The Motor Forum

Apex clipper · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 12:59 am Post subject: Automatic..lover.

Picked up the sisters old car today a Passet 20v auto and drove it 30 miles back home. My wifes new wheels!

"What's so strange about that?"

"Well"..I've never drove an auto car before in my life, so the whole journey was somewhat surreal even getting going had me flapping about with the left foot hunting about for the clutch, pressing the thingy in (Knob

) and selecting drive had me covering the settee sized brake pedal..just in case.

Junctions were freakish as my automatic reaction was to cover the clutch and reach down for a gear change I kept reaching for the box and tutting to myself as my brain tried to overcome that instinct to select the right gear.

Two things I need to ask.
Is the button with a foot that is circled on the select train..the kickdown warp speed thingymejig? and at what speed is it safely able to engage? As following aunt maud in her fvcking slow micra car had me biting chunks out of the dashboard.

If you really floor it as I did, I found that the gearchange was struggling to keep up if you know what I mean. Do you need the car to go through it's mashinations in it's own speed?

At least I can now unload all the garbage my car has had to hump around for the last couple of months.

Result.
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Minky Moo & Millie Maloo.

Frank Bullitt · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 7:52 am Post subject:

A button with a foot that's circled - huh? That's a new one on me. Kickdown is achieved by putting your foot through the floor, ideally with Sport selected (S button).

You can select gears manually at any speed (so long as you don't go over the rev-limit!) just by pushing the button on the selector and pulling the selector backwards.

It's a weird feeling not being in control isn't it - my first experience of a proper auto was my sister-in laws Pug 406 2.0, equally as...ahem...lively as the Passat.

Regarding performance the 'nothingness' is the torque convertor making it all nice and smooth and slushy - no wonder 0-60 stats look weak against manuals
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gonnabuildabuggy · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 10:31 am Post subject:

Cant say the performance in my 328 is nothingness? it goes like a rocket with a manual being not much slower (we're talking 1s here 0-60).

you need to drive it with your foot rather than hand and feet - plus it might have a learning function - drive it like a pensioner it will behave like one.

Mine shifts up early if I tootle along, but shifts much later if driven on fuller throttles or (obviously) in kickdown where it just keeps going to the redline.

The foot thing I thing you'll find is the manual mode - snick the lever across then go up and down through the gears.

The only caveats I'd add is that heavy cars/small engines can be frustraging but I'm thinking 2.0 Omega not 150BHP of Passat.

Personally for an everyday car I'd go with an Auto nowadays.
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Aint no substitute for cubic inches.

BeN · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 10:36 am Post subject:

The traffic situation around here means that an auto is a boon, although sometimes I do wish I could change gears myself. But those moments are rare, and it's nothing a Tiptronic style system can't fix.

Sometimes, especially going uphill, the Corolla struggles a little, and occasionally putting the foot down doesn't result in instant response. The trick therefore, is to match the revs evenly, and avoid sudden inputs of throttle, because I reckon most family cars like the Corolla are meant for smooth driving and not rocketing off the line, and so the transmission is geared as such.
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Mark · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 11:02 am Post subject:

The 'foot circled' is a symbol to indicate that you must have your foot on the service brake to use the shifter between drive, neutral & reverse; that's all.

As Chris says, kickdown is achieved by kicking the throttle to the floor.

Matt · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 11:39 am Post subject:

The only autos I've driven have been the XJ TD, the Caddy SRX and a Ford Freda.

They are a great novelty, but with only one car, I'd rue not having proper manual control when the right road presents itself.

I'd have an auto purely for commuting if I had another fun car with a manual in a heartbeat, I think.
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Bob Sacramento · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 12:04 pm Post subject:

When I was 17 and first passed my test I had a 1.3L Escort manual but used to regularly switch between that and my dad's 2.8L Granada auto so both became second nature to me.
Although my Lexus is auto, when I get to work I often head out in our diesel X-Type manual and it's like the left hand side of your body suddenly becomes active again.
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Gannin' alang the Scotswood Road... - like the clappers!

DaveGibson · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 12:43 pm Post subject:

I've never had any problem driving automatic cars. The first was my sixth car, an Austin Princess 2200HLS and the second auto was my tewlfth (Rover 3500 SD1).

In similar fashion to Bob, I have the automatic Lexus but the TR is manual (and the column stalks are opposite handed, too, never mind that it needs a key to start it).

Roadrunner · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 2:45 pm Post subject:

I find auto works best with a lusty V8 up front for the full waftability effect, with instant point and squirt acceleration when needed. Putting an auto box in a wheezing 4-cylinder saloon is fine if you are not in a hurry.
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Frank Bullitt · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 8:48 pm Post subject:

Blarno · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 9:30 pm Post subject:

I've only driven a handful of autos, most were Jags, one was a 1.2 Coarse.

I find autos to be far too slow witted, even the supposedly decent Jag autos. (4.0 XKR 5 speed, 4.2 XKR 6 speed and 3.2 XJ6 5 speed) They don't change quick enough, there's a lurch and kickdown isn't instant.

The Coarse was so bad it was funny.
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Gooner · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 9:44 pm Post subject:

When I've tried Autos I've found I take naturally to them and don't feel the need to move my left foot. The problem I find is getting into a manual again and promptly stalling at the first junction I stop at when I forget to depress the clutch!
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Frank Bullitt · Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 7:04 am Post subject:

Bryan M · Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 9:45 am Post subject:

I bought a Corsa 1.2 Easytronic once...it was for my brother's girlfriend.....I didn't like her.

Apex clipper · Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 1:29 pm Post subject:

I've yet to 'Waft' through the handbook on this thing, but I'll be the next queen's mother if this thing has this kickdown facility. Even really booting it, it seems to just rev whilst not making too much forward thrust???

The wife drove it for the first time yesterday?????

I may have worn out the carpet in the passenger well.
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Minky Moo & Millie Maloo.

TimR · Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:08 pm Post subject:

Kickdown should happen, at the latest, when your foot hits the floor.

My Dad's Megane is a 2 litre auto and has a 'learning' gearbox so he can tell if I've been thrashing it (which you have to do to get going).

Boxer6 · Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:41 pm Post subject:

TimR · Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:59 pm Post subject:

Nope.

One thing I have noticed about it is that the average economy is about 4mpg worse than his previous Grand Scenic which was also a 2 litre petrol auto and weighed about 250kg more.
Weird eh?

I've got him convinced that the car needs a good thrash occasionally anyway since he rarely does journeys longer than 20 miles or so at a push.

Boxer6 · Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:26 pm Post subject:

TimR · Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:32 pm Post subject:

gonnabuildabuggy · Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 4:10 pm Post subject:

Blarno · Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 9:17 pm Post subject:

Apex clipper · Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:50 am Post subject:

gonnabuildabuggy · Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:27 am Post subject:

A colleague had one a few years ago and his went OK.

Do the service requirements indicate an oil change at any point, if missed this could lead to problems.

How fast does it go if driven manually?
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Aint no substitute for cubic inches.