On my other post I was looking for information about a few cars, that would suit my needs. Now that I narrowed down what I would like, my next question is manual ie auto.
As a lot of newer cars have costly clutch trouble, I was thinking along the lines of an auto box, yes I no the mph is not as good, and tax is dearer, but I think that is easier to manage than a 700 quid clutch job. My other line of thought, surely the engine of the car will be in better condition, as you can't rev its head of in 1st and 2nd gear, no mater how hard it is driven. Therefore engine components last longer.
I also fancy the idea of auto, as it would make hill starts a more pleasurable experience
A lot depends on what you are towing and what you tow with.
When we tow our 3.5tonne trailer/caravan, we can make the engine work in the gears, rather than the box dropping down a gear itself, which I find intensely annoying.
Most modern boxes lock up after 45-50 mph so losses are no worse than a manual, but in the lower gears the torque converter is a fairly big loser of power.
I've driven and towed with both, and still prefer a manual.
If you can't do a hill start properly, go and practice!
I used to drive manuals then bought a Mitsi Auto and its absolutely perfect for towing, Modern autos dont use much more fuel than a manual as they change gear at the right time everytime, Its effortless and relaxing and if you're unfortunate to ever get stuck in traffic you can just crawl along without having to change up and down and slip the clutch. I reckon the majority that have gone to auto wont go back,
------------- Doing as little as possible for as much as possible...
Many will say automatic but I prefer manual and have towed around 19,000 miles with my CRV
( Spain every winter for 3 years )and have not had any issues .
I do use my motormover when siting the van to avoid unnecessary clutch wear
Made it sound as though I couldn't do a hill.start. normal hill starts are no problem. But there are a couple of sites I use regularly, and there is a massive slop up to the main road, and you have to stop as you can't see what's coming, and that's where I notice a lot of what I think you call clutch slip. I was thinking along the lines of a crv or Santa fa.
My main reason for the auto was that maybe an auto box reduces premature engine wear,
No slur on your driving taken, Ian, but it 'is' what you wrote....
Automatic boxes tend to cushion the transmission and final drive, and the engine may have a slightly easier time of it, but you'd be hard pushed to measure the difference.
What always worried me was the sharp kick-down on an auto that was often unexpected as you gradually increased throttle opening going up a hill. That can't be good, but the mileages folks are getting out of the boxes is good these days, the main issues tend to be peripheral devices such as controllers and switches, particularly the main switch on the side of the ZF boxes, which is about £330 plus VAT plus labour.
How many gears does an auto box have? Well if you do the research you will find that auto gearboxes generally have less gears than a manual gearbox which of course means that more fuel is being used. If you consider a vehicle having five manual gears and compare exactly the same vehicle with an auto box you will find that it only usually has four, therefore more revs are required between gear changes thus using more fuel. People will say that there is less engine wear with an auto but what about going down a steep hill? With a manual box you can drop the gearbox say in to second and rarely have to touch the brake pedal meaning less wear and heat on the brake pads etc. plus it controls the caravan in tow. If you watch a vehicle with an auto gearbox towing a caravan going down hill the brake lights are illuminated constantly right down the incline till they reach the bottom. Now if you understand about brake pads and shoes, when the linings make contact with steel they get very hot which the generated heat can actually melt the adhesive bonding between lining and disc or shoe. This can lead to unnecessary disc warp and brake wear which I have seen previously which then of course requires the expense of replacement discs, pads and re-bleeding the vehicle's slave cylinders. Judging by these facts, I still prefer the manual gearbox.
Very interesting point, I had not even thought of that. You would probably use the brakes a lot more often, especially with 1500kg, pushing you along as well.
I have a auto box and tow a caravan, when going down hill i can select what gear i want and it will hold the speed i want the same as the manual, you will have to dab the brake pedal occasionaly but you have to do that with a manual, i have had both manual and auto and i would not go back to manual.
Hi
Can you do that with all autos. Just had a thought, can you not set the cruise control, I know that cruise co.reply only works on my mondeo at 40mph, but I would imagine that most brake heat would be generated on long motorway hills, or fast going roads.
Mine has a six speed Auto Box, or could have had a six speed manual, I can use it as an Auto or as a manual box if I want, it just has no clutch and DMF to fail but has good engine braking, best of both.
"How many gears does an auto box have? Well if you do the research you will find that auto gearboxes generally have less gears .....etc...."
Modern auto boxes rarely have only 4 gears, lots have at least 5, latest have 6, 7 or 8 even, so compared with a manual with 6 gears actually rev lower and many give as good if not better mpg than the manual equivalent. Most also have a sport or 'comfort'/ normal option and the opportunity to change up or down manually, so downhill there is no need for extra braking.
If the OP is in any doubt about having an auto I would suggest an extended test drive, any decent dealer will allow this unaccompanied, especially if buying new.
modern auto boxes are streets ahead of the older auto boxes
with present day electronics they are a delight to drive.
my auto box has 7 gears with a choise to use it in manual mode, in auto mode it is always in the correct gear for any conditions, tows my twin axle no problem, relax let the car do it for you, i would never go back to manual.
As above have a test drive .
Hi
I had an automatic car for 2 weeks last year when I was at Florida. I loved driving it, I was just unsure what they would be like for towing, and was thinking the engine of a used car would be in slightly better condition as I can't afford to buy new. Will probably be looking at anything from an 07 plate to an 09 plate.
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Topic: manual or automatic
