SimonD

My wife is picking up a new car next week. It is the first auto we've owned and I'm struggling to get on with it.
Ignoring for a minute the inability to control when it changes gear (even the tiptronic function seems to have a built-in delay), my main problem is in negotiating tight and slow junctions or roundabouts.
I'm used to changing down before junctions and letting the engine braking continue to slow the car until I have a clear straight exit when I will start to accelerate. I'm talking about sedate driving here - as you would with kids/family on board. I find that with the auto (particularly at downhill junctions) I have to continue braking right up to and through the turn because if I lift my foot off the brake the car wants to accelerate too early. The whole process feels like it is going to be very heavy on brakes and tyres.

I appreciate that it is somthing that I will have to get used to but does anyone have any tips for the auto-virgin to get over this.

satancom

Have owned a few Autos, including my current impreza. Generaly autos are heavy on the brakes as engine braking is not automatic. However if your on a long hill you can just droip a few gears manually by pulling the auto stick back (or using tiptronic) and let the engine brake for you.

I say long hills because you will find you cant be bothered for short hills, braking up to corners etc. An auto makes you lazy :P

Also worth noting whn parked at the traffice lights, if Im going to be there for more than 60 seconds I will shift into neutral then back into drive on the amber light.. any shorter I just sit there on the brake! I don't do this for the cars sake but the poor sap thats staring into my high level brake light behid me

The auto is great for slow moving traffic mind

Cheers

philbr

different style of driving for an auto, especially a powerful one like an impreza
(mine wrx auto chipped) you'll soon get used to it and i similarly use gears to slow down same as in a manual, if i need too.
auto's do make you lazy, but with little or no turbo lag and no boost drop through the gear changes makes a very quick car.

SimonD

This is a Tribeca. I get to keep my manual Impreza!!

While on the test drive I had to do a full 360 on a small/medium sized roundabout and had to hit the brakes half way round to stop the bloody thing pushing wide. I know the fact that it is a big old barge doesn't help but it just feels so unnatural.

satancom

And you never miss a gear change

Shark Man

Good Autos will downshift to provide engine braking on steep hills and/or hard braking. (also saves fuel as well as brakes as the overrun fuel shut off on most cars only works above 2000rpm).

Certainly almost all the 5 speed ZF autos made since 1996 have had this handy feature. (that'll be anything German and Jags etc).

Seems odd that the Tribeca doesn't have it?

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

The FTO had the auto downshift on hills and mine didn't have any delay when changing in tiptronic mode either but then the reviews of some much more modern and expensive cars on Top Gear etc have shown that some have very severe delays so i can only guess the Tribeca is one of them.

Try asking it to shift down two gears at once (bit like a block change) that might help coming to roundabouts but to be honest i never really had any issues. The only time i had problems was wanting to put it in first once i'd come to a halt at a junction!

For more fun use it to practise your left foot braking!

5t.

Horrid Cars

Foot on brake at a junction after heavy braking = warped discs.

Slip into neutral and remove foot from brake. Best advice I ever recieved after cooking 2 sets of BMW brakes in succession.

satancom

[QUOTE=Horrid Cars;7595818]Foot on brake at a junction after heavy braking = warped discs.
[QUOTE]
thats a fair point... Something i forgot to mention

SimonD

Useful tip, thanks.

Shark Man

Can't stress that enough.

Read the road ahead. If there's a red light; or give way/stop sign where you need to stop 300yards ahead, just coast and brake gently, there is no advantage of blundering along at 40+mph and then slowing down at the latest point when you actually need to stop; it wastes fuel, and cooks the brakes. So if anything, this kind of mechanical ignorance can cost you dearly.

Happens quite often with BMW autos; especially after having new pads and discs- which warp within a few weeks of them being fitted, due to them not being bedded in and thus running far hotter than normal.