Autos - what's your opinion?

[BenzBoy]

I've always thought that automatic 'boxes were for middle-aged business men and old ladies, but having driven a few recently I'm kind of coming round to the idea - especially in traffic!
Yeah, I agree there's nothing like a bit of cog-swapping on those bendy country lanes, but for other conditions I really quite like them (I just have to remember to tuck my left foot away so's I don't stamp on the brake by accident! )
On small cars like Micras and Astras I think they're pretty pointless - you have to drive small cars quickly (IMO) and not having a five or six speeder kind of takes away the fun. But for big barges I really like them. Good job really as I'm about to put an auto in my motor.
What does everyone else think? Do you like them? Or are they really just for people who don't like driving?

[Revolution 9]

Not at all, I think in a big comfortable cruiser that's relaxing to drive an autobox makes things more fun, I mean, I wouldn't have one in something rallyish, but in a Merc it's be going to be great fun!

[Nick]

yeh in the right car perfectly fine, why in a big comfy cruiser would you want to be bothered with something so basic as a clutch and fiddiling with a stick constantly

i know if i was gona have something like an old merc and it was a big un i wouldnt object to a bit of auto-ness

[hairnet]

lots of traffic

anything over 2 litres

bought mine cos it was auto - don't miss manual

[igbandy]

my E34 535 is auto, and I love it its great in traffic, great on a run. I think they have their place definetly but in a big car or a car over 2 litres or so, they make alot of sense.

[RetroMat]

I've never really liked autos in thoery but in practice they make sense, the only autos that i have experianced was a mates 1.1 fiesta which was horribly slow and boring, the other was my Uncles Buick LeSabre on holiday in america, where autos make sense, this 3.8 liter car with its 3 speed column shift!!! was alot of fun and very comfi when traveling long distance how ever it did refuse to go round corners ;D
I think autos take some of the fun away from driving but they do make a great sound

[Cornfedapache]

noooooooo

Having driven a selection, I hate them all with a passion.

Why have a slusher on a motorway when you're in one gear anyway? Why risk it hesitating in the middle of a manoeuver (yes, been there is a merc) and throwing your momentumm right off beam?

No missiz. manual action every time for me.

[BenzBoy]

Hmmm, I must say I do find the hesitation when I floor it to pass a lorry a bit unnerving - it even happened on newer stuff like BMW M3's and Merc SLK's. I thought modern technology could've eliminated that, but no!
If you have a really good manual box in a sporty car, it just adds to the fun. But if you have a really curse word manual box (like what's in mine at the minute!) it just makes life harder than it already is when moving briskly through country lanes battling understeer. In a poorly handling car (as most big old cars are IMO) it's quite nice not to have to detract your attention from keeping the thing from diving into Farmer Giles' field!

[Deleted]

nothing wrong with an auto box for performance my corty has a ford C4 with a B&M reverse pattern manual valve body and a 3000rpm stall convertor plus it will soon have a trans brake for those really wild launches nope definatly nothing wrong with autos

[guz]

last one i drove was a mk2 escort ghia with
a rather nippy 1600 lump...much fun.

(another motor i could have
bought for <£100 but no space )

[Cornfedapache]

BenzBoy said:

If you have a really good manual box in a sporty car, it just adds to the fun. But if you have a really curse word manual box (like what's in mine at the minute!) it just makes life harder than it already is when moving briskly through country lanes battling understeer. In a poorly handling car (as most big old cars are IMO) it's quite nice not to have to detract your attention from keeping the thing from diving into Farmer Giles' field!

Hmm disagree with that - auto boxes don't understand the effects of engine braking on momentuum direction, especially in corners.
They just change as they see fit, as hesitate if you're right on the change limit... That's dangerous.

[Blue850]

Auto boxes are great because the one in my Triumph 2000 packed up in 1979 and the car was left in a shed until 2001 when I got it for free ;D
Seriously though , they suit cars with big torquey engines.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Autos are OK in Merc S-class's and the like, i.e. for folk who are too rich to change gear, but anything less and I am not a fan. I always have the feeling they are there for folk who should not really be driving at all.

I once travelled in a Mini automatic and it was quite the most awful chariot I have ever been in, purely because of the horrible autobox. Impossible to drive it without grimacing.

My old Audi 3.6 V8 was an auto mind you, lovely job.

[Ratdat]

My, yet-to-be-restored J spec '77 Nissan Cedric had a 2.8 injected six and auto and I definately wouldn't have it any other way. It's an air conned, power assisted cruiser not a race car so while I'm busy not putting any effort into steering it I might as well enjoy not having to shift gear either.

It depends on what you want from a car. Critising an auto for it's performance short comings is like critisizing a bubble car for it's load carrying capacity. If you want a sporty drive you don't have an auto, likewise to get the flat pack wardrobe back from MFI you use an estate.

[Deleted]

i had a manual on the v8 and it broke good manuals that can take the power cost too much good autos that can take the power are much more affordable

[BenzBoy]

I agree with that - I don't really have a choice in what box I go for. A strong manual box that'll handle 300bhp is going to be expensive. It's either a newer Merc unit (£££££!) or something like a T5 from a Cossie / Mustang which, even if I got it cheap (yeah right) I'd have the cost of converter plates / bell housings and the like.

[Paul H]

You can still have fun driving a car with an automatic gearbox - a mate at uni had a Volvo 760 (we called it the pimpmobile, since it was dark mettalic grey with a green velour interior ;D ) which he could have sideways on most roundabouts once he'd got the hang of holding the gears - it was both his first automatic and also first rear wheel drive car. Great fun

[Bullitt]

Mercs have always been auto, thats one of the reasons I dislike them...Even when people do them up they cant find a strong manual gearbox to go with them so are still stuck with autos

I could handle an auto if it was in a large saloon that I never drove agressively. But I don't think I could handle a car like that even if it was manual so they're definately not for me.

Definately not in anything remotely sporty, which is all I'm interested in

[rmad]

I used to be totally anti-auto, but then I had my Herald! I love throwing the wife's Metro around and using the gears to the full...but my Tourneo (Transit) is an auto and I wouldn't have it any other way. If my current plans for the Cressida come to fruition that'll be an auto to...not perfect for spirited driving but it'll do.

[Deleted]

BenzBoy said:

I agree with that - I don't really have a choice in what box I go for. A strong manual box that'll handle 300bhp is going to be expensive. It's either a newer Merc unit (£££££!) or something like a T5 from a Cossie / Mustang which, even if I got it cheap (yeah right) I'd have the cost of converter plates / bell housings and the like.

it was a T5 manual that i had on the V8 very clunky knotchy box and they just can't take the torque from the v8 the tremec TKO 5or6 speed are much stronger but i have known them to be broken by a good ford V8 small block. the C4 i have I can leave the line at 5000+rpm and it takes it ,the manuals break so for dragracing then you just can't beat a modded auto box
but for around the twistys then its got to be a manual thats what my van will be getting behind the v6 a straight cut type 9 5speed