want it to, is doesnt swap when you do want it to,and it costs you £1000 more to buy in the first place.

A good one, is a dream.

[awm]

Automatic is a personal decision. For dislosure I personally prefer standard since I feal I have more control. They are also a hair more efficent. That said differences are small and tastes vary. If you do learn to drive stick, STRONGLY RECOMENDED, it will become second nature to you and will take no more effort than an automatic. I actrually fell out of place in 2 pedal cars!

[0iD]

if you're jsut learning then personally i'd stick to manual, at least for a bit as it'll build your driving skillz. Automatics can make you a lazy driver, & as the master Zak has stated, some auto's are dogs.
Mind you, I loved my old black Jag Sov auto, a dream to drive but sooo expensive to run real man's car!

Now I drive an old M reg Corolla 1.6gli, how the mighty have fallen, boohoo, but it shifts

[IainB]

Ive driven both and tbh prefer autos when stuck in traffic.
For some (read most American) autos - its an easy job to make them into a manual shift
And if your learning to drive, take the manual test as this allows you to drive an auto....taking an auto test will only allow you to drive an auto and not a manual.

[J4MES]

power gets wasted in the 'torque converter' - a big vat of oil in the 'box - it all makes the car less fuel efficient, heavier and slower (and more expensive usually), but it makes them easier to drive (less fun though) - so in a heavy, powerful, inefficient and expensive car (like the Jag ^ ) it doesn't make much odds really - it's down to personal preferance, type of driving you do (motorways and city driving - auto might suit)...

the point of a manual? cheaper (to produce), and more fun, efficient, lighter etc. - but gives the driver more control over power delivery - no gear changes mid-bend when you're not expecting it

there are so many choices now though - from 'step/tiptronic' (selectabe auto 'box), smg (BMW sequential semi-auto 'box), dsg (VAG direct-shift sequential semi-auto pre-selector manual 'box) - both without clutches - designed to give quicker changes than an auto, with the control of a manual... but for me - proper manual all the way

[Zak33]

the point of a manual? cheaper (to produce),

only because everyone wants them, making them cheaper to produce in larger volume. I promise an auto can be just as cheap to make if the requirements for them are high.

(hence Dodge selling auto for same price as manual...for them, everyone buy's auto, making them cheaper to build)

VHS vs Betamax anyone?

[J4MES]

yep, stateside its probably a cost option to have 'stick shift' ... supply and demand tbh...

vhs - cos the pr*n industry went with it... can't see T&A having an influence on the future of gearboxes tho...

[jon bda]

vhs - cos the pr*n industry went with it... can't see T&A having an influence on the future of gearboxes tho...

Can't do rude things with a flappy paddle box though can you?.

[5lab]

big cars in the states now have a manual as a cost option - the auto is standard..

the thing with the big, fast cars that have auto boxes - they're cruisers - stuff like the merc sl, bently continental gt.. you don't see autos in ferraris and lambos.

autos have traditionally been slush boxes - but with double-cluch and the like, lots of autos are now propper boxes too, so no loss of power. a cvt transmission is actually far MORE economical and powerful in theory than any other gearbox - the problem lies in making them handle all the power.

[Konan555]

I've had a CVT box, and the way it geared itself sitting at 60 I was getting stupidly good instant economy.

[Andeh13]

edit: ignore this, sorry

[BenW]

I'm a new driver too and when i was learning i could see exactly why someone would want an auto box but now i've had some more experience i can appreciate the manual box. Now the gear changes are more naural (Rather than thinking about what gear to use etc) and i quite enjoy it.

Dads got an auto (V6 mondeo) because he commutes into london but its a tiptronic box which has the override function where you can choose which gear you want (rocker switches on steering wheel and gear lever moves up and down). He tends to leave it in auto but when he's on the motorway just lets it get upto speed and knocks it into manual so it stays in 5th (Knocks down to 3rd if floored at 80mph!)

[kalniel]

I have to drive both manual and automatic cars at work. Auto's are fantastic for city driving and stop start traffic jams.

But that's about it.. I detest driving the automatic if I've got any country driving to do - the number one problem I have is the lack of control over gear selection. A typical corner goes something like this:

Approach corner and take my foot off the pedal. The car automatically engages the torque converter and drops the revs leaving no natural engine breaking. I start breaking and the car jumps in gear again. I go around the corner and past the apex start accelerating again - the car accelerates breifly then suddenly pauses while it takes forever to change down a gear. Then we suddenly lurge forwards again for a few seconds before it changes up again.

Each one of those changes unsettles the car, is hard to anticipate and adds delay when it may not be safe (you don't want a delay every time you put your foot down!). It is a real effort to drive the car in a way that doesn't involve these changes.

And that's a mondeo auto as well - engaging the 'manual' sequential mode is no better - the car still changes gear despite you telling it you want it to stay in a gear.

On a motorway or in a city you'd never notice this though. They're just unsafe for country driving.

[directhex]

Sorry Im just learning to drive, and in an convo with a mate while walking about looking in cars (were both learning so thats all we talk about lol). But are automatic cars sucky? I see fast cars in automatic, does this mean the power is wasted?

If not, then is there much piont of manual?

Thanks.

unless you're disabled, then learn in a manual.

as has been stated, a manual license lets you drive both types, whereas an auto license only lets you drive an auto

autos have their place (i have a disabled uncle, for example), but if you're able-bodied and can't handle a manual, then you probably shouldn't be on the road full stop

[BenW]

And that's a mondeo auto as well - engaging the 'manual' sequential mode is no better - the car still changes gear despite you telling it you want it to stay in a gear.

Ours stays in gear

It won't let you change down if you're going to go over the rev limiter but otherwise it does as its told (AFAIK, i've never actually driven it)