Manual vs Automatic Cars

[Mark Halliday]

Originally Posted by jwalker

Anyway, I too surrender.

It Des's shift now. Off you go.

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Because on long downhills you can get brake fade which is pretty scary!!! Obviously you don't want to have the engine screaming away at 5000rpm all the time but especially with a diesel you get pretty good engine braking without needing to over rev.

Wonder why they have hills with signs telling lorries to use low gear???

Drivers are not taught to use the box when slowing these days, as we we were Codders. I had to go on an enforced " Driving improvement course" a few years ago ( for reasons I wont go into ). The instructor kept picking me up on it. Apparently it's a throw back to early days when brakes would fade. Now they teach to "Block" change, which is roll to a stop in top and the straight to 1st to pull away. Not for me, I like to click her down as I'm braking.

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Scary Des

I think it’s you, O great one and having looked it up on the mighty Google I can see why the only thing it doesn’t mention is a perverse love of Land Rovers but other than that it all fits.

I think you will find that your childish antics with stupid remarks thrown in for good measure are MUCH closer to the definition!!!

All I did was to try to answer a decent question that was asked - I did NOT want to be attacked from all sides.

I put forward reasonable views and would have expected reasonable and logical arguments back.

[Scary Des]

Originally Posted by Mark Halliday

Hey Des

I've got a perverse love of Land Rovers........?

Me too

I’m not sure what I’m trying to say think it’s bolly time (Ringwood best in a flute) Des

[Scary Des]

Originally Posted by codprawn

....I put forward reasonable views ............

That is why everyone agrees with you, O Great one.

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by davidmanning

Not if you're accelerating.

I could go into a detailed explanation but it would be far easier for you to buy a copy of the police driving manual 'Roadcraft' and all will be revealed.



DM

Fair point on the first one - do you usually drive down steep hills in the right gear accelerating then???

As to roadcraft it was the FIRST book I ever bought on driving. Of course everyone ALWAYS follows it to the letter. I love the bit where it says you should always been in the right gear at the right speed for maximum responsivesness etc.

I would just LOVE to be able to afford the fuel to drive around everywhere at 4500rpm!!!

The best driving book I have ever seen was by a bloke called A Tom Topper - think it was called "Very advanced driving" - great stuff.

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Mollulnan

Drivers are not taught to use the box when slowing these days, as we we were Codders. I had to go on an enforced " Driving improvement course" a few years ago ( for reasons I wont go into ). The instructor kept picking me up on it. Apparently it's a throw back to early days when brakes would fade. Now they teach to "Block" change, which is roll to a stop in top and the straight to 1st to pull away. Not for me, I like to click her down as I'm braking.

I wasn't actually taught like this!!! I only started to learn to drive a few years after my test!!!

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Mark Halliday

OK. Who is going to explain the "Heal and Toe" technique? Which is, as you know, much used with auto boxes.

I cant find my wife's copy of Roadcraft, so from memory, you slow the car and select the correct gear for the speed to which you have slowed. Manual boxes only.

And there's me thinking you used left foot braking......

[hard1]

Originally Posted by Scary Des

Me too

I’m not sure what I’m trying to say think it’s bolly time (Ringwood best in a flute) Des

Sooo, see you up the Tripp later then?

[Jono]

Originally Posted by codprawn

I put forward reasonable views

Codders, I agree that you do sometimes put forward "reasonable" views the problem as far as I see it, if indeed there is a problem, is that you do tend to put them forward in an "UNreasonable manner.... perhaps if you didn't use so many exclamation marks and strident language/capitals then people may not get their backs up quite so readily... only my opinion, that's all...

[Scary Des]

Originally Posted by hard1

Sooo, see you up the Tripp later then?

Love to but got to meet a man about a dog at Hilltop at 8ish so some other time Des

[Hugh Jardon]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Modern electronics make people SO lazy!!! Yes they do work well but you can get just as much - if not more control by actually moving the stick yourself!!!

You are the 3rd person now I have heard that from!!! I take it you mean the X5? See if that had been a Range Rover by now people would have set up a website to destroy their image!!!

I have driven the X5 several times and was very impressed BUT what is it trying to be? It is too high to be a sports car but there is no way it could ever be called an offroader!!!

god you prattle on a bit dont you. and boy to you put peoples back up with your google centered comments

i think the bmw marketing team, bmw sales and the owners know exactly what they are...........very desirable huge resale..big success..i want one

now all this stuff about fiddling around with the stick to make your auto do what codders thinks it should do, what a load of tosh, if you have a big engine then an auto is great as it has the power to do what is needed and fiddling with the stick is not needed, My last car was a jag xjr and the only thing needed on that was forward and reverse and sports mode, to turn it off in the wet etc as the damn thing would spin the wheels and break traction at the first opportunity. Engine breaking on a modern car, big brakes provide that. Now the bmw i have now has a stick to fiddle with and yes i do when i fancy a bit of fun or just keeping myself occupied with the tiptronic but do i need to use it..........no not really, do i change down for engine breaking, no i just slam on the brakes as they are huge and would stop a train,,,,,and do they need changing.....yes the light came on this evening........hahah

now the landy td5, yes you need to fiddle with that stick as the sucker is so sluggish if you want to crack on, yes hold a lower gear on a long incline to stop it changing up from time to time but generally it does all the right things

so codders....stop telling everyone to fiddle with their autos so they can then drive their care properly as in my honest opinion it really all depends on the car/engine/box type if you need to fiddle with the stick to change gear and untimately the persons driving style and inclination.

why buy an auto if you are going to drive everywhere using it as a manual!!!!

[hard1]

oi

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Hugh Jardon

god you prattle on a bit dont you. and boy to you put peoples back up with your google centered comments

now all this stuff about fiddling around with the stick to make your auto do what codders thinks it should do, what a load of tosh, if you have a big engine then an auto is great as it has the power to do what is needed and fiddling with the stick is not needed, My last car was a jag xjr and the only thing needed on that was forward and reverse and sports mode, to turn it off in the wet etc as the damn thing would spin the wheels and break traction at the first opportunity. Engine breaking on a modern car, big brakes provide that. Now the bmw i have now has a stick to fiddle with and yes i do when i fancy a bit of fun or just keeping myself occupied with the tiptronic but do i need to use it..........no not really, do i change down for engine breaking, no i just slam on the brakes as they are huge and would stop a train,,,,,and do they need changing.....yes the light came on this evening........hahah

What the hell do you mean by "Google centered"???

As to the way you drive an Auto - obviously they are there to be treated as the driver sees fit - personally I like to drive with a little skill and finesse - not just treat a car like a giant dodgem - one pedal to go - one to stop - so simple ANYONE can do it!!!

If you had a Jag you will know all about the Randle handle or J gate which is designed to encourage manual shifting!!!

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Jono

Codders, I agree that you do sometimes put forward "reasonable" views the problem as far as I see it, if indeed there is a problem, is that you do tend to put them forward in an "UNreasonable manner.... perhaps if you didn't use so many exclamation marks and strident language/capitals then people may not get their backs up quite so readily... only my opinion, that's all...

No probs but it's when people come back belittling what I am trying to say without any rational explanations that I get annoyed.

[Hugh Jardon]

Originally Posted by codprawn

What the hell do you mean by "Google centered"???

As to the way you drive an Auto - obviously they are there to be treated as the driver sees fit - personally I like to drive with a little skill and finesse - not just treat a car like a giant dodgem - one pedal to go - one to stop - so simple ANYONE can do it!!!

If you had a Jag you will know all about the Randle handle or J gate which is designed to encourage manual shifting!!!

i know all about the j box on a jag and i have never found an auto gearbox that makes you less inclined to use it for manual shifting than a jag j box. great gearbox crap shift mechanism. you may have read on the web that is is a wonderful gearbox for manual shifting as that is what it says in the sales bumpf, now the bmw tiptronic is so much better

codders have you ever had a jag xjr 370 hp? and driven it nearly 100,000 miles?, i suspect not so please respect my opinion.

as for your driving with skill and finesse....i would love to see that, just because you rattle around with the auto box on your car does not make you a skilful driver so dont give the impression that others dont know what they are doing just because they drive different to you!!!!!!

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Hugh Jardon

i know all about the j box on a jag and i have never found an auto gearbox that makes you less inclined to use it for manual shifting than a jag j box. great gearbox crap shift mechanism. you may have read on the web that is is a wonderful gearbox for manual shifting as that is what it says in the sales bumpf, now the bmw tiptronic is so much better

codders have you ever had a jag xjr 370 hp? and driven it nearly 100,000 miles?, i suspect not so please respect my opinion.

as for your driving with skill and finesse....i would love to see that, just because you rattle around with the auto box on your car does not make you a skilful driver so dont give the impression that others dont know what they are doing just because they drive different to you!!!!!!

I was familiar with the J gate before Google came along!!! Granted I haven't driven as many miles as you have in an XJR but I have driven one quite a bit and I much prefer it to the eqivalent Merc. i actually liked the Randle handle so it's each to their own I suppose!!!

I do tend to get rather passionate about cars because I LOVE driving so much - as long as a vehicle is fun to drive that is what counts. Maybe that is why I don't like many German cars - they have no soul.

[Hugh Jardon]

Originally Posted by codprawn

I was familiar with the J gate before Google came along!!! Granted I haven't driven as many miles as you have in an XJR but I have driven one quite a bit and I much prefer it to the eqivalent Merc. i actually liked the Randle handle so it's each to their own I suppose!!!

I do tend to get rather passionate about cars because I LOVE driving so much - as long as a vehicle is fun to drive that is what counts. Maybe that is why I don't like many German cars - they have no soul.

but you do tend to get where you are going, jag was nice but too small, unreliable, poor build quality, 4 camchains that go bang, poor gearshift, crap brakes, wheel bearings that need changing every year, head gaskets that blow, bumpers that fall off, pain in the ass tracking on white lines....all xjrs suffer cos of suspension set up, suspension that wears out every 2 years on the back if you give it gip, but they look quite nice, I tend to drive my cars quite hard and bring out the worst in em i guess, if that is soul then i think my beemer is for me.

by the way the jag garage told me it was a ford engine in the v8 xjr, merc gearbox and something back axle...not googled to check but that was what they told me so if you drove a v8R then it was a merc gearbox apparently...

[Hugh Jardon]

oh and just incase you dont believe me here is a pic of the offending article

actually it does look nicer than it is

http://www.webxpro.plus.com/photos/J...0grill%206.JPG

engine is a corker when running, not driven a car with a better engine!

http://www.webxpro.plus.com/photos/J...R/Dscf0035.jpg

j shift is naff in my opinion

http://www.webxpro.plus.com/photos/J...R/Dscf0024.jpg

http://www.webxpro.plus.com/photos/J...R/Dscf0026.jpg

least i can prove what i say and do, being real, ttfn

[Hugh Jardon]

car was tip top when i sold it and was a fine example of these cars, its just i dont rate em that much. the guy who purchased it was chuffed to bits as he should have been as was a very good condition