Automatic

[Finder]

What are the pro's and con's of owning an automatic transmission car

[KebabMeister]

Pros:  Good for inner city driving (more relaxing), relaxing drive, if vehicle has heavy clutch then auto is godsend (i.e. 4x4 etc).  I personally do not like Autos!

Cons:  Higher fuel consumption, more expensive to buy, running/servicing costs, if it goes wrong = very expensive, more wear & tear on vehicle especially brakes, less control of vehicle in sense that manual would be better - e.g. in manual changing lower gear for a corner etc.  Overtaking - waiting for kickdown to start and hoping it's in best gear.

I'm sure other people will have more pros/cons!  I'd only consider an Auto if I had a big 4x4 for urban use, or I'm constantly stuck in slow moving traffic/inner city.  Of course if you're elderly or part/disabled then it will be of great benefit.

[pjay1950]

i drive an audi 2.8 v6 and it is auto, running around town i find it just as good ( economy wise) as the 3 volvo's i have had and they were all 2ltr manuals, i find this audi comfy to drive and it has a 5 speed auto box, with the option of switching it to a sports box, i have always found that no mater what car you drive if you look after it re- servicing it and not driving like a lunatic, it will look after you, so my vote goes to auto! ! !

[ianess]

Pro.....much more relaxing to drive.  A good auto box with kickdown is easily controllable.

Con.....heavier fuel consumption on short journeys.

Other than that there's nothing to choose. The cost of relacing a gearbox is hardly a consideration.....how many gearboxes do you expect any car to go through?     Brakes are cheap and easy to replace but if you learn "roadcraft" your brakes should hardly ever need replacing anyway.

Given a straight choice I'd go for an automatic all the time.  Why not look at a Peugeot 307 or similar where you have the choice of full or semi-auto [clutchless] motoring?

[Jay70]

ianess - you say why not look at a Pug 307 - well here's why not: http://www.topgear.com/content/my_topgear/duffers/D2/D8/ 41/

[KebabMeister]

Well, when I worked on cars Auto's would be in more frequently having brakes changed.

If you can afford to have brakes replaced more frequently, the trouble of not having your car for that day etc., then go for it.  I've driven 1000s of cars, many autos and on country roads.... well... like I said, I hate autos! 

Personal preference really.  Incidently, depending what type of car it is (not top marque like Mercedes, Jaguar, BMW etc), resale vale of an auto de-values tremendously when it starts to get old.

[ianess]

Jay70.....I wasn't advertising the Peugeot.....I was only suggesting a type of gearbox in-between a manual and a fully automatic. Each to his/her own.