Buying an automatic

unkel

Blaster99 wrote:

thank you for taking various quotes out of context

Did we?

Blaster99 wrote:

Automatics are definitely slower than manuals and use more fuel.

Blaster99 wrote:

By "slow" I incidently meant 0-60

AMurphy

Blaster99 wrote:

By "slow" I incidently meant 0-60, but automatics have lower top speed too, presumably because of the gearing.

....., but I'd say your 1.3 auto is a dog to drive in the scheme of things. Autos need a lot of torque to get around the fact that they're typically in the wrong gear and the transmission loses torque. ......

Hmmmmm...
One of the interesting facts about TorqueConverters is they produce maximum torque when the difference between the impeller and the turbine is at it's greatest, thus is you floor an AT that is stopped, you'll get max torque from the T/C. Now if you match that to a gearbox with a 1st gear that is high.... well, you'r not going to get much acceleration.
So being slow, etc can be perception or real. older AT, tended to have fewer gears than manuals, however, that has changed and it is now possible to get 7sp AT while only 5 or 6 sp manuals are available.
Then you have AT's such as fitted to the Nissan Murano, Infinity-G35, etc. which have CVT + fixed ratios, they are capable of some amazing tricks, and acceleration

as for being in the wrong gear all the time... with TipTronic and the like that can be prevented. Typically with the older mechanical ones, there was no easy way to control the upshift tendancy.

I had a rental Nissan Maxima 6-cyl with AT, for a week in ROI and though it useless until someone pointed out the "snow" button, made all the difference, which shift mode you had selected.

Also, many are "adaptive" so if the history of a car is slow cruising and you take if for a fast test drive, it will not preform very well, cause the AT brain has not had time to re-adjust to the new driver.

Odd statistic, The new Nissan Quest van, has 2 A/T options. 4sp is std with a 5sp option. The 4sp offers better "average" mpg, Why?.

regedit

On the point of an automatic transmission car; we are moving to Newbridge (Co.Kildare) in a few months and my wife will have to commute every day to Citywest Business Campus. It is not a short ride and I do not know what the traffic conditions are like. She currently drives a 1997 Nissan Micra (998 ccm) automatic, which is vastly underpowered (although reliable). She wanted a small car as she thought she could never learn to drive in a big car! Now the Micra is small…
She cannot drive a manual car so we will have to go for a 1.4 (max 1.6 L) automatic.
Our budget would go as high as say 7 – K. I was told by a few friends that I should raise my budget to 10K and get a decent Golf 4 automatic, which is allegedly a very reliable car. It sounds too expensive to me so I would be grateful if someone can share their thoughts on this.
Thank ye in advance for any input

Ratchet

regedit wrote:

should raise my budget to 10K and get a decent Golf 4 automatic, which is allegedly a very reliable car. It

now, golf will be deffo underpowered and overpriced. I think nobody else mastered small cars with autos better then Japanese

regedit

Ratchet wrote:

now, golf will be deffo underpowered and overpriced. I think nobody else mastered small cars with autos better then Japanese

What would you go for if U had the chance?
I've seen quite a lot Mitsubishi Colts out there in an automatic version. Forgot to say that the car has to be a hatchback!

thatkindofgirl

That's only 20 miles... she's fine!

I commute everyday Mullingar to the airport and I drive a 1998 micra automatic. Because traffic is so slow the car doesn't limit me at all, and lets me pull into places I'd never get into in our Almera.

I'd say she should try the commute in her Micra for a while, see how she gets on. She may not feel like she needs anything new. Plus, if you've just bought a house, it might be best to hold off spending money on a new car that will probably go through more petrol too!

_Kaiser_

regedit wrote:

What would you go for if U had the chance?
I've seen quite a lot Mitsubishi Colts out there in an automatic version. Forgot to say that the car has to be a hatchback!

I got a 1999 one in April (known as the Mirage in Japan) with 20k miles on it for €6200 from a place on carzone. Lovely car. 1.3, Electric windows, climate control, 4 speakers etc all as standard.

In fact, I was that impressed that I've gotten the coupe version (much nicer and rarer ) for the same money there a month or so ago - incidentially, although longer than the hatchback, I find it a lot easier to manage when parking as it's easier to judge the distances with the spoiler on the boot.

This is mine:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y190/Kaiser2000/Mirage-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y190/Kaiser2000/Mirage-2.jpg