Auto or manual

[Mr mondeo]

currently i have a 2009 titanium mondeo (manual) been wanting to upgrade.
Was thinking of getting an auto just for the ease of drive.
Looking at 2016/17 ecoboost 246bhp (auto)
Or 2016/17 titanium x 249bhp (manual)
Not sure if bhp is exact. Anyway my question is, are automatics slower cause the gear change?

 

[Mr mondeo]

Thanks for replies.
Yh i would have thought modern autos would have improved greatly, but since ive never owned one always good to ask about .
I think as I age I am getting lazier lol so auto sounds right up my street. Just didnt want to sacrifice power for it, in terms of sluggish gear change.

Also I'm going for petrol, this mondeo is my first diesel and I cant say I'm a fan really, the car I love, just dont like the hassle that comes with dpf, particularly as I dont really do long drives often

 

[Mr mondeo]

Once you go auto you'll never go back.

Not sure thats how the saying goes haha

 

[Mr mondeo]

Seems from the feedback so far auto is the way to go, which is good as thats what I want.

Only really been looking at modeos, as the one i currently have has done me well. I like fords in general.

 

[Mr mondeo]

Having driven quite a few automatics and owned three of them, while also having to endure driving the wife's cars, I wouldn't ever get an auto unless there was no other option.
I just find there's somthing about them which seems to make people into lazy drivers. Everyone I know who has gone automatic has become a worse driver. It's like the lack of palpable engagement with the clutch pedal also robs them of their mental attentiveness, or something.

Besides, I actually enjoy the physical act of, and modicum of skill required for, changing gears... and while I'm sure all the secret agents involved in high speed escapes down the B337 on their way to Tesco will benefit from it, I don't really drive anywhere fast enough on a daily basis that shaving a quarter second off my gear change is going to make much difference.

I should maybe add i drive an auto van for living, you are right in a way, I am a lazier driver as said in previous statement lol. But I wouldn't say it makes you a worse driver. Being a lazy driver can just mean not being bothered to constantly up and down shift, i live in a city so...

I also plan on keeping my manual mondeo, which I will use for comuting most days, the mrs will use the new car for work, and i do all the driving any other time. If she is off when I'm on then I will use the new car

My next car will def be auto, i'm bored of getting stuck in rush hour traffic and having to work the clutch all the time.

My point exactly

 

[Mr mondeo]

But you'll wish you stuck with manuals if the auto box ever goes wrong out of warranty. Especially if its a dual clutch

Is this a common thing tho in newer mondeos?

 

[Mr mondeo]

Auto unless you want the mechanical involvement, or there are any common faults with the auto on the car you're looking at.

Yh im not the most mechanical person lol, i do basic stuff but dont delve into the engine as I don't have a clue.

It doesn't directly make you a worse driver, but it does make you lazy, which then leads to other bad habits... at least in the experiences of those I've either discussed it with or observed, myself included.
Personally I don't find the constant shifting to be a problem, even in London traffic. I barely notice it, TBH.

I agree with the fact it can make you lazier in a sense, i mean dont people get auto to make the drive that bit easier? Not sure what bad habits you can pick up just from not changing gear tho?
The mrs will be using it aswell, and she has been driving a few years, still nervous when it comes to shifting, so she is one of the reasons switching to auto. And the other reason is for me not being bothered to shift lol.

I just wasn't sure what newer auto cars wher like, i didn't want to waste getting something with bit more power just to lose it in a rubbish auto gearbox.
I'm not familiar with auto cars but driven a few vans, one of which was an iveco and the semi auto gearbox was horrible

 

[Mr mondeo]

I have the Powershift dual-clutch in my Mondeo and it's a little bit clunky at times but on the whole it's great, and a revelation for general driving.

I sometimes miss having a manual when I'm on an empty twisty road but most of the time I'm not!

Oh OK, what year is it?

 

[Mr mondeo]

I have the same gearbox, agreed especially when cold it can be clunky but otherwise it is pretty good for an 'older' dual clutch, the manual changing mode is pretty damn quick and for daily driving an auto is definitely the way to go.

Having said that, if I had a 'weekend' car for anything, I would get a manual as they are more enjoyable to drive when not on the daily grind

Tbh my manual mondeo is clunky at times when cold lol, i will still be keeping my older manual mondeo, and will still be using it prob half of the week. The other half week I will be driving the newer car.

 

[Mr mondeo]

The short version - Fewer things to actually do while driving, leading to relaxed attentiveness, inattentiveness, more focus on radio/phone/conversation and so on, leading to more automation, which furthers driver attention and increases reliance on automated features.
It's a bit more complex than that, but there are a fair few studies on it. I do recall Bloomberg Tech did one that I read not so long ago, as we got a safety briefing about it at work.

Besides, manual is just fun and since I 'daily drive' the sort of car I'd also 'weekend drive', it makes no sense for me to go Auto.

I would say them bad habits are done just as much with manual. This seems to be one of them topics that will always get mixed views lol. Thanks for your input tho.

 

[Mr mondeo]

You're buying a Mondeo. Is the fraction of a difference between 0-60 times really that important?

Not really, I just don't want to put my foot down and it be sluggish when changing gear, as this is expertise ive had in some vans, yes I know cars are different, I welcome all option lol.

 

[Mr mondeo]

I'm quite surprised by the auto in my pickup - sure being a big diesel there is some turbo lag - but it is basically the transmission/electronics from the 370Z with some tweaks so stick it in sport and drive positively and it is surprisingly good (and you get engine braking, etc. for days). The normal driving mode was changed at some point to be an "eco" mode so in normal driving it tends to feel a bit sluggish/holding gears different to how you would drive manually.



If it has kick-down then you can get it to instantly change profile (usually resulting in dropping down a gear) to provide maximum power when you really need to go foot to the floor. No idea if the auto on the Mondeo does.

Experience* opinion*

Makes sense. Thanks for input