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

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.

On Wed, 26 May 2021 13:03:07 +0100, R D S wrote:

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

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.

Automatic, I have had autos since 1969. Previous Zodiacs, Rovers and
Jaguars were all manual.

On Wed, 26 May 2021 12:22:17 -0000 (UTC), jon wrote:

On Wed, 26 May 2021 13:03:07 +0100, R D S wrote:

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

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.

Automatic, I have had autos since 1969. Previous Zodiacs, Rovers and
Jaguars were all manual.

I've been driving autos on and off for something like 50 years. I
passed the test on a manual but my dad had a Triumph 2000 auto which
he let me drive (!).

Those early one were Borg Warner 3-speed jobs. Easy to drive but very
little control over the box which meant it took a while sometimes to
work out what gear it needed.

Then I started visiting family in the USA; no choice there and the
Borg Warner type boxes combined with lazy US cars required a different
driving style. There was one in the late 1990s that I took from Denver
into Yellowstone Park and coming out of the park over the "Beartooth
Highway" there was a long, long descent and I realised that the only
low gear I had access to was the lowest so I had to stop on the way
down to allow brakes to cool!

For a long time I had manuals but then my wife got a Subaru Justy (I
think that was it) with an auto box and 4WD. All she really wanted was
the auto. Her work as a Health Visitor meant quite a lot of short
distance driving between clients to which the auto was well suited.

These days I have a Yeti auto on a diesel engine. 6 gears, two auto
selections - Drive and Sport plus the ability to select individual
gears (but only 1 up/down, no changing through 2 gears in one move).
My wife drives a Jazz with a CVT box with paddle changers that
(nominally) provide access to 7 gears. I much prefer the VW/Yeti box
which allows me the freedom not to HAVE to think about gears and to
concentrate on the road. It's not perfect in auto mode but it's pretty
clever changing down, for instance, as you slow.

I will/can dive an auto but I've come to recognise the benefits in
recent years.

On Wed, 26 May 2021 15:22:30 +0100, Graham Harrison wrote:

On Wed, 26 May 2021 12:22:17 -0000 (UTC), jon wrote:

On Wed, 26 May 2021 13:03:07 +0100, R D S wrote:

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

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.

Automatic, I have had autos since 1969. Previous Zodiacs, Rovers and
Jaguars were all manual.

I've been driving autos on and off for something like 50 years. I passed
the test on a manual but my dad had a Triumph 2000 auto which he let me
drive (!).

Those early one were Borg Warner 3-speed jobs. Easy to drive but very
little control over the box which meant it took a while sometimes to
work out what gear it needed.

Then I started visiting family in the USA; no choice there and the Borg
Warner type boxes combined with lazy US cars required a different
driving style. There was one in the late 1990s that I took from Denver
into Yellowstone Park and coming out of the park over the "Beartooth
Highway" there was a long, long descent and I realised that the only low
gear I had access to was the lowest so I had to stop on the way down to
allow brakes to cool!

For a long time I had manuals but then my wife got a Subaru Justy (I
think that was it) with an auto box and 4WD. All she really wanted was
the auto. Her work as a Health Visitor meant quite a lot of short
distance driving between clients to which the auto was well suited.

These days I have a Yeti auto on a diesel engine. 6 gears, two auto
selections - Drive and Sport plus the ability to select individual gears
(but only 1 up/down, no changing through 2 gears in one move). My wife
drives a Jazz with a CVT box with paddle changers that (nominally)
provide access to 7 gears. I much prefer the VW/Yeti box which allows me
the freedom not to HAVE to think about gears and to concentrate on the
road. It's not perfect in auto mode but it's pretty clever changing
down, for instance, as you slow.

I will/can dive an auto but I've come to recognise the benefits in
recent years.

In the sixties the Met Police in London changed over to automatic
gearboxes to save on clutch replacement costs and driver fatigue. I heard
that over 600 gear changes was common for a shift.

In article ,
jon wrote:
In the sixties the Met Police in London changed over to automatic
gearboxes to save on clutch replacement costs and driver fatigue. I heard
that over 600 gear changes was common for a shift.

Yup. Ambulances are generally auto too.

--
*I believe five out of four people have trouble with fractions. *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

In article ,
jon wrote:
In the sixties the Met Police in London changed over to automatic
gearboxes to save on clutch replacement costs and driver fatigue. I heard
that over 600 gear changes was common for a shift.

Yup. Ambulances are generally auto too.


As are Fire engines, because the younger generation couldn't cope with a Crash gearbox

On 26/05/2021 15:31, jon wrote:
On Wed, 26 May 2021 15:22:30 +0100, Graham Harrison wrote:

On Wed, 26 May 2021 12:22:17 -0000 (UTC), jon wrote:

On Wed, 26 May 2021 13:03:07 +0100, R D S wrote:

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

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.

Automatic, I have had autos since 1969. Previous Zodiacs, Rovers and
Jaguars were all manual.

I've been driving autos on and off for something like 50 years. I passed
the test on a manual but my dad had a Triumph 2000 auto which he let me
drive (!).

Those early one were Borg Warner 3-speed jobs. Easy to drive but very
little control over the box which meant it took a while sometimes to
work out what gear it needed.

Then I started visiting family in the USA; no choice there and the Borg
Warner type boxes combined with lazy US cars required a different
driving style. There was one in the late 1990s that I took from Denver
into Yellowstone Park and coming out of the park over the "Beartooth
Highway" there was a long, long descent and I realised that the only low
gear I had access to was the lowest so I had to stop on the way down to
allow brakes to cool!

For a long time I had manuals but then my wife got a Subaru Justy (I
think that was it) with an auto box and 4WD. All she really wanted was
the auto. Her work as a Health Visitor meant quite a lot of short
distance driving between clients to which the auto was well suited.

These days I have a Yeti auto on a diesel engine. 6 gears, two auto
selections - Drive and Sport plus the ability to select individual gears
(but only 1 up/down, no changing through 2 gears in one move). My wife
drives a Jazz with a CVT box with paddle changers that (nominally)
provide access to 7 gears. I much prefer the VW/Yeti box which allows me
the freedom not to HAVE to think about gears and to concentrate on the
road. It's not perfect in auto mode but it's pretty clever changing
down, for instance, as you slow.

I will/can dive an auto but I've come to recognise the benefits in
recent years.

In the sixties the Met Police in London changed over to automatic
gearboxes to save on clutch replacement costs and driver fatigue. I heard
that over 600 gear changes was common for a shift.

And learnt to fool the box using left foot braking to force a shift
down. So they burnt the brakes out instead


--
Microsoft : the best reason to go to Linux that ever existed.

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'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.

Electric cars are all the rage; they don't need gears. Also steam cars.
The Stanley Steamer was very good. Curse Benz and his "gas" engine!

Seriously, the only automatic car I've driven was a (grossly
underpowered) Metro, many years ago. What was different about the one
you tried?

--
Max Demian

On 26/05/2021 13:26, Max Demian wrote:
Seriously, the only automatic car I've driven was a (grossly
underpowered) Metro, many years ago. What was different about the one
you tried?

It was smooth and responsive and went like stink.

In article ,
Max Demian wrote:
Seriously, the only automatic car I've driven was a (grossly
underpowered) Metro, many years ago. What was different about the one
you tried?

It's interesting when you try the same auto with engine options.

Best contrast I can think of was the P6 Rover, made between about the mid
60s to mid 70s. Both versions pretty well the same auto gearbox.

The four cylinder 2000 auto one of the slowest accelerating cars on the
road. A real dog. The 2000 manual not too bad, but needed to be revved for
decent performance.

The V8 3500 auto, very lively.

--
*Haunted French pancakes give me the crepes.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Wed, 26 May 2021 14:56:10 +0100, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

In article ,
Max Demian wrote:
Seriously, the only automatic car I've driven was a (grossly
underpowered) Metro, many years ago. What was different about the one
you tried?

It's interesting when you try the same auto with engine options.

Best contrast I can think of was the P6 Rover, made between about the
mid 60s to mid 70s. Both versions pretty well the same auto gearbox.

The four cylinder 2000 auto one of the slowest accelerating cars on the
road. A real dog. The 2000 manual not too bad, but needed to be revved
for decent performance.

The V8 3500 auto, very lively.

At one time I had a Rover 105R, it had a lever coming out of the dashboard
with a button on it. Press the button to operate a pneumatic clutch and
move the lever into drive, then it changed up automatically. Unfortunately
sometimes when overtaking at speed it would change down unexpectedly
blasting a big cloud of black smoke behind.

In article ,
jon wrote:
At one time I had a Rover 105R, it had a lever coming out of the
dashboard with a button on it. Press the button to operate a pneumatic
clutch and move the lever into drive, then it changed up automatically.
Unfortunately sometimes when overtaking at speed it would change down
unexpectedly blasting a big cloud of black smoke behind.

Two speed manual box fitted with an automatic overdrive, and torque
converter. Dunno why Rover bothered, as autos had been around for some
time. It could be the P4 didn't have room for one, being a rather old
design with a chassis.

--
*Aim Low, Reach Your Goals, Avoid Disappointment *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 2021-05-26 12:03:07 +0000, R D S said:

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

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.

My wife only has an auto driving licence so I have been forced to buy autos.

We've had two Volvo V70s and the auto boxes are fine - the current one
has geartronic which allows you to shift gears manually so that keeps
me reasonably happy. Plus the 2.5 litre turbo engine...

I would get a petrol not diesel - I've never had a diesel.

But our current Volvo is a 2005 model - no idea about recent ones
except they are costly. I've never paid more than £3500 for a car.

On 26/05/2021 13:29, John Smith wrote:

But our current Volvo is a 2005 model - no idea about recent ones except
they are costly. I've never paid more than £3500 for a car.

All ours have been under 7k and we tend to keeo them for 4-5 years
before changing.

This one is 15k (missus wants something 'nice') so it has to be right.
How people shell out much more than that is beyond me.

On 2021-05-26 13:01:35 +0000, R D S said:

On 26/05/2021 13:29, John Smith wrote:

But our current Volvo is a 2005 model - no idea about recent ones
except they are costly. I've never paid more than £3500 for a car.

All ours have been under 7k and we tend to keeo them for 4-5 years
before changing.

This one is 15k (missus wants something 'nice') so it has to be right.
How people shell out much more than that is beyond me.

Indeed.

See if you can find a geartronic model - I think some also have
steering wheel paddles to shift gear so you can pretend to be Lewis
Hamilton.

On 26/05/2021 14:10, John Smith wrote:
On 2021-05-26 13:01:35 +0000, R D S said:

On 26/05/2021 13:29, John Smith wrote:

But our current Volvo is a 2005 model - no idea about recent ones
except they are costly. I've never paid more than £3500 for a car.

All ours have been under 7k and we tend to keeo them for 4-5 years
before changing.

This one is 15k (missus wants something 'nice') so it has to be right.
How people shell out much more than that is beyond me.

Indeed.

See if you can find a geartronic model - I think some also have steering
wheel paddles to shift gear so you can pretend to be Lewis Hamilton.
the last three cars I have bought - freelanders and jaguar xf, have had
very easily avaiable manual mode. On the freelandar simply move the
lever over to sport mode, and then shifty up and down by pushing
forwards and backwards. Exit by going out of sport mode. The XF has
flappy paddles that override the auto box in normal mode. If not used
for a while it reverts to full auto. But other gearbox modes are
available - winter' 'performance;' and 'sport' which behave differently.
I like that - those wanting to tailor the way the auto behaves or
overriide it, can, otherwise its ok in standard mode]



--
"Nature does not give up the winter because people dislike the cold."

ۥ Confucius

On 26/05/2021 14:10, John Smith wrote:
On 2021-05-26 13:01:35 +0000, R D S said:

On 26/05/2021 13:29, John Smith wrote:

But our current Volvo is a 2005 model - no idea about recent ones
except they are costly. I've never paid more than £3500 for a car.

All ours have been under 7k and we tend to keeo them for 4-5 years
before changing.

This one is 15k (missus wants something 'nice') so it has to be right.
How people shell out much more than that is beyond me.

Indeed.

See if you can find a geartronic model - I think some also have steering
wheel paddles to shift gear so you can pretend to be Lewis Hamilton.

It was a geartronic I drove.
There's so much traffic around these parts these days you end up with
clutch foot ache.
Didn't think i'd like an auto but was very pleased and now having a
complete rethink, plus as stated elsewhere, no more clutch replacement.

Headache if the box goes kaput though!

As an aside, it was interesting when I almost launched everyone through
the windscreen the first time I wanted to stop it and my left foot
instinctively went for the clutch and found the brake.

In article ,
R D S wrote:
On 26/05/2021 14:10, John Smith wrote:
On 2021-05-26 13:01:35 +0000, R D S said:

On 26/05/2021 13:29, John Smith wrote:

But our current Volvo is a 2005 model - no idea about recent ones
except they are costly. I've never paid more than £3500 for a car.

All ours have been under 7k and we tend to keeo them for 4-5 years
before changing.

This one is 15k (missus wants something 'nice') so it has to be right.
How people shell out much more than that is beyond me.

Indeed.

See if you can find a geartronic model - I think some also have steering
wheel paddles to shift gear so you can pretend to be Lewis Hamilton.

It was a geartronic I drove.
There's so much traffic around these parts these days you end up with
clutch foot ache.
Didn't think i'd like an auto but was very pleased and now having a
complete rethink, plus as stated elsewhere, no more clutch replacement.

Headache if the box goes kaput though!

As an aside, it was interesting when I almost launched everyone through
the windscreen the first time I wanted to stop it and my left foot
instinctively went for the clutch and found the brake.

The twin clutch/layshaft boxes are pretty pricey, and I'm told not easy to
fix, unlike conventional autos.

But on the forum for mine, I've not heard of any failures. Unlike clutches
on the manual version.

--
*Caution: I drive like you do.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 2021-05-26 16:09:43 +0000, R D S said:

It was a geartronic I drove.
There's so much traffic around these parts these days you end up with
clutch foot ache.
Didn't think i'd like an auto but was very pleased and now having a
complete rethink, plus as stated elsewhere, no more clutch replacement.

Headache if the box goes kaput though!

As an aside, it was interesting when I almost launched everyone through
the windscreen the first time I wanted to stop it and my left foot
instinctively went for the clutch and found the brake.

The geartronic shift up and down the gears I find useful if only that I
keep wanting to do something with my left hand... it's useful to lock
the gear in 2 say when there are a load of speed bumps close together.

If you do go for a Volvo it has one of the best user forums for any
make and also at least one good facebook group. The forum has saved my
bacon a few times - you could ask about issues with a model here. Auto
boxes like fluid changes, which makers often don't recommend but users
do.

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk

I often use my left foot for the brake, which you are not supposed to
do with an auto but I can't see any reason why not.

"R D S" wrote in message
...
On 26/05/2021 14:10, John Smith wrote:
On 2021-05-26 13:01:35 +0000, R D S said:

On 26/05/2021 13:29, John Smith wrote:

But our current Volvo is a 2005 model - no idea about recent ones
except they are costly. I've never paid more than £3500 for a car.

All ours have been under 7k and we tend to keeo them for 4-5 years
before changing.

This one is 15k (missus wants something 'nice') so it has to be right.
How people shell out much more than that is beyond me.

Indeed.

See if you can find a geartronic model - I think some also have steering
wheel paddles to shift gear so you can pretend to be Lewis Hamilton.

It was a geartronic I drove.
There's so much traffic around these parts these days you end up with
clutch foot ache.
Didn't think i'd like an auto but was very pleased and now having a
complete rethink, plus as stated elsewhere, no more clutch replacement.

Headache if the box goes kaput though!

As an aside, it was interesting when I almost launched everyone through
the windscreen the first time I wanted to stop it and my left foot
instinctively went for the clutch and found the brake.

Yeah, I didnt used to have that problem when still working
with almost all of the work vehicles autos and mine manual
but I do now that I drive autos much less frequently.

On 26/05/2021 14:01, R D S wrote:
On 26/05/2021 13:29, John Smith wrote:

But our current Volvo is a 2005 model - no idea about recent ones
except they are costly. I've never paid more than £3500 for a car.

All ours have been under 7k and we tend to keeo them for 4-5 years
before changing.

This one is 15k (missus wants something 'nice') so it has to be right.
How people shell out much more than that is beyond me.

Just tell her red is in fashion and buy her a red 7K one.

IGMC

--
Adam

On 26/05/2021 13:29, John Smith wrote:
On 2021-05-26 12:03:07 +0000, R D S said:

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

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.

My wife only has an auto driving licence so I have been forced to buy
autos.

We've had two Volvo V70s and the auto boxes are fine - the current one
has geartronic which allows you to shift gears manually so that keeps me
reasonably happy. Plus the 2.5 litre turbo engine...

I would get a petrol not diesel - I've never had a diesel.

A few years ago I said I would never have a diesel car.

Actually there is nothing wrong with them.

And as you said - automatics are for girls (and spastics).

I miss rear wheel drive no matter what fuel it is.


--
Adam

"ARW" wrote in message
...
On 26/05/2021 13:29, John Smith wrote:
On 2021-05-26 12:03:07 +0000, R D S said:

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

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.

My wife only has an auto driving licence so I have been forced to buy
autos.

We've had two Volvo V70s and the auto boxes are fine - the current one
has geartronic which allows you to shift gears manually so that keeps me
reasonably happy. Plus the 2.5 litre turbo engine...

I would get a petrol not diesel - I've never had a diesel.

A few years ago I said I would never have a diesel car.

Actually there is nothing wrong with them.

And as you said - automatics are for girls (and spastics).

I miss rear wheel drive no matter what fuel it is.

Thats coz you are a hoon.

On Sat, 29 May 2021 05:41:39 +1000, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent
Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:

FLUSH more of the trolling senile asshole's latest troll**** unread

--
Bod addressing abnormal senile quarreller Rot:
"Do you practice arguing with yourself in an empty room?"
MID:

ARW wrote:
On 26/05/2021 13:29, John Smith wrote:


I would get a petrol not diesel - I've never had a diesel.

A few years ago I said I would never have a diesel car.

Actually there is nothing wrong with them.

From the driving POV, they have got very good. The VAG 2L diesels are very
nice to drive (for an ICE vehicle). My 3L V6 Jag was also lovely.
Environmentally though, well€¦


And as you said - automatics are for girls (and spastics).

And manuals are for dinosaurs. ;-) Better still, ditch the whole gear
shifting nonsense and go EV.


I miss rear wheel drive no matter what fuel it is.

Good news is that quite a lot of EVs are RWD.

Tim


--
Please don't feed the trolls

ARW wrote:

John Smith wrote:

I would get a petrol not diesel - I've never had a diesel.

A few years ago I said I would never have a diesel car.

Actually there is nothing wrong with them.

I've flip-flopped between manual and auto over the years

I'd only had petrol until 2007 when I got a 2.2 diesel manual, then in
2011 changed to a 3.0 diesel auto, then after dieselgate I didn't trust
the gov not to tax the **** out of diesel, so went to a 2.0 turbo petrol
auto.

And as you said - automatics are for girls (and spastics).

do Fiat make DSGs?

I miss rear wheel drive no matter what fuel it is.

previous car was 4wd with sports diff to vector torque from side to side
as well as rear to front.

current car auto switches from fwd to 4wd, it improves fuel economy
compared to permanent 4wd, but I preferred the sports diff.

On 28/05/2021 20:29, ARW wrote:
On 26/05/2021 13:29, John Smith wrote:
On 2021-05-26 12:03:07 +0000, R D S said:

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

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.

My wife only has an auto driving licence so I have been forced to buy
autos.

We've had two Volvo V70s and the auto boxes are fine - the current one
has geartronic which allows you to shift gears manually so that keeps
me reasonably happy. Plus the 2.5 litre turbo engine...

I would get a petrol not diesel - I've never had a diesel.

A few years ago I said I would never have a diesel car.

Actually there is nothing wrong with them.

And as you said - automatics are for girls (and spastics).

I miss rear wheel drive no matter what fuel it is.


Well Adam, I drive a not quite 300bhp diesel rear wheel drive car.
Jaguar XF S

If you don't like the auto box, stick it into manual mode and use the
flappy paddles...


--
€œI know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the
greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most
obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of
conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, which
they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by
thread, into the fabric of their lives.€�

ۥ Leo Tolstoy

On 28/05/2021 20:29, ARW wrote:

And as you said - automatics are for girls (and spastics).

Is that either/or, or both

"R D S" wrote in message
...
On 28/05/2021 20:29, ARW wrote:

And as you said - automatics are for girls (and spastics).

Is that either/or, or both

And Americans.

I once worked with a guy whose father worked for a car-hire company at an
airport. An American had booked a hire car, and because he hadn't specified
automatic, had been allocated a manual car. When my friend's father heard
the guy's accent, he offered to find an automatic instead, realising that an
American may not have ever driven a manual before.

The American said he was happy to have a manual. He was led out to the car,
which was parked in a line of cars parked nose-to-tail. He got in, revved
the car up to about 2000 rpm and the car lurched forwards violently when he
let the clutch in, hitting the car in front and sending it into the car in
front of that. Before the hire employee could stop him, he put the car into
reverse to try to extricate himself, and did the same thing to the cars
behind.

In about 10 seconds he had written off five cars: the one he was driving,
the two in front of him and the two behind. He lost his no-damage deposit...

On 07/06/2021 13:27, NY wrote:
"R D S" wrote in message
...
On 28/05/2021 20:29, ARW wrote:

And as you said - automatics are for girls (and spastics).

Is that either/or, or both

And Americans.

I once worked with a guy whose father worked for a car-hire company at
an airport. An American had booked a hire car, and because he hadn't
specified automatic, had been allocated a manual car. When my friend's
father heard the guy's accent, he offered to find an automatic instead,
realising that an American may not have ever driven a manual before.

The American said he was happy to have a manual. He was led out to the
car, which was parked in a line of cars parked nose-to-tail. He got in,
revved the car up to about 2000 rpm and the car lurched forwards
violently when he let the clutch in, hitting the car in front and
sending it into the car in front of that. Before the hire employee could
stop him, he put the car into reverse to try to extricate himself, and
did the same thing to the cars behind.

In about 10 seconds he had written off five cars: the one he was
driving, the two in front of him and the two behind. He lost his
no-damage deposit...

Hells bells.

Sounds a bit like the first time I had a do on a motorbike!

In article ,
NY wrote:
The American said he was happy to have a manual. He was led out to the
car, which was parked in a line of cars parked nose-to-tail. He got in,
revved the car up to about 2000 rpm and the car lurched forwards
violently when he let the clutch in, hitting the car in front and
sending it into the car in front of that. Before the hire employee
could stop him, he put the car into reverse to try to extricate
himself, and did the same thing to the cars behind.

In about 10 seconds he had written off five cars: the one he was
driving, the two in front of him and the two behind. He lost his
no-damage deposit...


Remember the US court cases where poor car design was blamed for them
'running away'? They were autos.

--
*Time is the best teacher; unfortunately it kills all its students.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
R D S wrote:
I'm looking for a car, XC60 2.0 D4 if anyone has any opinions on those.

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.

I had a 2nd hand auto in the '80s. When I could afford it, I went back to
manual. However, since SWMBO has an auto. I got an auto 8 years ago so
that she could share long distance driving. She never has, but I'm very
happy with my current (Mazda) auto - no think required.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle

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'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.

Autos are good if you spend a lot of time in slow moving city traffic.
Almost pointless if motorways are all you do.

--
Cheers
Clive

On Wed, 26 May 2021 13:46:42 +0100, Clive Arthur wrote:

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'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.

Autos are good if you spend a lot of time in slow moving city traffic.
Almost pointless if motorways are all you do.


It makes no difference on motorways, not having to change gear.

In article ,
Clive Arthur wrote:
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'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.

Autos are good if you spend a lot of time in slow moving city traffic.
Almost pointless if motorways are all you do.

Not so sure about that. With an auto, you can use a very tall top gear to
get the very best MPG. So tall that it may have to change down on a
motorway incline. Very few manuals are that high geared.

--
*If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article , Clive Arthur
writes
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'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.

Autos are good if you spend a lot of time in slow moving city traffic.
Almost pointless if motorways are all you do.

They work well with adaptive cruise control.

--
bert

On Thursday, 27 May 2021 at 16:25:45 UTC+1, bert wrote:


They work well with adaptive cruise control.

It has become such an integral part of driving my car, I'd forgotten to even think about mentioning that!

Mine will even come to a complete stop and then start again without intervention.

Having used standard cruise control, adaptive is just so much nicer.

"polygonum_on_google" wrote in message
...
On Thursday, 27 May 2021 at 16:25:45 UTC+1, bert wrote:


They work well with adaptive cruise control.

It has become such an integral part of driving my car, I'd forgotten to
even think about mentioning that!

Mine will even come to a complete stop and then start again without
intervention.

The Honda will do full cruise control even in stop start traffic jams.

Having used standard cruise control, adaptive is just so much nicer.

The big thing they still wont do is track the change in speed limit thru
towns
on highways. That will happen soon because its EU mandated in the near
future.

On Fri, 28 May 2021 05:14:56 +1000, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent
Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:

FLUSH the trolling senile asshole's latest troll**** unread

--
Website (from 2007) dedicated to the 86-year-old senile Australian
cretin's pathological trolling:
https://www.pcreview.co.uk/threads/r...d-faq.2973853/

polygonum_on_google wrote:

On Thursday, 27 May 2021 at 16:25:45 UTC+1, bert wrote:


They work well with adaptive cruise control.

It has become such an integral part of driving my car, I'd forgotten to even think about mentioning that!

Mine will even come to a complete stop and then start again without intervention.

Having used standard cruise control, adaptive is just so much nicer.

I guess that will be something to look forward to with my next
car, not that I expect that to be any time soon.

How fast does it put the anchors on if someone cuts sharply in
front of you?

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK
@ChrisJDixon1

Plant amazing Acers.