Manual or Auto
 

Have recently decided I want an Auto, driving a manual in traffic every day is doing my head in, anybody else feel like this, dont think I will miss it, if I do I will get another 500 quid Golf GTI for weekends.

Get a tiptronic. Job done.

We've an Auto (Forester XT)
Auto sucks.
Just ordered an Audi with DSG though, a sucker for punishment me...Forester is history.
C

i have an Auto volvo, manual M3 and Manual saxo VTR. I like the volvo for the relaxing drive, effortless overtaking, and off the line acceleration, no clutch to replace, AFT change every 10000 easy job - but i think the fact it is turbo makes a difference - the down side is the lack of engine brakeing, higher fuel consumption.

No thanks... hate them, even the tiptronic (or whatever it was, BMW 325i with the buttons on the wheel). I drove about 24,000mi last year much of it going through rush-hour traffic on the M-way start/stop for a few miles etc. Yes it's a PITA in a manual but I'm used to it and don't want to put up with a slushy the rest of the time when I'm not crawling in traffic.

I'm not talking about the Scooby either, this is just my Audi which I have as a daily driver for racking up the miles - it's slow as hell anyway so no way I'd want to make it even slower, less economical and more boring with a slushy :eek: ;)

Auto boxes and big-engined cruisers go very well together.

My next road car will be an auto

Hate Autos, makes me drive very heavy footed.

The only Autos I've ever driven that I could live with sit behind HUGE v8 engines that have enough torque to use a low stall speed torque converter (less slush-o-matic) and be able to make use of the taller intermediate gearing that autos tend to have.

Except for off-roaders where autos are king :cool:

Totally agree
I have a VR4 (280bhp) with tiptronic and its great :)

I am quite enjoying my temporary car, its a Rover 216 Coupe Auto, paid six hundred for it and its mint, not very fast but my Fiat Coupe Turbo was a bit wasted in the driving I do, next car will be an auto with a bigger (V6) engine, unless I get bored of not changing gear !

You want something like the BMW SMG gearbox, not sure who else uses the same kind of system, tipronic when you want it, or flick it over into full auto when you're feeling lazy. Also has launch mode, endless fun!

SJJ, dont quite have SMG money.

Heres my triptronic and i love it
http://images1.fotopic.net/?iid=yfd6bs&outx=600&oq=0

i used tohave a 3 litre V6 auto toyota camry, was great car, i think the key to autos is having a big engine attached to them.

Agree with whats been said, autos are great in big engine cars - i love driving Aston V8s, Porsche 928's, 500sl mercs,Bentley Turbo's etc with auto boxes but an equivilent 300sl-24 Merc was a pain with the auto box and needed loads of revs to make it shift. Auto is good imo if it's effortless with bags of torque........

90% of my driving is in stop/start traffic over poor roads at slow speeds, add to that the fact that my wife has a bad back and a hard riding sports car for our main car was a waste of time and money.

My plan was too spend £7k less than I usually do on a car then spend the money saved on a trackday/weekend toy.

I picked up a 75 2.5V6 Auto ClubSE, 10 month old for £11k, thats £12370 off new list. :eek:
I find it does it's job perfectly and the Jatco 5 speed Auto is excellent. Same box as the X Type Jag, and some FWD V6 VW's.

Performance is hardly changed from the manual but fuel consumption does take a hit especially round town.

I find a big comfy Auto is far better suited to todays roads, congestion and driving speeds.
If your an enthusiast though you'll have to budget for a weekend toy.

Cheers
Lee

heres a link that works http://paulwrxboro.fotopic.net/c94012.html
tiptronic wrx

My budget has been cur for the missus, so tops is 4 grand, still in disgrace for spunking 2 and a half grand in 7 months on my Fiat Coupe, have sold it and lost all that cash, therefore I think she is applying a damage limitation exercise.

Hows this sound, 1996 Audi A6 2.6 Auto Avant, its mint and I mean mint, will that be suitably effortless ? only 150 bhp but it should be enough I reckon.

Audi V6 auto's one of the best "smaller" engined autos I've driven, with 6pot BMWs trailing close behind. So should be ok.

Still drove it like I stole it, seemed ok :D (autos have that effect on me :confused: )

Hmm, drove the Audi and didnt like it one bit, felt very slow, dont want an Auo any more !

Cured

I think you've cottoned on to my problem :D Looks likes you'll be needing something of the likes of a 535 or 540 BMW to satisfy your needs....starting to get into the big thristy V8 territory now. ;)