Manual driver to Automatic DSG

[Pipe & Slippers]

Same as Countcussy, the wife was not pleased when our only car was replaced with a dsg one
A few months later it was “I don’t think I want to drive a manual again”

With the hesitancy issue, I switch off the stop/start and that seems to sort it. When pulling out and needing some extra zip, I always select sports mode

I’m always concerned about accidentally knocking the gearstick to the left and unknowingly selecting manual mode
I can’t help but wonder re manual mode and/or the paddles. I’ve had my car 3.5 years and used the paddles once when going down a very steep hill and the gearbox was daydreaming

Now I just have to tell my OH that the next car won’t have a manual handbrake…

 

[Rroff]

Now I just have to tell my OH that the next car won’t have a manual handbrake…

Personally not a fan of the phasing out of old school handbrake and shifter lever - IMO much easier to find a proper old fashioned shifter and handbrake in an emergency situation, etc. etc.

On a related note dunno if in response to complaints, including my own, or just common sense being seen but Nissan seems to have reverted to making the hazard warning light button stand out and in a good position after a phase of styling them into the other controls and not necessarily placed in a position you'd go for in an emergency - have no idea what people are thinking when they make changes like this.

 

[Grim5]

Say goodbye to your left calf muscles.

Always drove auto and my left calf is larger than the right

 

[Grim5]

Personally not a fan of the phasing out of old school handbrake and shifter lever - IMO much easier to find a proper old fashioned shifter and handbrake in an emergency situation, etc. etc.

On a related note dunno if in response to complaints, including my own, or just common sense being seen but Nissan seems to have reverted to making the hazard warning light button stand out and in a good position after a phase of styling them into the other controls and not necessarily placed in a position you'd go for in an emergency - have no idea what people are thinking when they make changes like this.

I'm also not a fan of getting rid of keys, or on/off buttons that some new cars are doing. There's a bunch of new cars now where the way the car is turned on is by putting the gearbox into drive

And of course, replacing the handbrake with footbrakes and buttons... disgusting! How I'm I supposed to do skids with a electronic brake

 

[[TW]Fox]

I'm also not a fan of getting rid of keys, or on/off buttons that some new cars are doing.

New cars? You mean most cars made in the last 20 years?

There's a bunch of new cars now where the way the car is turned on is by putting the gearbox into drive

Which cars are these then?

 

[RJC]

I went from Manual to Auto a few years ago and would not go back now.

 

[jaybee]

I have a question actually. When at a traffic light grand prix wanting the upmost best launch possible, how do you get the best possible launch on cars that DO NOT have launch control? The time it takes to lift the right foot off the brake and over to the accelerator and depress it and for the car to then accelerate, seems like it would add vital milliseconds! Do you switch to holding the brake down with your left foot to minimize this? I gather leaving it in neutral/park, revving the **** out of the car and slamming the stick into drive is not good for the car.
I've only driven automatics a few times and never needed/wanted to do fast launches.

 

[Nasher]

I have a question actually. When at a traffic light grand prix wanting the upmost best launch possible, how do you get the best possible launch on cars that DO NOT have launch control? The time it takes to lift the right foot off the brake and over to the accelerator and depress it and for the car to then accelerate, seems like it would add vital milliseconds! Do you switch to holding the brake down with your left foot to minimize this? I gather leaving it in neutral/park, revving the **** out of the car and slamming the stick into drive is not good for the car.
I've only driven automatics a few times and never needed/wanted to do fast launches.

A lot of the time "launch control" gimmicks are slower than just stamping on the accelerator tbh. They just make it a bit more consistent.

 

[Rroff]

I have a question actually. When at a traffic light grand prix wanting the upmost best launch possible, how do you get the best possible launch on cars that DO NOT have launch control? The time it takes to lift the right foot off the brake and over to the accelerator and depress it and for the car to then accelerate, seems like it would add vital milliseconds! Do you switch to holding the brake down with your left foot to minimize this? I gather leaving it in neutral/park, revving the **** out of the car and slamming the stick into drive is not good for the car.
I've only driven automatics a few times and never needed/wanted to do fast launches.

Depends a bit vehicle to vehicle, also while not necessarily relevant to launching most automatics have kick down - though I'm not a fan of the implementation - where pushing the accelerator all the way down, or very quickly pressing it, will encounter a pressure point where pushing momentarily beyond it hints at the gearbox to favour lower gears for acceleration.

In my Navara there is actually a launch control implementation in the system without a front end to enable it but you can still make it kick in by holding it on the brake at a specific RPM.

And never ever slam an automatic in drive and/or rev it in neutral and then shift it into drive trying to launch, that will just end badly (EDIT: IIRC many newer automatics the electronics will attempt to mitigate this so it avoids damage but won't end well in terms of managing to launch).

 

[Tee Hee Johnson]

I was always a manual fan (and still am when in the mood!) but since going “good” automatic I can never seem me fully returning to manual.

It was a ZF8 gearbox in an M140i that swayed me.

 

[sigma]

I have a question actually. When at a traffic light grand prix wanting the upmost best launch possible,

Buy car with big engine

But still end up losing to an EV

 

[Nasher]

Buy car with big engine

But still end up losing to an EV

Only some of the expensive EVs. The mundane ones are nothing special.

 

[Rroff]

Even the old Leaf will put a pretty good showing up to around 30-35MPH.

 

[Nasher]

Even the old Leaf will put a pretty good showing up to around 30-35MPH.

And then it's dust.

The i3 was really quick to 30, but then nothing. Trying to beat people going on to a dual carriageway in anything bigger than an Aygo was out too because it also only topped out at about 90 (same with most of thr EVs)

 

[ShivP]

And then it's dust.

and it looks ridiculous

 

[Nasher]

and it looks ridiculous

Yea the old Leaf looks kinda like a fax machine

 

[sigma]

And then it's dust.

The i3 was really quick to 30, but then nothing. Trying to beat people going on to a dual carriageway in anything bigger than an Aygo was out too because it also only topped out at about 90 (same with most of thr EVs)

Traffic light GP tho! It's all about those first few seconds

 

[rodders]

Auto all the way, I never look back!

 

[jigger]

I noticed it constantly in an Audi A6 with this gearbox. It really was quite annoying.

It’s definitely a thing I’ve noticed on VAG cars. I’d lean toward a manual or look elsewhere if I was buying one.

I think 5/6 speed ZF was probably peak auto for most cars and driving situations. The focus was on being good and reliable, rather than a few tenths faster at selecting a gear and 10kg lighter.

 

[[TW]Fox]

I think 5/6 speed ZF was probably peak auto for most cars and driving situations. The focus was on being good and reliable, rather than a few tenths faster at selecting a gear and 10kg lighter.

I could not disagree more. I cannot think of a single thing about either of those gearboxes that was better than the 8 speed. Especially the 5 speed, which made me buy a 5 Series with a manual gearbox to avoid it!

For me, it was the 8 speed that really changed things. It is in my view the best automatic gearbox ever made and it is unlikely anything will change that now with the future being electric.