Auto or Manual?

[Hurricane J]

HI all, looking at a Swift Bolero 712SB (2.3L/150BHP) Would normally go for a manual, but have seen a couple of nice automatics. Any thoughts on the pro's and cons of each please. Any feedback appreciated. Thanks

 

[gus-lopez]

My mate & his wife have only ever bought auto cats as long as I have known them. The MH's though are always manual. I asked last year & he said he'd never consider one ,he liked driving a manual.

FIAT comfortmatic could be different to the IVECO one?

very similar as Fiat is heavily involved. called the agil ? I believe on the iveco

 

[Lenny HB]

Another consideration for autos, when it changes down or up a gear, it doesn't come out of cruise control, a manual does.

That is one annoying thing about the Comformatic, if you flip it into manual and go up & down the box manually the cruise drops out

 

[PeteH]

We have a Mercedes auto and wouldn't go back to a manual. Both cars are auto too. I haven't used a Comfortmatic box but know people who have and are very happy with them.

I've never heard anyone say "I wish I hadn't got this auto box, I should have had a manual"; you might hear that with a sports car but I've never heard it about a motorhome.

If auto boxes had been developed at the start of motoring would anyone have gone out and invented a manual gearbox?

IN the USA, you get an Auto, as (automatic?) Choice, virtually from day one way back before WW2. If you want a Manual, you have to ask for it. and probably wait while they find you one.

Chrysler 180 Torque Flite 3 speed auto.

We had the Chrsyler 2L same box, 2litre engine. would tow my caravan up the side of the house!.

 

[joka250]

IN the USA, you get an Auto, as (automatic?) Choice, virtually from day one way back before WW2. If you want a Manual, you have to ask for it. and probably wait while they find you one.

We had the Chrsyler 2L same box, 2litre engine. would tow my caravan up the side of the house!.

Replaced my 180 with a 2L, or the company did. Loved them both but long term reliability not always good. I seem to remeber the Transport Museum in Coventry has a Holden version with a 4L lump or similar. Saw a stretch version on a Spanish service area 2 years ago.

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[Glandwr]

Replaced my 180 with a 2L, or the company did. Loved them both but long term reliability not always good. I seem to remeber the Transport Museum in Coventry has a Holden version with a 4L lump or similar. Saw a stretch version on a Spanish service area 2 years ago.
[/QUOTE

A 4L Holden, was it a Ute? ]

 

[PeteH]

Replaced my 180 with a 2L, or the company did. Loved them both but long term reliability not always good. I seem to remeber the Transport Museum in Coventry has a Holden version with a 4L lump or similar. Saw a stretch version on a Spanish service area 2 years ago.

Unless I am mistaken, You could get a South African "Granada" with a big Ford V8 in it?. Came across a photo of another "oddity" only the other day. The Haynes Museum has an "Estate" version of the Rover P6 V8?. Our 2L, was "taken out" on Cemetery Pales, Brookwood, (where they filmed parts of "shining") in the 80`s, by a dick in a BMW.

 

[dunnah01]

People who have Auto's love them and will say they are the best....People who have Manuals love them and say they are the best....in my experience those who have and love Auto's are of geriatric age with dodgy knees...

Just done a 10k run so got admit to both geriatric and dodgy knees - thank goodness for the auto

 

[Yorkshire Puds]

Being well under the so called “geriatric age” and also having two good knees, I can offer my honest opinion for what it’s worth.

Ive driven loads of vans of all sizes in my life, both for work and pleasure. For work, I’ve always preferred manual Transits due to the amount of graft those vans have to do.

My old Bessacarr was also manual but on a Fiat and it drove lovely.

Before we ordered our new Moho, I decided to test drive manual, Comfortmatic and new 9 speed auto, all Fiat for reasons that are irrelevant to the point.

I originally was adamant that I was going to stick with manual, but after driving the automatic, it was a huge difference and an absolute pleasure to drive, far better suited to me than the former mentioned boxes,
so that is what I’ve gone for. My wife on the other hand much prefers the manual.

My advice is try all 3, take them for a test drive, you’ll soon know which you prefer.
Look before you leap as they say, it could be costly otherwise.

 

[Tykatem]

Automatic everytime for us, I just don't see the point in pressing a pedal with your foot and having to reach down and move a stick to change gears when the technology and engineering is there to do it for you!

Pete (with 2 good knees)

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[joka250]

No a saloon. I ought to look but I think the Ausies built quite a few British cars with large engines and certainly re jigged some as utes.

 

[PeteH]

No a saloon. I ought to look but I think the Ausies built quite a few British cars with large engines and certainly re jigged some as utes.

The Ausies love thier Utes. My grandson has the big Mitsubishi and before that a ford ranger

 

[C33JAY]

People who have Auto's love them and will say they are the best....People who have Manuals love them and say they are the best....in my experience those who have and love Auto's are of geriatric age with dodgy knees...

LOL I think not some how, Automatic with paddle shift and 500BHP on tap Geriatric Nah

 

[KiwiKampers]

No a saloon. I ought to look but I think the Ausies built quite a few British cars with large engines and certainly re jigged some as utes.

Sadly, Australia has had no car manufacturing since 2017. Holden, Ford, Toyota and Mitsubishi have all closed.

 

[g3cwi]

I shall go with whatever the first owner of our next motorhome has decided on.

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[joka250]

Sadly, Australia has had no car manufacturing since 2017. Holden, Ford, Toyota and Mitsubishi have all closed.

I'd give that a like for making the point but it's such a sad situation.