Going from manual to automatic

Justintime

Justintime

Justintime

Soldato
Joined
24 Jul 2006
Posts
8,876
Location
Hoddesdon, London, UK
Dilemma, looking for a possible change in car as i've no need of a mega mile muncher anymore due to the job becoming more or less static. I've been offered 10500 for my 06 320D SE (53k) part ex on a 2006 56' 330i M Sport (47k) going for 14000 (originally 14.5k before haggling) from the dealer i got the 320D SE whos been reliable so i trust them. Only problem is its an auto box, i prefer manuals. Has anyone made change and prefer it? It seems a good deal to me and better than i can do anywhere else. Are the boxes reliable or a possible issue waiting to blow up on me?
 
Depends completely on how you drive. I spend a bit of time driving a 330d auto alongside my manual one, and if I'm honest for 90% of the time, the auto would actually make more sense.

As soon as I start "pressing on" or wanting to "provoke" a bit of fun, the manual wins hands down.
 
Ease of situaton i guess. Decent part ex offer, decent price for the 330i from what i see and i've had my last 2 cars from these guys and had a few warranty issues etc.. which were no haggle at all so i have some faith in them, warranty on their cars is 1yr which i know for a fact they honour, so they must believe in their motors.
 
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I currently drive and always have drived a manual.

My MD at work always has auto boxes, I borrowed his old toyota amazon once, loved the ease of the auto, and would deffinately consider an auto box in the future.

Only downside is the other 10% of my driving style would not like the auto, however I think 90% is a fair amount to go for an auto!
 
The only reason I'd chose a manual in a car now would be if I wanted a genuine sports car. IMO the 330i simply isn't. Go with the auto, it's surprisingly good.
More to the point, stuff it in S and you can drive the car like a semi-auto racing car and always keep your hands on the wheel. If you're feeling a bit braver, try left foot braking.
 
I guess i have bad memories of my Focus 1.6 Auto from a few years ago, very good handling but boring drive due to the autobox. I'll do a test drive, i assume its a totally different box and beast, especially with a much bigger engine/torque combo behind it.
 
Only downside to autos I find is sometimes lack of engine braking can feel odd, and spirited driving isn't anywhere near as fun, although mine is not tiptronic so I just stick it in 2nd which will allow up to 80mph and plenty of response and engine braking.
 
Personally having driven both i'd buy based on the condition of the the car rather than the gearbox unless there was a very good reason not to.
 
Well you say you prefer manuals, so have you driven autos and not liked them? In the right car they can be a better choice but it depends on your driving habits really.
 
I recently went from a manual BMW 1 Series to an Automatic Mercedes C-Class and for 90% of my driving I wouldn't go back to a manual. The tiptronic allows me to engine break when I need to and the only downside I can see if the reduction in MPG.
 
I just changed from a manual to an auto - completely different cars, but I prefer it 95% of the time. It's the first auto I've owned, but I really do prefer it for the daily grind.

If your car use is less daily grind and more hooning, it may not be for you, but it works for me :)
 
I've been driving autos for years, they work well with a larger engine that has plenty of low-end and mid-range grunt, a good auto makes for a very relaxing drive. Bad autos are very annoying though.

I prefer a manual when I really fancy a 'drive' ...but for normal day to day stuff, the auto is fantastic.
 
i tried a auto once and for motorway mile crunching id always recommend one. But in the city and fast a roads i just dont feel as in control.
 
Both have their places.

I prefer auto's in stop start traffic but for hooning - not so much fun.

if your not sure about the auto its best you rent/borrow a car for the weekend and see how you feel. The autoboxes i've driven vary considerably, so its not as easy as saying auto vs manual. more bmw auto vs manual.
 
All down to personal preference, that said, the auto has considerable advantages once you get used to it, even a non "steptronic" style as I have in my 328i Auto.

Another consideration, again, once you get your head around it - which could well require practice! is you can forget your clutch pedal so you always have immediate braking. My left foot tends to hover near the clutch in a manual, especially when pressing on, these days, its constantly hovering over the brake instead.

And as far as cruising is concerned, auto wins hands down.

Ultimately, theres enough to worry about when driving, having one less thing to think about - i.e. cog swapping - surely can't be all bad?

I never thought I'd say it, but I can't honestly say I'd want to go back to a manual truck. I tend to drive my Scania in "Manual mode" where I change gear myself but once on the move, the clutch is automatic. You must use the clutch to pull away or when you come to a stop but once rolling, the clutch pedal is not required.

The R440 truck that I may well be getting soon has no clutch pedal at all , something I would actually rather have in an HGV.....

The above possibly sounds like I'm contradicting myself, I guess you'd have to experience how one drives to understand what I'm on about.... :o
 
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the auto box on an e90 330i is very very good, will change quicker than you can unless you're really really trying, and then it will nail every gearchange. The only time it's not great is if you're trying to provoke the car to go a little sideways

I really am considering an auto for my next car after my experience with the 335i, and that's from someone who until driving that hated autos. Make sure it has the flappy paddles otherwise get them retrofitted as that just made it so much better.
 
Justintime said:
Are the boxes reliable or a possible issue waiting to blow up on me?
Click to expand...

I've managed to break two manual gearboxes in the cars I've owned with my usual 'spirited' driving.

I've not broken any autoboxes. This includes my XJS when I pushed it into reverse at >50mph!

I've always considered autoboxes to be more reliable than manuals, because there's less human interference in it's operation.
 
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