Posted on 09/09/2019 17:56
Having seriously started looking for a new car (probably a Mondeo diesel) I wonder how automatics fare in towing?
I have driven automatics but never towed with one. The Mondeo, in my experience tows well and is very comfortable etc. It also has a sound noseweight limit!
Posted on 11/09/2019 19:37 by moulesy"When you get older driving is about getting from a to b with the least effort"
How old does one have to be before that frame of mind kicks in? I've never driven an automatic, never even thought about it as an option. But if it ever got to the stage where the journey was an effort to be endured I think I'd be better off staying at home with a good book and an obsession with reality TV!
Posted on 11/09/2019 22:03
You should try one for a week ..... I'm sure you'd like it 
Have you never even been curious about how they are to drive? I admit that you do need to get your head around them if you've you only driven manuals for many a year but I used to drive my Dad's autos when I was a teenager. 2 pedals are the future 😉
Posted on 11/09/2019 20:09 byI dont feel the need to justify my choice of auto, the car is not a toy to be played with but a means to transport our 1500 kg second home quite long distances and leave me free to enjoy the souroundings at the same time as getting there in 5 or 6 hours without wearing myself out in the process.
BTW Prestige manufacturers offer a manual option simply to keep the "from" price down nobody buys them
Posted on 11/09/2019 22:56 by Freddy55Slightly veering off, aren’t ‘autos’ a bit less powerful (at the wheels) compared to their manual counterparts? They always used to be.
Posted on 11/09/2019 23:18
I doubt it ..... things have moved on a bit over the years. At one time you were doing well if you had 4 speeds, nowadays 9 isn't uncommon. And the popularity of automated manuals is that there is no slip in between gears hence improved mpg over a slush box auto.
Posted on 11/09/2019 23:18 by EmilysDadI doubt it ..... things have moved on a bit over the years. At one time you were doing well if you had 4 speeds, nowadays 9 isn't uncommon. And the popularity of automated manuals is that there is no slip in between gears hence improved mpg over a slush box auto.
Posted on 11/09/2019 23:30
Hmm. To me, it doesn’t really matter how many gears there are, when it comes down to available BHP at the wheels. My own feeling, based on (very limited) comparisons, is that quite a bit is lost through the transmission with an auto. Just thinking out loud really...🙂
Posted on 11/09/2019 23:37 by TinwheelerNot as much as is lost by a left foot in my experience, Freddy.
Posted on 12/09/2019 06:59
The adoption of the 8 and 9 gears of the more modern automatics as opposed to the typical 5 or 6 of a manual facilitates running more frequently at an optimised engine speed vs load point.
With this brings the potential for better fuel consumption and pollution reduction, both having either a direct or indirect impact on operating costs via fuel needed and taxation.
Even with the "slush" type, those featuring a fluid based torque converter, these modern boxes will feature "lock-up" across the converter throughout almost all gears, so minimise that traditional loss.
I am not convinced they are the "future", with the demise of the IC engines replaced by electric motors with full torque from zero rpm, gone will be the need.
Posted on 11/09/2019 23:42 by Freddy55When it comes down to available BHP at the wheels, surely the “left foot” doesn’t come into it?
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