Automatics

[mikeh501]

It completely isn't. "As a package" doesn't absolve you of claiming it's widely regarded as the best engine - you are basically implying it's the one to have over everything else, and it really isn't if you can afford the myriad of better engines than the 3.0 TDI.

Buying an A5? Want the 4.2 V8? Nah, get the 3.0 TDI because it's the best package! The reality is the 4.2 V8 is much better in every single way except cost.

And if they did the v8 on the a5 you would have a point, but they don't. They don't do a v10 on the a6 either.... Not I didn't mention any S or RS models as it's pointless including them when discussing the common models.

So bringing this back to the q7 would you really recommend someone gets a petrol one given what the OP has said thus far? Really? You wouldn't because it would be stupid.

 

[PMKeates]

And if they did the v8 on the a5 you would have a point, but they don't. They don't do a v10 on the a6 either.... Not I didn't mention any S or RS models as it's pointless including them when discussing the common models.

So they don't do a V8 on the A5.. then you go on to mention the RS A5, which does have a V8. So, we arrive at the 3.0 TDI not being the best engine.

So bringing this back to the q7 would you really recommend someone gets a petrol one given what the OP has said thus far? Really? You wouldn't because it would be stupid.

This isn't about recommending cars to the OP, this is about the 3.0 TDI being widely regarded as the best engine package, which it isn't. Whenever a half decent diesel is slotted in to a vehicle the motoring press regurgitate each other's spew about it being amazing, when the fact is the equivalent petrol variants are often better, and if not, there are almost always petrol variants that are a class above (such as a petrol V8 vs. diesel V6).

Let's take another look at your original comment:

The 3ltr diesel is widely regarded as the best engine (as a package) in the audi lineup.

It's not at all, and it demonstrates a lack of experience and understanding. The ONLY reason the 3.0 TDI is even remotely recommend is as a cost effective alternative to an equivalent V6 petrol. It is NEVER recommended by any sane person as better than anything else.

 

[mikeh501]

I'd multi quote but it's not possible on the iPad..... But in summary I still completely stand by my comments. The fact is that the 3ltr diesel is the best package but if want to play the theoretical game where you exclude all the normal buying decisions for the vast vast majority of people then your welcome to join the minority who would buy the petrol variant. Good luck with that. FYI there are a sum total of 3 people on auto trader who agreed with you who own a petrol Q7, and nearly 500 who are selling a diesel. Guess I must be uninformed like 99% of everyone else.

Also this thread is about giving advice to the OP because he asked for it...

 

[Joshy]

Basically the is a common myth that automatics drive themselves and you just press a go pedal, its rubbish.

When driving an automatic you are in total control of what gear your in, when you change and how quick the change is, the difference is its all done by throttle manipulation. (you cannot make it down shift for a corner/junction, you have to break for that).

If you slowly press the pedal down it will slowly accelerate and change slowly as it goes, if you press it harder it will accelerate harder and shift faster, if while accelerating you quickly back of the power then reapply it will change up quickly, if while driving you quickly press the pedal down it will drop 1-2 (sometimes even 3) gears and accelerate.

With time you will learn how to manipulate it, its not something you can just get in and do but when you have mastered it you can utilise it well. i.e I can leave a roundabout in 4th, drop to 1st gear, fly up the revs, shift to 2nd gear at will staying in the power band and accelerate to 70 before shifting to 4th and cruising, all with just the throttle.

Surely you aren't taking about the A340 box behind the 1J in your Supra? I've got a very similar/identical box in my Soarer and I don't think that it is anywhere nearly as clever as you've described above, and you certainly don't have total control over what gear you are in.

It doesn't matter if you're touching the throttle with a feather or have your foot buried in the carpet, it seems to slur up gears at the same sort of pace. The accelerating, let off and reapply trick doesn't really work (unless the box was more or less ready to go into top anyway) and much to my annoyance if you want more than 50% throttle you have to have a lower gear (and flat spot in the upper rev range of the 1JZ) with it. It doesn't matter how quickly or slowly you apply the throttle, you get a lower gear which is infuriating.

Don't get me wrong, it is a great gearbox. It's been enough to turn me from a 'Eww, auto ' guy into a fully paid up member of the automatic fan club. I think anybody who wants a manual box in a car that isn't ever going to see a Track or regularly visit windy B roads is a little bit mad, but saying you have complete control over it is a bit optimistic

 

[PMKeates]

I'd multi quote but it's not possible on the iPad..... But in summary I still completely stand by my comments. The fact is that the 3ltr diesel is the best package but if want to play the theoretical game where you exclude all the normal buying decisions for the vast vast majority of people then your welcome to join the minority who would buy the petrol variant. Good luck with that. FYI there are a sum total of 3 people on auto trader who agreed with you who own a petrol Q7, and nearly 500 who are selling a diesel. Guess I must be uninformed like 99% of everyone else.

Also this thread is about giving advice to the OP because he asked for it...

I can tell you there are other engines that are more refined, more powerful, torquier, better sounding, more flexible, more reliabe etc. What does the 3.0 TDI do other than be cost effective? Nothing. I am not completely ignoring the normal buying decisions for the vast majority of people, because I accept it's cost effective. But that's it. It's not the best at anything. You can stand by your comments all you like but they are completely unsubstantiated.

As a side note, if you are seriously trying to forward that proof of your claim is that most of the Q7s for sale on AutoTrader are 3.0 TDIs, then I think we can end the discussion here - you haven't a clue what you are talking about.

Give me some compelling arguments to support your outrageous claim that the 3.0 TDI is the best engine package in the Audi lineup and we can talk again.

 

[Type_R]

Surely you aren't taking about the A340 box behind the 1J in your Supra? I've got a very similar/identical box in my Soarer and I don't think that it is anywhere nearly as clever as you've described above, and you certainly don't have total control over what gear you are in.

It doesn't matter if you're touching the throttle with a feather or have your foot buried in the carpet, it seems to slur up gears at the same sort of pace. The accelerating, let off and reapply trick doesn't really work (unless the box was more or less ready to go into top anyway) and much to my annoyance if you want more than 50% throttle you have to have a lower gear (and flat spot in the upper rev range of the 1JZ) with it. It doesn't matter how quickly or slowly you apply the throttle, you get a lower gear which is infuriating.

Don't get me wrong, it is a great gearbox. It's been enough to turn me from a 'Eww, auto ' guy into a fully paid up member of the automatic fan club. I think anybody who wants a manual box in a car that isn't ever going to see a Track or regularly visit windy B roads is a little bit mad, but saying you have complete control over it is a bit optimistic

Thanks finally somebody who understands the difference between a manual and a fully auto box!

I can tell you there are other engines that are more refined, more powerful, torquier, better sounding, more flexible, more reliabe etc. What does the 3.0 TDI do other than be cost effective? Nothing. I am not completely ignoring the normal buying decisions for the vast majority of people, because I accept it's cost effective. But that's it. It's not the best at anything. You can stand by your comments all you like but they are completely unsubstantiated.

As a side note, if you are seriously trying to forward that proof of your claim is that most of the Q7s for sale on AutoTrader are 3.0 TDIs, then I think we can end the discussion here - you haven't a clue what you are talking about.

Give me some compelling arguments to support your outrageous claim that the 3.0 TDI is the best engine package in the Audi lineup and we can talk again.

PM is right. A recent trip to the Stealerships had them telling me that '90% of all cars we sell are Diesels.' When I pushed the Merc salesman it soon became apparent that not only was this the more expensive option it also meant a less powerful, more noisy tractor as an excuse for an engine in a refined car.

The 3.0 TDI is the common man's engine, it is by no means the best in the range by a long margin! And if you start pushing it (like you would a V6/V8 petrol) equivalent not only would it be less reliable (with the turbo etc) but probably similarly thirsty.

 

[dilated]

The 3ltr diesel is widely regarded as the best engine (as a package) in the audi lineup. The only thing I'd take as a preference in the q7 is the 4.2 diesel.

You won't see many/any diesel q7's for sale because they probably didn't sell any lol.

LOL @ Mike.

For starters isnt the 6.0-litre V12 diesel a better "package"?

I'd multi quote but it's not possible on the iPad..... But in summary I still completely stand by my comments. The fact is that the 3ltr diesel is the best package but if want to play the theoretical game where you exclude all the normal buying decisions for the vast vast majority of people then your welcome to join the minority who would buy the petrol variant. Good luck with that. FYI there are a sum total of 3 people on auto trader who agreed with you who own a petrol Q7, and nearly 500 who are selling a diesel. Guess I must be uninformed like 99% of everyone else.

The only advantage of a diesel is that it can be cheaper to run for someone doing high miles.

There are so many disadvantages of a diesel compared to a petrol. Diesel technology has really come on in the last decade but it is still the choice for tight wads who in the majority dont think things through and often pay MORE for a worse package.

I fail to see why labeling a below par engine as a package makes it any better?


Most people do their own washing instead of employing a butler, the popular choice isnt always the best.

 

[Fuzz]

This thread is about automatics.
Stop spamming my inbox with your inane ramblings about which engine packages are "the best"

kthksbye

 

[[TW]Fox]

The 3ltr diesel is widely regarded as the best engine (as a package) in the audi lineup. The only thing I'd take as a preference in the q7 is the 4.2 diesel.

I drove an A5 3.0 TDI today. It's popular because it does 'mpgz' not because its the best engine. I found it to be intrusively noisy and lacking the smooth power delivery of the petrol alternatives that nobody ended up buying because in this country only mpg matters.

Plus the way the salesmen go on about diesel its as if it's some sort of newly discovered portable nuclear fuel..

 

[Type_R]

Plus the way the salesmen go on about diesel its as if it's some sort of newly discovered portable nuclear fuel..

I think they get more commission or something for selling dervs!!

 

[[TW]Fox]

'You can really hear the roar of the V6'

'You can? All I can hear is a diesel engine'

 

[PMKeates]

'You can really hear the roar of the V6'

'You can? All I can hear is a diesel engine'

Did he tell you about the videos on YouTube of the TDI racing the RS5 at Santa Pod?!

 

[mlbtheshow]

Thanks lads, now I dont want the car

Common mans engine and all that, now ive got to fork out for the V12.

 

[PMKeates]

Thanks lads, now I dont want the car

Common mans engine and all that, now ive got to fork out for the V12.

It's OK, the 3.0 TDI is not a bad engine. In fact, it's a good engine. However, do not have the impression you are buying in to the pinnacle of Audi's engineering prowess!

 

[Morba]

Pretty simple really isn't it. When I want to perform an overtake there will be a certain window of oppurtunity, the gap between 2 oncoming vehicles. I want to go at full throttle as soon as the first car has passed, I don't want to have to wait what seems like an eternity for the gearbox to find a way of putting some power on the road for me.
Fortunately almost all autos now have manual override so you can drop it down by yourself anyway.

You must drive some **** cars tbh, that or you aren't able to drive the car given its gear changes properly.
If it takes a second longer to get on the power then start a second earlier.

 

[[TW]Fox]

You must drive some **** cars tbh

He hasn't driven a modern auto - he still has his Colt 1.6 iirc. Which is fine but using that as the basis for judging far more modern and sophisticated cars is a bit silly.

 

[Morba]

He hasn't driven a modern auto - he still has his Colt 1.6 iirc. Which is fine but using that as the basis for judging far more modern and sophisticated cars is a bit silly.

Gotta love being subjective about something that he has no experience with then lol

 

[ubersonic]

Pretty simple really isn't it. When I want to perform an overtake there will be a certain window of oppurtunity, the gap between 2 oncoming vehicles. I want to go at full throttle as soon as the first car has passed, I don't want to have to wait what seems like an eternity for the gearbox to find a way of putting some power on the road for me.

A lot of people have now answered this but there's one point that hasn't been addressed, ill fully admit that the time it takes to move you foot down forcing the car to drop 1/2 gears and accelerate may be longer than it takes Dominic Toretto to down shift. However were talking fractions of seconds here and if that is a big enough margin to make the difference between what you consider to be safe/unsafe overtaking then im inclined to think the car/gearbox might not be the issue...

 

[Deleted member 66701]

I don't want to have to wait what seems like an eternity for the gearbox to find a way of putting some power on the road for me.

It's not really an eternity though is it - even my 13 yr old Scorpio Cosworth with a 4 speed box kicks down really quick.

 

[Clarkey]

You must drive some **** cars tbh, that or you aren't able to drive the car given its gear changes properly.
If it takes a second longer to get on the power then start a second earlier.

That's not the point, having to consider what the gearbox wants to do isn't something I care for.

He hasn't driven a modern auto - he still has his Colt 1.6 iirc. Which is fine but using that as the basis for judging far more modern and sophisticated cars is a bit silly.

I have actually, albeit not one of the latest 7/8 speed ones. Unless you go for a premium car though, it'll just be a typical slushbox, no?