On 26/05/2021 13:03, R D S wrote:

I'm looking for a car, XC60 2.0 D4 if anyone has any opinions on those.

I know someone with one - he rather liked it, although was less
impressed when it developed a gearbox fault and Volvo wanted north of 5K
to fix it!

I've never owned an automatic and never wanted one but I test drove one
yesterday and while i'm not going to be buying that particular one
having driven it i'm wondering if i'd actually prefer an auto. It
certainly wasn't like autos of old that i've driven.

But if I come back to the idea i'd prefer a manual I can save a couple
of grand.

Looking for opinions from anyone who's changed sides.

Historically I have always favoured a manual, but the last time I was
looking for a car I could only get what I wanted with an auto.

In the past I had driven other people's 3 speed autos and did not really
like them. However the one I got has a more modern 5 speed "tiptronic"
style box with various modes including "full manual" shift as one
option, and it has to be said its a world apart from the autos of old.

(I would expect a more modern auto to be even better - mine is now an
older genration design since its in a 2003 2L twin scroll turbo Subaru
Legacy GT).

It has several modes - Eco (supposed to make it more economical at the
expense of a more "lazy" shifting routine) - I never use it since it
makes it a bit less responsive and makes little if any difference to the
fuel consumption. Normal mode is ok for day to day stuff and nice in
heavy traffic, and quite intelligent at changing down when it needs to.
Sport mode is like normal but down shifts more readily, and gives more
engine braking assist.

Then full manual where you can nudge the stick up and down, or use
buttons on the wheel. That is good on the twisty turny stuff for having
a bit more fun or for terrifying unsuspecting passengers (it looks like
a family estate, but goes, stops, and changes direction quite unlike
one! :-)

You can also use the button on the wheel in normal or eco modes to
temporarily override the car's choice of gear. That is a bit of a mixed
blessing - in some cases its really nice - like descending a steep hill
you can just nudge the gear up and down to control the speed, or get a
bit more feel and control from a lower gear going into a corner. At
other times it tries to be a bit too clever and ends up second guessing
what you want.

So all in all, I would be happy to have another, and might even choose
one (manuals are harder to find and more expensive on JDM scoobies), but
there are a few pros and cons depending on the driving you are doing.




--
Cheers,

John.

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