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Dave Plowman (News) Dave Plowman (News) is offline
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Default OT: Manual or automatic gearbox? and XC60 opinion...

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


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.

Got it and loving it. It probably helps that it has a fair bit of grunt
but it's a joy to drive. I'm a convert.


Yup. Most who say they hate autos have never tried a decent modern one.

I feel i'm always on the brakes though, doesn't seem to slow down nearly
as much as a manual when you come off the gas.
I presume they are clever enough to use the engine/gearbox during
braking? Or do they chew through pads?


Is it a torque converter transmission? They do tend to sort of freewheel a
bit at low revs. Ie, around town where you brake the most. So to save
braking too much you need to come off the power rather earlier (when you
guess you're going to have to stop, or just use the brakes. Pads are cheap
enough. ;-)

And what do folk tend to do at traffic lights? I'd normally neutral and
handbrake but that's less intuitive in this.
I'm guessing this is why i've been sick of staring at other's brake
lights for years, i've probably been behind autos.


My auto has a near conventional friction clutch - no torque converter. And
if you leave it in drive with the handbrake on, it tries to creep against
it. Which to me, means unnecessary wear. Footbrake on when stopped
disengages the clutch. But of course means the stoplights are on. So I
just plonk mine in park at traffic lights, etc.

With a TC transmission, that creeps too. So for the very best MPG neutral
or park should help. But leaving it in drive, handbrake on, won't cause
any extra wear.

--
*By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere.

Dave Plowman London SW
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