Automatic or Manual?

zom247 · 27 Mar 2008 at 18:34

I've been looking for a 2nd car for about a week or so now and I've come across loads of automatics for sale. The question I have is should I go for an automatic car? I remember being told as a kid (er 30 odd years ago) that automatics were evil and always broke down. I'm sure that things have improved since then though

I'm interested in a focus 1.6 zetec 3 door but everything I've seen so far round my area is an automatic and 5 door.

Lopéz · 27 Mar 2008 at 18:36

Unless you are going American/Big luxury saloon/Modern SMG style affair, automatics are generally crap.

Expensive to repair, horrible to drive. Reminds me of driving a speedboat.

Gilly · 27 Mar 2008 at 18:37

Actually I don't mind the autoboxes I've had recently (2l Focus Ghia/Saab 95 2.3 turbo).

I wouldn't go near a 1.6 auto though.

jon.bda · 27 Mar 2008 at 18:38

Yup, best left to big exec saloons or big softroaders...

rare · 27 Mar 2008 at 18:39

A 1.6 auto is not a great idea. Autos are only ever a good idea when you have a big engine.

DSG etc works fine with smaller engines but they are a different thing alltogether.

Simmz · 27 Mar 2008 at 18:40

Depends on what you use the car for?

Does it have a tiptronic mode, or is it just pure Auto?

mjt · 27 Mar 2008 at 18:41

highly doubt the focus is tiptronic
either way, a 1.6 focus auto is not good

Simmz · 27 Mar 2008 at 18:53

Yea, but depends what you want to use it for.

My Mum had a 1.6 Focud Zetec auto and it was one of the most smoothest rides I've even been in.

Gilly · 27 Mar 2008 at 18:54

Simmz said:
Yea, but depends what you want to use it for.

My Mum had a 1.6 Focud Zetec auto and it was one of the most smoothest rides I've even been in.

That depends what you're comparing it to.

richolmes72 · 27 Mar 2008 at 19:00

Depends on what the car will be used for - If you're just going around town and never doing much B road/motorway work. Then even a 1.6 auto may be a better bet than a manual. But yes, generally autos are best suited to big lazy engines with lots of torque.

They generally use more fuel than a manual, sap a bit of power and are less reliable than the manual. BUT, they are improving all the time and driving in traffic is 10x nicer.

And for those people who say a 1.6 auto is insufficient. You should drive the 0.8 litre Chevrolet Matiz automatic.

The autobox in the 0.8 litre matiz was bad although i've seen worse (1.3 latest Yaris springs to mind)

Third Opinion · 27 Mar 2008 at 19:00

Modern autoboxes bare no resemblence to the old 3 or 4 speed autos found in the 80's and early 90's. Personally with the traffic the way it is nowadays I would go auto everytime.

Simmz · 27 Mar 2008 at 19:00

Can't really say too much on that.

But when I had my manual focus it felt a lot more smoother than that. I wouldn't go for the auto, but if your constantly stuck in traffic and doing a lot of town driving then I'd consider it.

rG-tom · 27 Mar 2008 at 19:05

ive had an auto for hte last week or two, and it's just about bareable....and that's with a 175bhp 300ft/lb engine, not a 100bhp 60ft/lb one in a focus. Anything less and it'd be absolute hell. Oh, not to mention it's an 07 plate bmw, thus it's a decent 6 speed tiptronic jobby, but it still isnt a manual. Yea it's great for traffic etc but I still find myself using the tiptronic mode more than anything.

Adz · 27 Mar 2008 at 19:09

I like automatics a lot. For general milling about they're brilliant. An absolute godsend in stop-start traffic.

Pretty useless for aggressive driving or with low powered engines but that's the compromise you make.

izzy eckerslike · 27 Mar 2008 at 19:18

I have a semi auto Fiat Panda dualogic, it has the same gearbox as the manual version but no clutch pedal, it uses computer controlled electro hydraulics to operate the clutch & gears.
It bears no comparison to Smart & other makes of semi auto using electro servos & Fiat have got it spot on. The gearchange is smooth & precise & is amazing how it blips the throttle when it changes down to match the engine speed, In manual mode it can beat a manual from a standing start as the gear change is quicker than can be done with your feet & hands
I'ts also more economical than the manual version when driving in 'eco' mode & atm getting 53+mpg

Torch [P4] · 27 Mar 2008 at 19:20

quite like the one on my car but its tied into quite a powerful engine, hit sport mode and plant your foot and overtaking is scary fast

the remap on mine is also tied into the autobox which gives me 280 Bhp in Economy mode and bumps power upto 310+ in sport mode

robbiemc · 27 Mar 2008 at 19:23

Remember that 'regular' autos sap power and are less economical than the equivielent manual.
On a 1.6 Focus - unless you're going to be stuck in town traffic 99% of the time - get the manual instead.

zom247 · 27 Mar 2008 at 19:41

Thanks for the replies, looks like sticking to manuals then!

Puzzled · 27 Mar 2008 at 19:47

I'm looking at getting an Auto next but I have always wondered how you would rev them.

For example say you need to do a steep hill start. In a manual you would build up the revs and bring the clutch up. What do you do in an Auto just plant the throttle?

Also you see americans revving cars at traffic lights and then speeding off. Do they mash it from neutral to drive, or can you rev while in drive?

Confusing things these Autos.

robbiemc · 27 Mar 2008 at 19:59

A regular auto box has a 'creep' feature which means the car will move forward slightly whilst in drive, this helps with a hill start. Otherwise you'd just leave it in Drive and ease off the handbrake.
In order to rev the engine, you'd have your foot on the brake, and then build up the revs with the accelerator, although I wouldn't really recommend this! You couldn't really rev the engine and jam it into Drive though, as in most autos you have to put your foot on the brake in order to move the gear lever through to D.