I've mentioned this before, but my Father-in-Law, a capable, mechanically minded person, had an automated manual with electronic parking brake Citroen Picasso while in Spain for a week.
Of course they just given the keys and pointed towards the car in the distance. He managed to figure it out eventually but he said it was an absolute nightmare to drive, and manoevering in sometimes steep and narrow streets was all but impossible.
|
Same here, Perro. We bought a C3 Sensodrive 1400 from a small indy garage. I don't think he was aware what the car was like. I drove home, the first lights I came to I didn't notice we were rolling back. I good shot of horn told me and I grabbed the handbrake. I couldn't think why it did it as it was in drive. That damned it for me, plus the slowing down when it made a gearchange....SWMBO, who we bought it for, hated it after the first day and we traded it for a proper Auto Note...she lurvs it.
Never again !
Ted
|
>>>We bought a C3 Sensodrive 1400 from a small indy garage<<<
That is the car we road tested Ted - a gnu one from a pain dealer about 4 years ago.
I could have lived with it but the missus would have had to have a handbag full of Valium!
She drives ok (bit of a mimser) but she once drove the ole 240 GLT from Cornwall to E. Sussex & back on her own but - she won't touch that overdrive button on the Almera auto when I've explained a 1000 times it'll help when descending hills - to her, an automatic is just that - stick it in drive, and well - drive :)
|
I presume the type of gearbox that you described was the MMT gearbox( clutch-less manual) !! they are absolutely terrible and early ones had a habit of sticking in neutral.
I have recently purchased a Verso diesel automatic and it is a proper automatic torque converter .
The reason manufacturers are trying to use these clutch less manuals are the emissions are lower ,production costs are less and fuel economy is better .
Some manufacturers with the VW DSG, and the Ford (Volvo ) power shift are producing a reasonable automatic gearbox with a different technology
|
|
|
That is the car we road tested Ted - a gnu one from a pain dealer about 4 years ago.
She doesn't have a long lost twin, does she ,Perro ? Mine won't touch the overdrive button in the Note. She can't understand what it does.
And another thing, she needs a booster cushion and the seat up forward. She never removes it or pushes the seat back so when I try to get in I end up like Yer man from Notre Dame before I can get my manly physique far enough in to reach under for the adjuster bar...women !
( Sorry Pat )
Ted
|
>>>She never removes it or pushes the seat back so when I try to get in I end up like Yer man from Notre Dame<<<
Yep! been there :) the missus is 5' 2" and I'm 6' but I've trained her to push the seat back b4 I get in the car - she knows I suffer from back trouble at times!
The mirrors!!! well, thank goodness for electrickery :-)
Edited by Webmaster on 31/10/2009 at 17:25
|
Perro says, "Once was enough"
Morning P. Our new Colt Cz2 automated manual is a delight to drive. If you want to leave it in gear when you stop just turn it off with it still in gear and it will hold it. Quite wise methinks, but swmbo doesn't understand. It takes a little getting used to, but to have the option of an auto and a tiptronic is wonderful. When pulling away the change from 1st to 2nd gets the nose diving a little if spirited acceleration is the order of the day, but you soon learn to anticipate the change point and back off accordingly. At all other times it is mostly fine. It is a different experience, but one worth it imho.
As for the rest of the car the list of the toys it HASN'T got is quite short. It is roomy and seats 4 adults in comfort and it goes very well indeed. It wants for very little. £10,614 otr with a £225 servicing package for three years, mudflaps pack about £100.00 iirc and tax at £120.00. All in all a very satisfactory package. Delighted.
best to all..............Martin in very wet and windy North Devon.
|
>>> Our new Colt Cz2 automated manual is a delight to drive <<<
I actually tried to arrange a road test on the Colt a few years back, but the dealer let me down twice so I moved on.
I did give the Citroen C3 a good roadtest - from Bugle in St. Austell, down to Gorran Haven & back via the Eden project but the missus expressed her doubts about driving it, so I gave it the Spanish Archer (el bow)
Glad to hear you're both happy with the car Martin - the Colt has always been a good car IMO.
Wind & rain clearing Truro now :)
|
>- she won't touch that overdrive button on the Almera auto when I've explained a 1000 times it'll help when descending hills<
Perhaps you could explain it to me, too? I've owned autos for nearly 30 years but I can't figure out how overdrive helps going down hills.
PS: DD - You can move this up the thread if you feel it's necessary. When I try to put in a reply under the entry I'm answering it only works about 3 times in ten, so I've given up and just add my entry to the bottom of the thread.
|
>>>Perhaps you could explain it to me, too? I've owned autos for nearly 30 years but I can't figure out how overdrive helps going down hills.<<<
Well friend, I'm referring to a 4 speed auto with torque converter where one can switch orf the 'so called' overdrive 4th gear so as to give certain amount of engine breaking when descending hills, I'll even select the 2 position sometimes on a steep downhill stretch.
|
But all autos (real ones that is) do that, don't they? All you do is move the lever to 3, 2, 1 or whatever, from D.
I have two four-speed autos, one Honda with tiptronic and one GM400. Neither says the top gear is 'overdrive' but they both lock up in 4th to help economy. If you brake fairly hard with the Honda while going downhill it will change down automatically as well.
I don't want to sound obtuse or awkward, but I'm trying to sort this out in my head - who knows, I may end up with someone else's idea of an auto box next time round. Is it common for the highest gear to be called 'overdrive' these days? Aren't today's learners on automatics taught to use the intermediate holds for engine braking?
Incidentally, the best 'auto' box I ever had was an early Hondamatic, which would go from zero to an indicated 110mph using just one gear, and there was an overdrive that really was a higher ratio you clicked in and out yourself.
Edited by mike hannon on 01/11/2009 at 12:37
|
My not uncommon 98 Mondeo auto has an extra little button on the quadrant lever underneath the main head, as have some Toyotas I have hired.
On my Mondeo, when I press this button O/D OFF ( Overdrive off ) lights up on the dash.
Pressing the button deselects top gear and selects 3rd gear.
This obviously should increase engine braking on a down hill section.
It is also a very useful, in effect, an instant kick down from O/D to 3rd. No stamping on the pedal just a gentle flick of the thumb gives an instand smooth change down.
It would appear that you have not used a car with this facility hence the confusion.
|
Must be fairly common now, my Vitara and Note both have the overdrive off button, there is no 3 on the gate. It just means you can drop from 4 to 3 by pressing the button and it will hold the gear. I use it on the Suzi quite a lot when towing the van.
Ted
|
I use it on the Suzi quite a lot when towing the van.Ted
I've got it on the Jimny. Very useful.
M
|
>>>But all autos (real ones that is) do that, don't they? All you do is move the lever to 3, 2, 1<<<
That's correct mike, but with my Almera and Henry's Mondeo etc., the 4th 'gear' is actually called an overdrive with a lickle button to switch it off when (to quote my handbook) "Driving up & down long slopes where engine breaking would be advantageous".
On your XJS & Prelude, 'dropping down' to 3 would have the same effect.
I could never really warm towards my Accord with Hondamatic, too much like a CVT (for me.
Re: learners & auto's - good question! when the missus learned to drive, all they taught her was to put the gear lever in drive to drive & reverse to reverse with no mention of 3,2,1.
|
|
Well, there you go - thanks for updating me. I freely admit I am not 'up to speed' with latest developments in many areas but, I have to say, what I read about today's generation of so-called auto boxes is sufficient to make me wonder whether I shouldn't go back to changing gear myself. I can still do it, no problem - even double de-clutch - but it seems ridiculous to me that I should even be thinking about it. Until now, and with the exception of the Hondamatic all of 27 years ago, every auto box I have had has been better than what went before. Ah well, odd's life - as the Bard was wont to say...
|
" - even double de-clutch - "
That will get some of the younger members thinking :-)
|
Memories....when I did my police driving courses in the late 60s.....double declutching was compulsary. I think the idea was that you couldn't have your foot on the brake when you were changing down for a bend or hill, as you blipped the throttle to get the gears to mesh. Throwback to non-synchro boxes, I guess.
All braking was done with the foot...use of the box was forbidden. I drove like that for years afterwards...I still never use the box to slow down if I'm in a manual.
Ted
|
>>>.I still never use the box to slow down if I'm in a manual.<<<
But (and we've covered this ground before) boxes and clutches are more expensive than brake pads, so it makes sense (economically speaking) to brake with the brakes :)
|
|
|
|
