Automatic versus Manual gearboxes? (1 Viewer)

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

What are your preferences, would you buy an auto or not? assuming noo price difference.

Peter

 

[wasp]

I prefer auto box then SWMBO would drive it

 

[kickstart]

Well Peter, I drive over 40,000 miles a year in my job as a rep in a manual car,but when we go off in the motorhome I'm so pleased we chose an auto.

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[scotjimland]

RV was auto , present car Honda CRV is also auto .. love them.. :thumb:

in saying that, I would buy a manual if it was the van I wanted ... so not a deal breaker

 

[Heyupluv]

What are your preferences, would you buy an auto or not? assuming noo price difference.

Peter

Manual..... then I am in control:thumb:.........(I have had many autos in my past about 8 to 10 on the larger cars we have owned... 2800cc to 3500cc, and a nice drive they were ) but on the Motorhome I prefer MANUAL..a friend of mine has the Renault auto box a Burstner Dolphine 7m motorhome couple of years old.....WELL if you could see his performance every time he is trying to get on the blocks/wedge's No way would I have Auto

 

[Gromett]

That's a hard one. When I am driving long distances auto would be nice but the rest of the time manual wins..... I had auto cars for my distance driving but manual for my little sports cars. Really hard choice.....

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[darklord]

Fuel economy wise, I'd probably favour a manual, BUT, like everything else, it depends how the box performs. Ive just finished driving a Scania HGV with autobox, nice drive, matched the speed and power request's nicely, not sudden scares or show offs. A Volvo auto i drove earlier in the year, was a nighmare on r-abouts, it'd go into first, then.......slump.........THEN pick up second, just as a car had assumed i was letting it in front of me...scary.
If i am doing a lot of hill driving, then i'll have manual thanks, dont want it changing up and down as the hills level for a bit, then go steep again,....so I suppose, on balance, it'd be a manual for me.

 

[tofo]

What are your preferences, would you buy an auto or not? assuming noo price difference.

Peter

Wish i had of bought an auto couldnt find one
Bought eeyore then saw loads oh:oh:

Looked at L reg hymer on a mercedes auto
Mrs t wouldnt have left hand drive

It had been butcherd though
speakers amps and bits and bobs

This one will do now :thumb:

 

[welshbois]

Automatics all the way.

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[rangi]

Had Auto work Vans when working in Sydney City because of the traffic, BUT, M/h ? I like to "drive":thumb:

 

[jhorsf]

I would advise anyone to try a comfortmatic fiat motorhome before deciding you will be very surprised just how well they drive.I payed a lot more for mine and up to now am happy

 

[beachcaster]

I would advise anyone to try a comfortmatic fiat motorhome before deciding you will be very surprised just how well they drive.I payed a lot more for mine and up to now am happy

Agree.I have the 3 litre and its just fabulous. Waited a while to find an auto
and wouldnt have anything else. If you ever need to select a gear ,ost are "tipronic" these days allowing you to drive in a manual mode.

Have this on my cars too.....never use it .

The fiat is superb to drive.

barry

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[maz]

Before I bought The Beastie I was quite keen on an automatic gearbox as I thought it would be one less thing to deal with while trying to get used to driving a 'small bus' instead of a Honda Jazz. But now I'm quite happy that it's manual - like knowing that I decide which gear we're going to be in and when.

 

[slobadoberbob]

Rubbish.. getting on the blocks is easy

Manual..... then I am in control:thumb:.........(I have had many autos in my past about 8 to 10 on the larger cars we have owned... 2800cc to 3500cc, and a nice drive they were ) but on the Motorhome I prefer MANUAL..a friend of mine has the Renault auto box a Burstner Dolphine 7m motorhome couple of years old.....WELL if you could see his performance every time he is trying to get on the blocks/wedge's No way would I have Auto

I have a winnebago 24'9" long hooked to a 20' James May car transporter.. so overall 45' long. I am automatic with 5 speed box. I go up and down hill including the French mountains. I regularly climb on to the Fiama ramps .... Sue ..SWMBO uses the hand held CB and a whistle and that is all I need.. I climb the ramps. She puts a commercial wheel chock behind the front wheel or rear dependant on which ramps I have climbed. Hand brake on (Footbrake on a yank) then place in park (gear) and there I stay until I am moving off... I am just under 7.5 tons all up with the car on the trailer. It comes down to driving skill not the automatic gearbox.

I have had automatics for years.. even the Smart is a triptronic, the Hyundia (which we tow) is automatic. So easy to drive... especially if you use cruise control, let the gear box do the work.

Bob:Blush:

 

[simsy56]

Manual..... then I am in control:thumb:.........(I have had many autos in my past about 8 to 10 on the larger cars we have owned... 2800cc to 3500cc, and a nice drive they were ) but on the Motorhome I prefer MANUAL..a friend of mine has the Renault auto box a Burstner Dolphine 7m motorhome couple of years old.....WELL if you could see his performance every time he is trying to get on the blocks/wedge's No way would I have Auto

I have had numerous automatics, and never once did i feel i wasn't in control. I fail to see what is hard about climbing onto ramps/wedges with an automatic.
When power steering first came out, people would say, "i don't want it cos you can't feel the ice"! What a load of $hite!
Same with auto, people who don't know how to drive them say they prefer manual.

Give me automatics everytime.

Craig

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[suenmike]

Automatic with cruse control, you can't beat it.oh:

 

[keith]

Given a choice auto every time, with cruise control. If you feel you are not in control you have not mastered the art of driving an auto.

My van is manual my car auto, that's why I stall the van van when I stop.

So far the vote shows a big yes for auto, so why are most cars in the UK manual?
I recon it's down to the high cost to buy it on a new vehicle.

 

[simsy56]

A man i used to work with would never have an automatic. And he was atrocious at driving a manual, wrong gear all the time, never bothered with 5th (top) gear, stalling constantly. If ever anyone should have an automatic it was him. But no, he liked changing gear. Pity he couldn't do it properly.

Craig



















Craig

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[DESCO]

Given the choice auto every time, cars have been auto for years even for cabbing. Would prefer old auto not electronic version, and cruise control.

 

[Wildman]

I have voted Auto but mine is a sprintshift which is really a manual with hydraulic changing, best of both worlds really a supurb drive.

 

[Terry]

Auto for me every time :thumb: but both van and car/pick up are both manual oh:
Even been considering fitting an auto box to the van - if I could drop on one at the right money - but not sure if the make them to fit my engine iveco 2.8 td fiat soffin engine
terry
Will have to keep an eye out for a auto ambulance to convert !

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[mondo]

Manual without a doubt...I was a HGV driver for more years than I care to remember..driven differing trucks with all sorts of gearboxes..Fuller 9...Roundhouse...Eton Twin Split a personal favourite..Double H Box...But the auto boxes just never did it for me..I had a Volvo Globetrotter fitted with that awful Volvo auto box...what a load of absolute garbage...going from Farnham across to Basingstoke turned left at a set of lights put me foot down to go up the hill..It was slightly damp after a light shower..the wheels spun it changed up 2/3 gears in quick succession result was the truck came to a shuddering halt...and I was told you can't stall an auto box...WRONG!!!
I had to use the button to change it like a manual..so whats the point..the fleet engineer at Stobarts said these are the best gearboxes in the world..He wasn't saying that when all the trucks were stuck in snow and us manual boys were doing it right...So I say without contradictionMANUAL

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

Interesting, the reason why I started this thread was to find out, looks like autos are in the favoured majority and yet they do not fly out of the door even though they are rarer than hens teeth!

Only one that flew was a Pollensa, lasted about two hours after I delivered it yet I have an AutoTrail Miama, a Lunar and a Kentucky sitting there, all nice vans, well specced ete etc.

Peter

 

[beachcaster]

Manual without a doubt...I say without contradictionMANUAL

Are you against all autos for what might have been one at fault ?
I have driven many autos....covering well over half a million miles ( not in the same one ) and Ive never stalled one yet.

I for one will contradict you Autos all the way..seems like the survey agrees... over 3 to one.But for strange reasons ( probably price ) some people do like to make life harder I know many peoiple who have never driven one. I used to sit in traffic stop and go commuting 20 miles into london and back every day....that got me into autos.
In the usa some drivers have no idea what a manual is ..or how to drive one, for ordinary cars there autos are the norm.


barry

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[simsy56]

Manual without a doubt...I was a HGV driver for more years than I care to remember..driven differing trucks with all sorts of gearboxes..Fuller 9...Roundhouse...Eton Twin Split a personal favourite..Double H Box...But the auto boxes just never did it for me..I had a Volvo Globetrotter fitted with that awful Volvo auto box...what a load of absolute garbage...going from Farnham across to Basingstoke turned left at a set of lights put me foot down to go up the hill..It was slightly damp after a light shower..the wheels spun it changed up 2/3 gears in quick succession result was the truck came to a shuddering halt...and I was told you can't stall an auto box...WRONG!!!
I had to use the button to change it like a manual..so whats the point..the fleet engineer at Stobarts said these are the best gearboxes in the world..He wasn't saying that when all the trucks were stuck in snow and us manual boys were doing it right...So I say without contradictionMANUAL

You were obviously not loaded when the wheels spun, so why boot it in the wet? I don't think the auto box was at fault here, it changed up because it thought that you were moving. And as for manual being better in the snow than an auto...well, that is just not the case.

Autos forever.

Craig

 

[novawight]

Love Manuals, but my knees would love an auto

 

[lugnutt]

i have an rv..auto a bongo...auto before these i had a volvo ..auto carn't remeber the last time i changed gear must be geting on for 20 years

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[ciderman]

i have a hymer754 with 2.8jtd and a zf 4 speed auto box with a switch to lock it in 2nd gear for slippy surfaces fantastic 60mph 1800rpm 25-28 to the gallon the only thing is i cannot chip the engine as the box is rated at 330nm max and the chip would take the engine over this and shorten the life of the gearbox