..what happens in the stop light? should you just press the brake pedal? or brake pedal + N?
..what happens if it is an uphill start?
..while in "D" and car is running, can you just switch to "tiptronic" and back to "D" whenever your heart desire?
1) brake (N if you want but not needed)
2) depends on car - mine has a 'hold' function which makes me look better than I really am.
3) yep.
What car is it? and is it a 'normal' automatic i.e. it creeps in D
In most cases just leave in D and off you go. Tiptronic only good if it's a good box in a good car, otherwise not really worth it
Most modern autos
1), just hold the brake, or P, the brake is just fine though
2) Most will hold on the hill start
3) Yes
Short Pause - leave in D and foot on brake
Longer stop - move to P and feet free of pedals
Uphill start - Same as any other. The car should hold still, or roll forwards slightly, while your foot moves from the brake to accelerator. Like having Hill Assist on a Subaru if you have ever driven one of them
Tiptronic - Normally either paddles of a gear stick you can push from side to side. If you are driving along the autobox will show D and will decide what gear it should be in. If you pull the paddle to change down it will change to the lower gear and show you what gear you are in, same if you change up. On my Merce to go back to normal mode you just pull the paddle to change up until the display changes back to D
Most will hold on the hill start
I wasn't sure about this one ..... our old XC90 would hold on a slight incline but not if it was a steep hill so you needed some nifty footwork. The new car applies the brakes if the hill is steep enough.
A typical auto should hold on a hill start
Some automated manuals don't creep, so they don't hold
My DSG Golf doesn't have any fancy hill hold, but you just come off the brake and accelerate, failing to see the issue, it may roll back an inch or so, but there's a good chance a manual would anyway.
bmw f30 i might demo this week, but have no clue what this gibberish letters in the stick all about? 😐
what is that "P" in colour green with up/down thingy about? ...and what is that another button on the top?
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P is Park and the button is to engage it (I.e. put it in Park).
so "park" is handbrake then? and why it have up/down thingy?
Up/down thing is manually over-riding the gear if I understand your question correctly.
I can't wait for my current lease to go back so I can go back to a manual - my step-tronic Audi was a bad decision.
I've only driven automatics in the US (that place where they have impressive V8 sounds from the engine but tediously slow acceleration 😉 ). They've had a 'P' on the shifter but the handbrake is often a small foot pedal hidden away. I'd been leaving the car parked on hills with just the shifter in P and someone said it might roll away as hadn't used the special brake thingy 😳
Oh and over there, often the 'P' will unlock the doors.
Top button is park, press this and you are in park. P lights up along with and up and down arrow, saying you should move the gear stick to put it in a gear to move.
Neutral disconnects drive, but does not lock the box (that's parking). Push forward to reverse, pull back to go to drive.
Flick left to go into sport mode ( higher shift point). Once left forward becomes manual down shift, back becomes up.
Flick the stick left to go back to normal drive.
If it sports auto you have paddles to change gear, but to get full manual switch to sport and use paddles, staying in D and using paddles will switch you back to drive after about 30 seconds of once you have finished overtaking.
It's a great box
It's not the handbrake, although in some respects it does a similar job. Automatic cars still have a parking brake. P kind of locks the drive shaft so the wheels can't rotate - a bit like leaving your car in gear when parked, so if your handbrake/parking brake fails it still won't move. But in an auto you can use P with the engine running because of the torque converter or equivalent. Some people think it's not best practice to do that but whether it actually causes any stress to the locking mechanism as claimed I've no idea.
When stopped at lights I alway just put in park and pull the handbrake so I don't need to keep my foot on the brake and annoy the person behind with bright brake lights. Just a pet annoyance for me having glaring brake lights shining at me at traffic lights. No excuse for it whether in an auto or a manual - just lazy.
so "park" is handbrake then? and why it have up/down thingy?
As above - P sticks a peg in one of the cogs, so it can't roll away. However it does rock back and forth a bit.
I always use the handbrake anwyay out of habit, but also because if you are on a slope the whole weight of the car rests on this peg and puts a bit of strain on it. It can also be hard to get the peg out.
There are different kinds of auto. The torque converter kind has a fluid coupling between the engine and wheels, so you can use the brakes to stop the car and the engine will keep spinning in the fluid without the wheels turning. That's why it creeps when you take your foot off the brake. These kind are the old fashioned rubbish kind.
More modern ones like the VAG DSG ones are actually more or less like manual gearboxes in side with clutches and gears, and they will simulate the same behaviour. So they will creep when you let the brakes off, but only because they are programmed to let the clutch out slightly. This will also be enough to hold the car on a slight hill, but not much of one. They come with an auto-hold hill start function. If you put the DSG in park it will disengage the clutch completely.
In my car if you don't use the auto-hold function you can still hold the brake then apply the accelerator - the clutch will bite, and you can then release the brake and you won't roll back. Needs left foot brake action which feels weird but it works.
These kind are the old fashioned rubbish kind.
The BMW 8 speed auto that the OP is talking about is the 'old fashioned' TC variety, and is not generally considered rubbish.
the new ZF ones are not rubbish
Infact the move from the 6 speed to 8 speed a few years back was a massive leap forward for torque converter autos. The torque converter is only doing anything at low revs <1,200 and is always locked in 3-8
Most of the early reviews people think its a dual clutch.
With a traditional auto you have to switch your driving from being centred around the accelerator and clutch on a manual to the brake being in control of most stuff.
P - park locks the gearbox. Drive from the engine is disconnected so you can start in park.
Neutral disconnects drive but doesn't lock the box. Our lnland rover manual instructs to use neutral and the foot brake when stopped at lights, congestion etc for long periods.
The car should hold on hill starts long enough for you to get to the gas. On the flat it will creep quicklet for obvious reasons. I guess you could use neutral and the handbrake and then flick into drive just before setting off. I would avoid over use of park in normal driving, especially on hill starts.
It is annoying to people behindbif you sit there with the foot brake on but that's a thing about autos unfortunately. Neutral and handbrake is too much of a faff for short periods.
When manouvring a couple of feet into a spqce you will pretty much just use the brake and the gear selector. Only if you are on a hill or with a heavy load/trailer would you need to use the gas.
Think of it that the car always wants to go. You have to use the brake to hold it and then the gas to make it go quicker. Like riding a horse really.
thats the same gearbox as in my car.
- when you come to a set of lights/or other temporary stop, just keep your foot on the brake, no need to put it in park.
- if you want to put it in park, just press the P button.
-If you want to put it in gear from park, hold down the button on the side of the stick, put your foot on the brake, and move the stick forwards for reverse, or backward to put it in drive.
-when in drive, if you pull a paddle on the wheel it will change down or up (depending on the paddle you pulled) and stay in manual mode as long as you keep pulling the paddles, if you leave it 30secs or so without touching a paddle it will go back into auto mode.
-When in drive , if you push the stick to the left, it puts into into sport auto mode, its still fully automatic, but the gear changes take on a more sporty profile, ie it holds the gears for longer.
- if you pull a paddle when in sport auto mode, it put the gearbox in manual mode , and it wont change back to automatic until you push the stick back to the right. In this mode it is fully manual, it wont change up unless you tell it, it will just bounce off the rev limiter if you dont change up. It will change down though to prevent the engine stalling.
Its a very good gearbox, lightyears ahead of the 'old slushboxes' that cars used to (and some still do) have, despite being based on similar'ish technology, ie the torque converter.
The other thing I'd add is, to 3), whilst you technically can override the auto box with Tiptronic and / or the gear shift, the chances are you won't bother.
I always held that I'd want to retain control in that manner on an auto box until I drove one for a length of time. After about a fortnight I was solely sticking it in Drive and letting it do its thing; the manual control is extra faff for no benefit whatsoever, I'm convinced the only reason it exists is so as not to dissuade people like me from ever buying one because they thought they knew better.
-If you want to put it in gear from park, hold down the button on the side, put your foot on the brake, and move it forwards for reverse, or backward to put it in drive.
Worth stressing that. You [b]must[/b] have your foot on the brake to engage gear (and on some cars to actually start the engine) otherwise it'll just ignore you.
The other Pro Tip for driving My First Automatic is to take your left foot and tuck it up under the seat / your other leg well out of the way. Otherwise the first time you stop you'll instinctively press the 'clutch' which is the other half of the brake pedal, and wonder why your head's just bounced off the steering wheel.
Autos have always* had manual control, I assume for steep hills and stuff. My grandads Rover Princess had D-3-2-1-N-R-P, or something like that.
(*since I was in short troos anyhow)
As an aside with people mentioning not sitting on the brake pedal, automatic cars are 30% less likely to be rear ended than a manual gearbox. So it's worth sitting with your foot on the brake pedal!
Otherwise the first time you stop you'll instinctively press the 'clutch' which is the other half of the brake pedal, and wonder why your head's just bounced off the steering wheel.
Or you'll wonder why the cyclist you just passed is all over your back windscreen - which very nearly happened to me when I was passed by a first-time auto driver.
You shouldn't, obviously, fail to apply a brake even if the car initially holds on a hill.
Manual mode is useful for occasional Italian engine tuning - getting the revs up for a while supposedly helps with particle filters etc.
A South African having trouble with his new auto box:
Manual mode is useful for overtaking - when you can see a gap is about to present itself. Saves the half a second of kick down time. Also quite useful when towing, and when driving 'with flow' on twisty roads (but not too fast) - allows you to decelerate in gear without it changing up, thereby avoiding the consequent downshift after the corner.
I always stick our auto (volvo v70 ) in N at lights etc, the oil/clutch bands aren't happy about being churned.
Also 'sealed for life' auto boxes are anything but and can have expensive oils (£200 for ours) or majorly expensive rebuild/replacement.
If towing then an autobox might need a larger oil cooler to cope.
When stopped at lights I alway just put in park and pull the handbrake so I don't need to keep my foot on the brake and annoy the person behind with bright brake lights. Just a pet annoyance for me having glaring brake lights shining at me at traffic lights. No excuse for it whether in an auto or a manual - just lazy.
Except, in a VW (Passat) (And probably many other cars) - if you put it in park, you'd have to manually restart every time. Which would be silly.
Holding the brake initiates the engine switch off and it restarts when you release the brake. So it's far from laziness, but the way the car is designed.
Love the DSG auto, would never go back to manual!
So it's far from laziness, but the way the car is designed.
Yeah I think it says in the manual to leave it in drive for short stops and only P for longer.
I use the auto-hold function anyway to avoid having to keep my foot on the brake and also to turn off the brake lights.
No idea about modern autos, but on older ones the general consensus always seemed to be that it was very bad to hold it on hill because the heat generated killed the gearbox. Similarly, putting it into park when stopped was considered bad because if someone smashed into the back of you it would likely knacker it - though that's debatable whether it's good practice or not.
I used to always hold it on the brake, and there's going to be no problem holding it while you go from brake to accelerator.
If you're new to driving an auto, one of the things that can catch you out a bit, is the complete lack of engine braking. Junctions for example. Traffic lights and roundabouts. You pull out, You're in a low gear. Let your foot of the accelerator....at this point you normally have a fair bit of resistance coming from the engine. Slows you right down, which you don't even think about. It's just something cars do. It's the way they work. ...not an auto. And it's quite unexpected at first. Found myself coming round a few roundabouts and traffic lights a fair bit faster than intended. Again, modern ones may be completely different.
If you're new to driving an auto, one of the things that can catch you out a bit, is the complete lack of engine braking.
That's more a feature of the older designs. The DSG for example stays in gear and engine brakes going down through the gears as you would driving normally.
Sounds as if the BMW one would be similar.
I use the auto-hold function anyway to avoid having to keep my foot on the brake and also to turn off the brake lights.
Are you sure it turns off the lights?
Autos have always* had manual control, I assume for steep hills and stuff. My grandads Rover Princess had D-3-2-1-N-R-P, or something like that.
That's not the manual mode. That's the maximum gear restriction.
ie whatever number you select is the maximum the gearbox will change up to. Yes it is for steep hills towing etc. I often use it when towing to stop the box changing up to 5th, the car always tries to be in as high a gear as possible which is not always desirable.
One feature of the manual modes I have used (eg flicking the lever over to the side) is that they will change down for you if you forget. Otherwise you could end up in trouble at the lights.
The hardest part about driving an auto is keeping your left foot off the pedals or, like someone else mentioned, you'll stand the car on its nose trying to 'change gear'. When we first got an auto (having only ever driven manuals), I'd keep my left foot right back, nearly tucked under the seat, to avoid stomping on the brake.
I do use engine braking on long hills, but the wife doesn't. Never had a problem even though its a heavy 4 door pick up.
Hill starts - ours will roll back if it's steep but when it's very steep, handbrake and throttle are fine. By very steep, I mean 4x4 territory.
Adding a question to the thread. I was with a friend who has a similar truck at the weekend. We parked at the side of a flat road. As we were getting out, I reminded him to put the handbrake on. He said, 'it's in park, it's fine'. Is he right? I use both even on the flat.
Weirdest thing when you get to a place with lots of Auto's is the crap yourself moment when the car in front's reversing lights come on in traffic (between D & Park normally)
Every so often in a hire car or something I'll try and use the manual option, it just doesn't work in my head without a clutch pedal.
Once you get over making progress or trying to get zippy gear changes out of corners the auto just works, takes a heap of hassle out of city driving and makes the long roads easier.
Are you sure it turns off the lights?
Yep, I tried it out last time this came up.
I love autos, don't put it into N if you're moving it can damage the gearbox (according to the handbook) most should have hill start assist if not use your left foot onto the brake then pull off as usual, the handbrake can be used alternatively.
Using P and no handbrake will work but I never have I always use the handbrake as well.
The beauty of buying a second hand car with an auto box is you know the engine has had an easier life as it's almost always been in the right gear.
The manual on mine recomends using 'N' and the handbrake at traffic lights. Quicker to change into drive from 'N' than from 'P', for that blistering acceleration from the lights 😈
[quote="thegreatape"]Automatic cars still have a parking brake. P kind of locks the drive shaft so the wheels can't rotate...
Not [b]entirely[/b] true.
P locks the gearbox output, it does not directly lock the diff, the driveshafts or wheels. This means the wheels are able to spin in opposite directions via the diff, while the propshaft stays still. So if you put your car in P, without the handbrake, then jack up one side to change a wheel there is a good chance that the car will roll off the jack. It's happened to me once and it's quite frightening.
Another extreme and probably theoretical situation is parking on a hill with one side of the car on muddy/snowy/icy verge and the other on the tarmac. The car might be able to roll down the hill with one wheel spinning in the opposite direction due to the low friction.
One notable exception is Land Rovers, their handbrake operates on the propshaft rather than the wheels. So they have the same problem as an auto, but without having a "proper" handbrake to stop it rolling. Always always always chock the wheels on a Land Rover.
I've driven auto's for years, since a rather 'fetching' brown Renault 20, and with the now very refined ones available just don't understand why anyone would want to buy/drive a manual.
And to highlight a few points:
- if you think you need to use your left foot, you're either doing it wrong or there is a problem with your car
- in 'P/Park' it won't move
- on the road you only need to use two of the positions, Drive and Reverse
- when sat at lights or waiting to turn etc, foot on the brake
- you'll not be rear-ended in an auto if you follow the point above
- auto's can be driven very fast, very slow or just normally - like a manual
and with the now very refined ones available just don't understand why anyone would want to buy/drive a manual.
Personal preference isn't it? I have had an Audi StepTronic gearbox in my 3.0TDi V6 A6 for the last 2.5 years and still prefer the manual in my wife's 8 year old Mazda 3 Sport. I simply can't get on with the lags when pulling away from junctions, when overtaking etc. I have tried the Sport mode, tried fully manual, all manner of changing my driving style yet it still bugs me.
100% going back to a manual for my next car.
[i]The manual on mine recomends using 'N' and the handbrake at traffic lights. Quicker to change into drive from 'N' than from 'P', for that blistering acceleration from the lights [/i]
If anything like mine, after a period you'll need to put your foot on the brake to move the lever though.
[i]I simply can't get on with the lags when pulling away from junctions, when overtaking etc.[/i]
Which is why I didn't buy a VW a few years ago, press pedal and count to 2 - didn't know then whether it was just a DSG issue or DSG/diesel issue?
press pedal and count to 2
Had that on my old XC90 - sure sure if they fixed it with later models. It wasn't 'nice' but you got used to it.
Personal preference isn't it?
A lot depends on the car. An 'expensive' car is generally going to have a [very] much nicer auto box than a cheaper car.
After driving an auto car for the last 14 years the idea of pressing a pedal and then moving a lever to change gear seems pretty archaic.
Sundayjumper - thanks, wasn't sure exactly how it did it, just roughly what it did. Roughly 🙂
A lot depends on the car. An 'expensive' car is generally going to have a [very] much nicer auto box than a cheaper car.
Well mine is a pretty expensive car (new model A6) so if that is the best they can do in that, I can't imagine what a Ford Fiesta would be like...
More expensive!
Put it in neutral and put your hand brake on.
It's common courtesy.
Takes no more effort in an auto than in manual.
but but.... Bluemotion, like.
[i]Well mine is a pretty expensive car (new model A6) so if that is the best they can do in that, I can't imagine what a Ford Fiesta would be like... [/i]
As said, it's the type of autobox you've got.
Try even a Vauxhall (GM cars have always had decent autoboxes), it'll be better. 🙂
As said, it's the type of autobox you've got
Yeah I am aware that my particular box is renowned for being a bit laggy but it really has put me off autos altogether and still prefer the manual feel (ie, I don't just want it not to lag, I just like having manual control).
Nothing more laggy than a manual. The time it takes you to change gear is longer than an auto takes. It just feels longer in an auto because you're just sat there waiting rather than doing stuff.
Takes no more effort in an auto than in manual.
You've obviously never tried that in a V60 Geartronic with eDrive then. Simply not designed to be used that way.
Designed by ignorant and inconsiderate people then.
It really is a pain in the arse.
Nothing more laggy than a manual. The time it takes you to change gear is longer than an auto takes. It just feels longer in an auto because you're just sat there waiting rather than doing stuff.
I am talking mainly about pulling away at junctions.
Put it in neutral and put your hand brake on.
It's common courtesy.
Takes no more effort in an auto than in manual.
My beemer kicks in the eco system with my foot on the brake at the lights so doing that would not be as efficient. I'm led to believe this is how most of the stop starts work in autos.
[i]really is a pain in the arse[/i]
It's a little bit of brightness in the eyes 🙂
Used to annoy me when folk in front sat with their foot on the brake, but now I know why I just look elsewhere.
So many (manymanymany!) more annoying things happen on the road!
I used to have a Scimitar - Rear wheel drive, 3 litre V6 and auto box. Because the front discs were a lot bigger than the back you could sit at traffic lights with your left foot on the brake, press the throttle with the right and get wheelspin while standing still. Made for a sharp getaway and spooked bystanders.
The other Pro Tip for driving My First Automatic is to take your left foot and tuck it up under the seat / your other leg well out of the way. Otherwise the first time you stop you'll instinctively press the 'clutch' which is the other half of the brake pedal, and wonder why your head's just bounced off the steering wheel.
I only drive autos as rentals. I'm fine ignoring the clutch when driving but EVERY SINGLE TIME I parked the thing I'd slam on the brakes half way into the space.
I am talking mainly about pulling away at junctions.
Is this after you've come to a complete stop, or when you're still moving? I find that once you're completely stopped, it'll get itself into 1st and take off quickly, but if you're still moving, it'll still be in 9th gear for "economy" and will have to shift down if you boot it, with an annoying lag. Sadly auto boxes aren't great at predicting what you're going to do next.
I recently made the switch to an auto and am torn: it's beautifully smooth and extremely quick to change, but after years in a manual, I still find it frustrating when it's not in the gear I want it to be in and there's a lag whilst it shifts. Using manual mode obviously avoids this, but on an 8-speed it's too fiddly to do all the time.
Is it the S-Tronic dual clutch box, or the Tip-tronic auto that you've got?
really is a pain in the arse
I find that not parking up the chuff of the car in front helps. If you can't see their back wheels, you're too close.
On the pulling away at junction thing I guess it probably depends on the gearbox. My wife has an auto in her BMW 1 series (1.6 turbo petrol engine). I believe it is the 'old' style torque converter gearbox with 8 psuedo speeds. When pulling away at a junction there is a small lag between pressing the accellarator and it actually moving, but in reality its probably only about half a second - about the time it takes for you to lift the clutch on a manual. However if you put it in sports mode it's pretty much instantaneous and really goes. So if it's a busy junction and I expect to have to give it some welly then i'll put it in sports mode.
Is this after you've come to a complete stop, or when you're still moving? I find that once you're completely stopped, it'll get itself into 1st and take off quickly, but if you're still moving,
Either really - if I am at a stop it shifts into second almost straight away anyway (unless I have it in full manual mode). I just find that I can either pull away sedately or push the accelerator much harder and unleash all the demons in Hell right down the street (and with the 4x4 and 210bhp engine it does fly even when I really don't want it to if I am simply trying to nip out in busy traffic). It is the S-Tronic gearbox.
My BMW has 230bhp and 369lb/ft of torque.
Frankly, it 'goes' whatever gear it's in and there's no detectable lag at junctions.
Lots of talk on this subject eh.
I think it's quite simple (being an Auto owner in most cars I've owned and currently in 2 of the 3 I own now)
P = Park, thats simple enough to comprehend. If Parking, place in P and apply handbrake.
N = Neutral, that too is simple enough. If stationary for extended periods, place in N and apply handbrake.
N = Neutral, again simple enough. If stationary for short periods, place in N and apply either footbrake or handbrake to control vehicle.
D = Drive, simple enough. If driving choose D or you won't be going anywhere. If stationary for short periods leave it in D and apply footbrake.
I'm more interested in the yellow flashy things being used. You tend to find folks that drive Autos, tend to know how to drive Autos, they really are simple enough.
it seems too many wizardy involved in auto gearbox 😕
I think I am one of the old dogs which you cannot teach new tricks ..nevertheless, thank you all for the inputs..it kinda makes me think of going back to manual but i will see how it goes..
what is "standard" (if ever there is such) transition time from manual driver to auto to be confident enough?
about 10 minutes.
Going back involves remembering to press the clutch at junctions etc which can catch you out...
I don't have any problem going from one to the other but then I drive both regularly now.
However, three years ago and after driving an auto for the first time ever for three weeks travelling around America, getting back into my manual after flying from JFK in LA to Heathrow then driving back to Yorkshire in the middle of the night was rather amusing. This culminated in driving off a slip road on the M1 into some services and completely forgetting I was in a manual and managed to stall the car with a lorry rapidly coming up behind me 😯
Which is why I didn't buy a VW a few years ago, press pedal and count to 2 - didn't know then whether it was just a DSG issue or DSG/diesel issue?
You have to understand a bit about what it does.
If you are in any particular gear whilst moving, and you press the pedal hard, it'll change down to whatever gear matches that amount of acceleration. Sometimes this gear is on the same shaft, which means you get about a second delay (not two). Once you get used to it, you don't do it, and all is well.
Some people seem to have a tendency (in all areas, not just cars and not just on here) to deem something crap as soon as it annoys them. I make a point of not doing that, and learning to see the benefits of something. Once you realise that stamping on the pedal sometimes results in a delay, you don't do it, and then you learn to appreciate the benefits of DSG. Which are instant seamless gear changes up through the box in a way that is impossible with a manual. It's fabulous. That's it gets so much favourable press, and why VAG have rolled it out across the range.
If you have a delay from standstill when accelerating hard, you may need to reset the clutch adaptation. I used to have this but the reset procedure sorted it out, now I can pull away on boost.
Overtaking lag again is due to the kick-down. You can easily get around that by using manual mode, then it's better than a manual for overtaking. It'll automatically change up when you hit the red line too, even in manual model
Overtaking lag again is due to the kick-down.
How did you find that out? (-:
Driving an auto is easy. You've basically got two modes: Forwards and backwards. Stick it in D to go. Little more complex than a dodgem. Great in traffic. I miss mine.
Automatic gear is the way to go.
If you are driving pass the Toon (Newcastle upon Tyne) you will be glad that you drive an automatic coz the traffic jam is about 5 miles long. FFS! 😯
mikewsmith - Member
Weirdest thing when you get to a place with lots of Auto's is the crap yourself moment when the car in front's reversing lights come on in traffic (between D & Park normally)
Was following someone tonight who's car was doing just this. Every time they stopped, brake light then went off and the reverse light flashed on and off. Freaked me out a bit at first, then just irritating as they must have been shifting into P a lot or something and thus when the traffic moved off shortly after they spent ages shifting it back into D. Particularly annoying at traffic lights with road sensors that decide to change back to red when people are too slow to pull away.
Though I come across some people who just seem inept and moving gear levers. What seem to be manual cars and they seem to take ages to shift, sometimes hit reverse by mistake and then there are those who seem to knock their indicator while changing gear.
Have to say automatics work well in the US because everyone has one, they're all slow and the attitude to driving there is very casual and non aggressive. In the UK you need to be off like a shot or else people get pissed off or ram into you. I get pissed off even. I seem to switch to aggressive mode driving in the UK and an automatic would annoy me greatly.
I can't see me having a manual again for a long time, if ever.
I have two auto's - a 140bhp Passat Sport Estate 6sp DSG, which goes like stink and drives lovely (albeit it's parked on the drive awaiting MOT and selling) - also have a 3l V6 Navara, with a 7sp auto box from the 370Z. It was a tad temperamental with the standard map - hanging on to high gears on hills. Had it remapped to 270bhp/600nm, from 231/540 and it's sublime - pulls like a train (gear issues were pretty much due to the weight I carry), never has an issue pulling away at junctions - can leave most things standing. In traffic, it's a godsend.
Have to say automatics work well in the US because everyone has one, they're all slow and the attitude to driving there is very casual and non aggressive.
Are autos not compatible with aggressive urgent driving?
My DSG Golf doesn't have any fancy hill hold, but you just come off the brake and accelerate, failing to see the issue, it may roll back an inch or so, but there's a good chance a manual would anyway.
My manual doesn't roll back.
