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Eldest is only 7 but time flies and before I know it he'll be making me reach for the imaginary brake pedal in the passenger footwell
*Buy a French car or a Fiat and you have the possibility of having an actual brake pedal in the passenger footwell. 
*Don't. 
I haven't found them any use whatsoever. Some people say they use them for quick overtakes or something, but nah, the auto does it better than I could.
Well for me, I'd be in 6th behind a car and the other shift will be in 5th. But if I suddenly floor it there'll be a second of delay whilst it puts the other shaft in 3rd and brings the revs up. If I am in manual mode I'll select 3rd myself just before I want to go so I'll get out that little bit quicker. Ok so it's marginal, but it feels a bit better and quicker. I just have to remember to then shift up during the manoeuvre cos I'm now in manual mode.
My Focus is my first auto car (DSG Box) - I wouldn't hurry to go back to a manual car now, It's lovely just sitting there listening to the wireless and being wafted along while you let the car take care of all the boring stuff like manually changing gear, wiping the window and turning the lights on when it gets dark. It might not be the fastest thing in the world but the majority of the roads I drive on don't allow spirited driving any more, either due to cameras or the amount of traffic etc etc.
Auto and as my next car will be electric in some form or other, I doubt I'll buy a manual car again.
Always driven manuals until i sold my car 3 or 4 years ago, wife's car is manual too. But, I hire cars a fair amount for work and much prefer an auto, the modern ones work brilliantly. If/when I buy a car again there is no question what so ever that it'll be an auto.
Mini JCW 7 months old semi auto paddle 6 speed.
I leave it in auto as I’m always in traffic.
Sorted.
Foot used to ache from using clutch.
Will always buy auto from now on.
Manual for us. Our old car spent a fair amount of time off the road last year and while I didn't mind the autos we hired, my other half absolutely hated them. We don't tend to drive in heavy traffic anyway, so the new car is another manual.
Manual, or failing that a proper (torque converter ) auto. Dual cluch? No thanks
Manual, or failing that a proper (torque converter ) auto. Dual cluch? No thanks
Based on experience I assume. What was it you didn't like. I know they had a rep for being slow off the line at roundabouts etc. Not sure if it has been imporoved but driven a 2017 base model polo and test driven golf GTIs and Rs with DSG and because of this reputation made an point of testing many times. Not a problem I noticed - maybe they have improved.
I know there have been big advances in torque converters recently and debate if the extra expense of twin clutch was going to be needed in the future.
After 30 years driving a manual we bought an auto last year after having a demo,
I never thought I would be converted but now I wouldn’t have anything else we absolutely love. My wife now filings driving a manual a total pain
Auto here as well. Fell into ownership once when I could only find a Passat estate at short notice with an auto box. Loved it, and now have a newer Passat Alltrack with DSG. I’d not have another manual if at all possible, and my wife is willing her old Golf to die so that she can have a DSG as well.
I agree that the new DSG boxes don’t seem to have the issue with delays from starting. Mine has no noticeable delays.
Bit late to this thread..
Auto every time.
Yes I’ve owned/driven manual vehicles, but they’re so dull.. and all that pushing and shuv’ing with the peddle and stick, just seems like a helluva lot of effort for no reason other than to annoy.
Current hybrid is a CVT and honestly it’s just lovely (not a Prius, had one of the first gen and it was woeful) but the current versions are simply easy and quiet and smooth.. and that’s what I always seek out as important in any vehicle I own.
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Auto. Really can't comprehend wanting to change gear, messing about with a clutch.. Especially when queuing. Massively irritating and driving is shit enough as it is
I think I may have that etched on my gravestone.
I do miss manual when driving on lanes but I doubt I will ever go back and next car will probably be electric anyway.
It wont be long until a petrol car with a manual gearbox will be seen as an enthusiasts vehicle or some sort of classic.
I hate flappy paddle mode though. Utterly useless as my car is so well sound proofed it's hard to hear the engine and without the clutch it feels like a big part of the gear change is missing and you have no feedback on rev matching.
Only time I tend to use them is when I am in super eco driving mood and am making the box change up sooner or if I want to overtake but not use the kickdown or press the sport button. When it's in sport mode it can change gear far faster than I ever could anyway.
Well for me, I'd be in 6th behind a car and the other shift will be in 5th. But if I suddenly floor it there'll be a second of delay whilst it puts the other shaft in 3rd and brings the revs up. If I am in manual mode I'll select 3rd myself just before I want to go so I'll get out that little bit quicker. Ok so it's marginal, but it feels a bit better and quicker. I just have to remember to then shift up during the manoeuvre cos I'm now in manual mode.
Three things here.
1) How often does anyone need to go from 6 to 3 whilst behind another car?
2) Assuming the former to be a thing, this is surely a forward planning issue. You're going to overtake, knock it into manual select ahead of time or blip the pedal.
3) How often do you ever need to go from 6 to 3 whilst behind another car? We've discussed overtaking at length here.
Cougar this isn't hypothetical. This is what the car will do. If I were driving a manual I'd shift down in readiness, wouldn't you? The difference is that the DSG doesn't know you are about to floor it to overtake.
All I'm saying here is that in that situation paddles offer different functionality that's every so slightly more convenient, that's all.
If I were driving a manual I'd shift down in readiness, wouldn't you?
Sure. But from 6 to 3?
All I'm saying here is that in that situation paddles offer different functionality that's every so slightly more convenient, that's all.
Ah, then I misread, I thought you were arguing for manual advantages. In that case then yes, I agree with you. Though you can probably prepare with the pedal to an extent.
I probably wouldn't change from 6 to 3, no, but maybe. The DSG though will choose the lowest gear possible when you floor it, which could be 3rd at 45-50mph. You wouldn't, because you know you'd have to change again in a second, but the DSG doesn't mind because as it selects 3rd on the one shaft it's also selecting 4th on the other so even if it's only in third for a second it can go straight to fourth without a break.
Though you can probably prepare with the pedal to an extent.
Yes - you get to learn how much to push down to get it to drop one or two gears. You also can make it change and then ease off a bit if you want a sub-maximal kick down. But there's not a lot of point generally. Just drive it. Sometimes when towing it holds a high gear a bit longer than I'd like. But then my old PD engine is less versatile than a CR one so that's probably not a thing any more.
My new Transit Custom is automatic, as was the T5 before it. Tried the manual , but just found it a PITA having to change gear all the time.
Did read somewhere that the towing capacity is lowered by a ton with the auto though (not that that affects me)
Autos all the way here. And I say that although the 6 speed geartronic in my Volvo is a long way from the best.
Some comments above imply that folk are sitting in Drive with their foot on the brake/stationary. My understanding is that this is detrimental to your transmission fluid health and gearbox wear. Are you not meant to shift to neutral the moment you stop? That's what I do.
Ha, very much like bikebouy:
Auto every time. I’ve owned manual vehicles, but they’re so dull.. and all that pushing and shuv’in...
I always considered myself a petrolhead (15+ yrs competing in national/international rallying) and needed a manual to enjoy the drive but actually, a good auto box and a decent engine can be a pure joy!
can you do good burnouts in your autos?
(never driven a decent one so semi serious question)
Some comments above imply that folk are sitting in Drive with their foot on the brake/stationary. My understanding is that this is detrimental to your transmission fluid health and gearbox wear.
Who told you that? Sounds like someone's supposition to me. It's what everyone in the USA does all the time and there are god knows how many millions of transmissions sat in traffic jams in drive for hours every day.
In any case, a DSG knows you are stationary with your foot on the brake and declutches, of course. It's far cleverer than that!
Probably auto when I get back to the UK. Been driving auto hire cars all the time here. Open roads and traffic it just owns it for simplicity.
molgrips - MemberI probably wouldn't change from 6 to 3, no, but maybe. The DSG though will choose the lowest gear possible when you floor it, which could be 3rd at 45-50mph.
One thing I miss about driving is doing 45-50mph and then dropping my old Honda into 2nd and flooring it all the way to 70+. 
Although autos rule for the majority of most people's driving, I've always ensured I've avoided sitting in traffic in some nightmarish commute, so have never worn my left leg out (apart from in my old Mitsi GTO, that was a workout).
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