Always struck me as odd that here in the USA 90%+ of cars are auto while in UK 90% seem to be manual. Generally in the USA cars are more powerfull and roads are bigger with freer running traffic so a manual in a low revving car would be okay. However in the UK I seem to spend most of my time in heavy traffic (on or off the motorway) where auto boxes are so much easier to drive.

So why are autos not more common in the UK? - can't be the cost as people generally seem to upgrade their cars with extras - sunshine roofs etc.- that are at least the equal of the cost of an auto box.

Also Skoda has the DSG box which smooths the peaky nature of diesels - so why buy a diesel without it?

Probably the main reason is fuel economy and the price of fuel in the UK. Early auto's were only three or four speed with a torque converter so you would use around 20% more fuel than a manual.

Early auto's were not that reliable either.

I prefer auto cars myself and have owned many automatic cars in the past but you do pay at the pumps. Even the new DSG box looses out on economy to the manual but I don't know why as it doesn't have a torque converter.

Cheers

Lee

Just a couple of thoughts....

mmm.. thats novel a car related thread

Could be that in the UK most people learn to drive a manual so tend to buy one after passing there test. If you pass a test in a manual your licence is such that you are allowed to drive an auto or manual car. Pass in an Auto then you cant drive manual.

I would imagine that most driving schools automatically set up your training for a manual and only an auto if you specifically ask.

In the states what type of box is used by driving schools?

John

Drove my first automatic last week... i want!! so much easier in crawling town traffic

About 9 months ago I got rid of a 2.5V6 Auto Rover 75.

It was great around town but around town it would average aound 16mpg with the climate control on. It had the same Jatco 5 speed auto that Vag used in some FWD auto's.

I also used to have an Alfa 156 Selespeed which is a sequential manual with a computer controlled clutch and gear change, the fuel economy was little different fom the manual but the cahnges were slow in nomal mode and jerky in fast mode.

Anyone know why the DSG uses more fuel than the manual?

Cheers

Lee

Anyone know why the DSG uses more fuel than the manual?

Cheers

Lee

Weight perhaps?

Drove my first automatic last week... i want!! so much easier in crawling town traffic

The car I had previously to the Fabia - a Freelander - was the first automatic I'd owned. It was a lovely gearbox and I firmly believe that automatic is the way to go. However I wanted the fuel economy of a diesel and small automatic diesels are very thin on the ground - possibly due to the differing torque characteristics of a diesel engine and it's unsuitablity with an auto box. I considered an A3 but in the end economic sense prevailed and I saved

Anyone know why the DSG uses more fuel than the manual?

Cheers

Lee

Don't *think* there is much in the weight difference, but........

In effect, when you select 1st, the DSG box also selects 2nd and has it running ready to shift to it, then when you shift, it already engages 3rd etc.....

So, you seem to be running two gears at the same time........

Far to complex for my little brain. :P

Anyone know why the DSG uses more fuel than the manual?

But does it in real world driving? VAG claims the efficiency loss cf a manual is very small, less than 2% IIRC. The official fuel consumption figures suggest the DSG does use significantly more fuel but we all know those are not real world figures and I suspect that the test methodology may be distorting the difference. Its interesting that the DSG with the 1.9TDI suffers a bigger consumption hit cf the manual than the 2.0, possibly because with the 1.9 the manual is 5 speed whilst the DSG is 6 speed so the gearchange patterns will be quite different. With the 2.0 both boxes are 6 speeders.

The really important question is what consumption are the DSG drivers amongst us getting and which of its modes do they predominantly use? Anyone care to tell us their experiences?

But does it in real world driving? VAG claims the efficiency loss cf a manual is very small' date=' less than 2% IIRC. The official fuel consumption figures suggest the DSG does use significantly more fuel but we all know those are not real world figures and I suspect that the test methodology may be distorting the difference. Its interesting that the DSG with the 1.9TDI suffers a bigger consumption hit cf the manual than the 2.0, possibly because with the 1.9 the manual is 5 speed whilst the DSG is 6 speed so the gearchange patterns will be quite different. With the 2.0 both boxes are 6 speeders.

The really important question is what consumption are the DSG drivers amongst us getting and which of its modes do they predominantly use? Anyone care to tell us their experiences?[/quote']

most of the time i use sport mode - in town 8,9 liters average, but i drive it really hard, outside there is no big difference for me, but then again most of time sport mode and if I can go 200kmh I will drive that fast, do not ask me about normal mode and normal driving conditions

auto's are more expensive to buy, more expensive to run, more expensive to repair, less involved leading to a less exciting drive. and as you said the money spent on an auto could buy you aircon/sunroof/alloys etc from looking in the past an auto box could be around a 1k option in some cars. thats a big difference

auto's are ... less involved leading to a less exciting drive ...

Ask me for a ride next time we are at a trackday together

Just a couple of thoughts....

mmm.. thats novel a car related thread

Could be that in the UK most people learn to drive a manual so tend to buy one after passing there test. If you pass a test in a manual your licence is such that you are allowed to drive an auto or manual car. Pass in an Auto then you cant drive manual.

I would imagine that most driving schools automatically set up your training for a manual and only an auto if you specifically ask.

In the states what type of box is used by driving schools?

John

Driving schools? What are they????????? In States where these exist, and not many, they are generally not for kids, but for Re-training and then almost always auto, while kids/new drivers are normally taught by parents/friends etc......explains the appalling standard of driving in the US. Why would anyone want a stick-shift? There aren't any corners, anyhow!

But does it in real world driving? VAG claims the efficiency loss cf a manual is very small' date=' less than 2% IIRC. The official fuel consumption figures suggest the DSG does use significantly more fuel but we all know those are not real world figures and I suspect that the test methodology may be distorting the difference. Its interesting that the DSG with the 1.9TDI suffers a bigger consumption hit cf the manual than the 2.0, possibly because with the 1.9 the manual is 5 speed whilst the DSG is 6 speed so the gearchange patterns will be quite different. With the 2.0 both boxes are 6 speeders.

The really important question is what consumption are the DSG drivers amongst us getting and which of its modes do they predominantly use? Anyone care to tell us their experiences?[/quote'] 2.0 TDi DSG on 17" Pegasus and Sports suspension: 60 miles a day motorway, 10 miles urban: overall 47 mpg with no passengers, 45 with one passenger. Country roads, hilly areas of Wales/Pennines/Quantocks, 43.4 mpg with one passenger and luggage. I'm impressed overall. 8000 miles covered since March delivery.

2.0TDi DSG - averaging around 47mpg on a mixture of roads - I tend to leave it in 'D' for 99% of the time.

Thats about what I get driving my manual gearboxed car fairly 'briskly' on similar roads. If I take it easy and change up earlier and use the throttle more gently I've see 50.1mpg on the MFI.

I wished I'd found a ex-dem DSG car when I was looking.....

Driving schools? What are they????????? In States where these exist, and not many, they are generally not for kids, but for Re-training and then almost always auto, while kids/new drivers are normally taught by parents/friends etc......explains the appalling standard of driving in the US. Why would anyone want a stick-shift? There aren't any corners, anyhow!

Dring school is a term for a proffecional to use their car and teach to to drive by providing lessons on the road of about an 1hr at a time until you reach a standard good enough to take teh driving test run by a goverment type body.

In the UK this is the normal way to learn to drive these days - with parents etc taking learners out outside of this tuition for further road experience.

You probably stand a much better chance of passing a test if you have had this profecional tuition rather than a parent or a friend.

John