Automatic gearbox

[Chippy_Tea]

In 2008 3.8% of learners were being taught how to drive automatics today 13.8% are learning in autos, they are looking at making changers to the test in future years as electric cars don't use manual gearboxes.

I have a manual box in my car but an auto in my truck i wouldn't mind if my next car was an auto.
(petrol or electric)

Which do you have and prefer?

 

[The Cat]

Always used a manual since I started apart from a courtesy car I had for a few days.

I managed with it but with having to concentrate what I was doing - would choose manual every time if I could.

 

[starseeker]

I have manual in the van and auto in the car .
Cant really see the sense in passing your test in a electric car as that is all you can drive ,might as well learn to drive a manual and be able to drive any car ,changing gear/clutch control is not exactly too hard to learn.

 

[MmmBeer]

Have always had a manual, on the few occasions I have driven an auto, I was constantly stamping on the stupid big brake pedal with my left foot and nearly causing accidents.

Will defintely skick to manuals in the future, for safety sake.

 

[Brew_DD2]

I prefer manual, but autos have definitely gotten better. Pretty pointless learning manual now tbh.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

I suggested to my daughter that she should learn to drive in an automatic as all cars will be auto soon and its usually easier to pass. As it is, she didn’t listen and smashed the manual test at the first attempt

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I started to teach my Son in 2020 in my manual and he took to it straight away manuals will be around for many years to come so for now i think its sensible to have a manual licence.

 

[Class68driver]

I had manual in all my cars up until the current Skoda Kodiaq which has a 7 speed auto in it, I would now never go back to manual, it just makes driving so easy, also couple it with adaptive drive assist mode makes it even better. I've got an EV arriving in March so I doubt I'll ever own a manual again.

 

[Nicks90]

I've driven manuals for 20 years until I got in to decent cars with autos. Will NEVER go back to a manual - unless it's little city econobox.

With a good dollop of torque from a suitably sized engine and a well programmed auto, it is smoother, faster, way more relaxing and better in pretty much every way to a manual.
If it's a crappy little engine, an auto is pretty horrendous. Constantly hunting gears to stay in the sweet spot of power/torque and screaming its little heart out. Same goes for anything with a CVT gearbox. Bloody awful things no matter what engine you stick in front of it. Audi makes a decent fist of it by introducing artificial 'steps' to mimick gears, but then why not just use a proper auto like the rest of the VAG groups dsg boxes?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Anyone thinking about getting a car with a DCT should watch these.

 

[dad_of_jon]

pros and cons for both really. As I enjoy driving its a manual for me. However radar cruise control works better with an auto. I drove a bmw i3 and almost went over the speed limit as being leccy no cue for changing gear. even on an auto/ice engine you get a cue from the gear change. basically once I change into 3rd I have to keep more of an eye on the speed to not top the 30mph limit.

however when replacing my last car I could have ended up with a Toyota chr which is an auto with cvt transmission. That would have required adjustment to my driving style. I didn't fit into the car comfortably though.

If you have knackered knees an auto will help or if you do lots of stop start driving or are getting on a bit and a manual is getting a bit too much off a faff then they make loadsa sense.

 

[Rodcx500z]

I love driving but at that point in life 68 were an auto would make a lot of sense, currant car peugeot 2008 which i love driving having said that my daughter has a brand new 208, i had a go in it last week wow bloody fanstastic to drive and all the bells and whistles to boot and very quick to

 

[dcbrookes]

We have been driving a VW Golf with six speed DSG box for the last eleven years - I would not go back to a manual now, despite having driven manuals for close to 50 years before we bought the Golf.

 

[Hanglow]

Manuals were better in many regards when I was learning, they were cheaper, faster, less thirsty and in many cases smoother. But its probably been at least ten years now that most auto boxes have caught up or improved upon manuals in those regards, perhaps not price. I would definitely consider an auto for my next car.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

The trouble with auto boxes is they need the oil changing regularly and the right oil has to be used imagine buying an old second hand auto car for a couple of grand in a few years time, your fingers will be tightly crossed.

 

[Nicks90]

But that's no different to a manual chippy.
Slightly more complicated to drain and refill an auto, but still something you would expect to be done at the major 64000 service (or whatever it says in the handbook)
But granted I accept that a lot of people who buy cars second hand ignore that major service. Same goes for replacing brake fluid and power steering fluid and all the other things that form that major mid life service. Probably why you see so many issues with seized brake calipers, failed ps units and gearbox issues when motors hit that 100k milestone. Which is a shame as most people now have an inbuilt 'fear' of cars hitting that magic number in the UK. You also have thr issue some manufacturers said their autos were 'sealed for life' and didn't need servicing. Leading to many Landrover and BMW boxes dying at about 100k miles. Yet the same ZF gearboxes used by other manufacturers say service every 60k miles. Go figure....
In most European countries they tend to be a bit more fastidious and do that big service and think nothing of cars with 150-200k plus miles. If serviced properly then an auto box will happily outlast a manual that has had sketchy servicing.

 

[Eskimo John]

I have only ever owned an automatic once and didn't like the fact that gear selection was effectively out of my control. I would always go for a manual as a preference but with the enevitable rise of the electric car a manual may be a thing of the past.

 

[foxbat]

My car came with an 8 speed ZF 8HP auto box and I'm a total convert. I'd never go back to manual if the choice of auto was there. Too much stop-start faff on our roads to be messing around with clutches and sticks. At the high end (which I am not) you don't even get offered a pure manual gearbox any more.

 

[alfajerry]

For years we have had autos in our 'everyday' cars and manuals in our 'sports' cars.
'Work' driving is easier and 'fun' driving more pleasurable.

 

[isitbeeroclock]

I think manuals are dead, they'll linger on still for years to come, but modern autos and EVs are so much better. I drive an EV and a manual 4x4, but it'll be an auto then its replaced. Its best that learners pass the manual test as it gives them more options, but some will find this hard when they may only have access to an auto or EV to practice in.