Why aren't there more automatics in Britain?

[JohnnyGus]

Why is it that there are so few automatic vehicles in Britain? I'd have thought automatics would be much more popular than they are because of how much easier thay are to drive than manuals. I guess it's just convention.

[fo3nix]

- they consume more fuel than manuals [used properly] do (or at least they used to, I believe).
- they didnt have the speed that a manual can provide.

the latter is maybe the more important.. fine for Americans who generally buy larger cars that are pretty slow anyway, but Britons tend to drive smaller or more sportier cars where this became an issue in earlier automatic models. Look at RangeRovers in Britian for example... a lot of them are automatic (as with other larger cars).

I believe Britian buys more soft-tops than any other European country, all for that one sunny day a year.

[ianess]

I think it's just convention.  Personally I love automatics and drive a 1.6 auto Astra estate, which would top no-one's list for popularity but I think for ease and pleasure of driving [and economy], I'm very pleased with it.
Sad I know, but each to his own.

[Narolines]

If my experience is anything to go by (and it probably isn't) it's because a lot of automatics are c**p to drive. Admittedly I've only driven 2 or 3 of them, but based on them I wouldn't even consider being stuck with one permanently. A couple of years ago I was saddled with an auotomatic hire car for a couple of months - I've never been so glad to see the back of a vehicle and get into a proper car again! Even quite gentle hills and/or modest loads were a nightmare........

[Buenchico]

As I've mentioned before in this section of AB, I used to deliver cars for a living. (Mainly ex-company cars being returned at the end of their lease period). This gave me plenty of experience driving all sorts of manual and automatic cars.

The problem I always found with automatics related only to vehicles with low-powered engines. If you drive a car like a 3.8 litre automatic Range Rover, the gear changes are so smooth that you'll neither hear nor feel them. If you drive a 1.1 litre automatic Fiesta, you'll hear and (more importantly) feel every gear change - it's certainly not a smooth ride. So, if you want to drive an automatic, you'll really need a fairly large engine. (Ianess's 1.6 litre Astra is about the smallest-engined car I know that has fairly smooth gear changes. Several 1.8 litre and even 2.0 litre cars don't seem able to cope).

Larger engines mean greater fuel consumption (and, for the same size of engine, automatics use more fuel). US citizens have recently been protesting at the prospect of fuel prices rising above $3 per gallon. Here in the UK we pay prices in a range roughly equivalent to $7.20 to $8 per gallon. Perhaps this explains why our transatlantic cousins are happy to drive automatics while we prefer to look after our bank balances?

Chris

(PS: That 3.8 litre automatic Range Rover is the only car I've ever driven where you can see the fuel gauge visibly dropping as you drive along!).

[KebabMeister]

Did they ever do a Range Rover 3.8litre? (I know of 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 3.9, 4.0, 4.2, 4.4).

Anyway... I found automatics just too cumbersome for UK roads.  The country roads have a lot of bends, a lot of hills, the auto box was always shifting and going down hill was a nightmare 'cos you were having to brake all the time, whereas in a manual you can use to box to slow you easier (some auto's don't have seperate auto gears).

For most people buying a brand new car, an auto is an unnecessary and expensive extra.

[Buenchico]

To KebabMeister: Well, I thought it was a 3.8 litre. Damned big engine, anyway. Wasn't so much a matter of 'miles per gallon' as 'gallons per mile'! (And what's this about using the box to slow the car. Let's just hope that there aren't any advanced driving instructors on AB. They're likely to have a heart attack if they read that! LOL).

Chris

[robber1]

Most people who criticise automatics, do so because they just put the car into drive and go. Most automatics have a gear shift which can and should be used. Overtaking on a country road? Knock it down a gear and take-off. Approach a corner, again, slip it down a gear and drive the bend. Steep hill, going down....use the box to hold the car back. I have driven autos for 28 years, and the modern ones only lag on 0-60 by a tenth of a second (big deal!) My present auto has a 6 speed tiptronic shift. It has paddle shifts on the steering wheel and drives like a racing car, using all 6 speeds like a manual if required. 2.0 litre engine, top speed 128 ecomomy on a run 47 mpg, urban 32mpg. In heavy traffic, just let it stay in "D" and cruise. Magic.

[KebabMeister]

Robber, quite a lot of autos only have P N D 2.  It's okay if you have P N D 4 3 2 1 but they're more on sportier cars.

[KebabMeister]

Oh, and R of course ;)

[bracknell]

knock the automatic all you like, but if like me you could not get on with gears, then automatic is the one.  There are automatics out there you just have to look a bit harder, pay a bit more on the price and insurance.  Mostly you will only get a brand new car with a 1.4 litre engine and nothing less. I personally have no problems with the other cars but driving an automatic still gets me from A to B. 

[Tim B]

Sorry Buenchico,

The driving manuals (and instructors) would like you to change down to control the speed going down hill as stated.

[Narolines]

Yep - that's why the signs say "Steep hill - engage low gear now"............

[fatbob05]

dont be lazy and get a manual you can have so much more fun