Auto or Manual?

[Doogle]

So...after driving my bosses manual V1 today, and because the Cupra will be the first new car I've bought (Or very nearly new) I'm wondering whether, after years of driving manual cars, if I should go auto for a complete change?
What are your own thoughts, how IS the auto Formentor, is it smooth, reliable does fuel economy suffer much using auto vs manual?
I'm quite happy using manual but just thought about going for a complete change and am interested in people's thoughts and experiences, maybe you've done this very thing going from manual to auto and love it....or maybe regret it

 

[Peyton]

I went from a manual 184hp Leon to a 310 hp DSG Formentor.

If you like spirited driving, manual is more fun as you need to "nail it" to drive fast, also you have more control of your RPM range as you need to manually shift. While manual may be more fun, automatic is faster, more smooth, probably does less damage to the transmission/clutch as you can't miss a shift, etc.

If you do a lot of stop/go traffic or drive in a congested city, automatic will be very helpful as it does all the work for you. No more "tired" clutch leg. Also with the ACC, automatic car can drive from a full stop to normal speed and back, this is very useful if you are in a long traffic jam where cars move only slightly but very often.

On the other hand, ACC is currently "buggy" in UK and you may not use it as much if it keeps blocking you from overtaking.

Do I regret it? Not really, for a day to day car I think automatic/DSG is good. I live in a big city so I have plenty of stop & go traffic and DSG helps a lot.

If I lived outside of the city (maybe) or wanted a track day car (surely) I'd get a manual.

 

[Peyton]

And yeah, no major issues for me with the automatic car. It was my first automatic so my foot wanted to hit the clutch when I first got it, but soon I adapted. I probably can go either way in the future, but automatic is easier.

Only downside is on rare occasions over eager auto-stop wants to stop the engine when reaching a roundabout and then the car/transmission seems to hesitate for a second or two. With a manual car that wouldn't really happen.

 

[Doogle]

And yeah, no major issues for me with the automatic car. It was my first automatic so my foot wanted to hit the clutch when I first got it, but soon I adapted. I probably can go either way in the future, but automatic is easier.

Only downside is on rare occasions over eager auto-stop wants to stop the engine when reaching a roundabout and then the car/transmission seems to hesitate for a second or two. With a manual car that wouldn't really happen.

Cheers for the reply appreciate that, still not 100% set on which way to go but, looking at the car market in general, both second-hand and new, I think it will boil down to whatever's available at the time and meets my requirements, or I take the plunge and be prepared to wait for a long time possibly

 

[Bear]

Cheers for the reply appreciate that, still not 100% set on which way to go but, looking at the car market in general, both second-hand and new, I think it will boil down to whatever's available at the time and meets my requirements, or I take the plunge and be prepared to wait for a long time possibly

I've got a DSG box in my Tiguan, and can honestly say it's doubtful I'll go back to a full manual ever again Doogle...so easy to drive in auto with the option of manual change when you want.

 

[Napmasterflash]

I agree, I was once a strong supporter of manuals but in these sorts of cars I would always go for an auto.

I think for light sports cars like an Elise, Caterham etc it would always be a manual but the DSG box is great and has the flappy paddles if you want to have some fun.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

 

[TheUkWizard]

I went from a manual 184hp Leon to a 310 hp DSG Formentor.

If you like spirited driving, manual is more fun as you need to "nail it" to drive fast, also you have more control of your RPM range as you need to manually shift. While manual may be more fun, automatic is faster, more smooth, probably does less damage to the transmission/clutch as you can't miss a shift, etc.

If you do a lot of stop/go traffic or drive in a congested city, automatic will be very helpful as it does all the work for you. No more "tired" clutch leg. Also with the ACC, automatic car can drive from a full stop to normal speed and back, this is very useful if you are in a long traffic jam where cars move only slightly but very often.

On the other hand, ACC is currently "buggy" in UK and you may not use it as much if it keeps blocking you from overtaking.

Do I regret it? Not really, for a day to day car I think automatic/DSG is good. I live in a big city so I have plenty of stop & go traffic and DSG helps a lot.

If I lived outside of the city (maybe) or wanted a track day car (surely) I'd get a manual.

Totally agree with this, if you really enjoy the manual gears, then stick with it. But for 99% of people including myself, the smooth auto is the best. I will not go back to manual now. So much better in traffic and makes driving so easy.

 

[Peyton]

Totally agree with this, if you really enjoy the manual gears, then stick with it. But for 99% of people including myself, the smooth auto is the best. I will not go back to manual now. So much better in traffic and makes driving so easy.

Exactly. I'd say if you are a car enthusiast, you may prefer a manual. There is some enjoyment in nailing the shifts out of a corner. But if you are that type of person, you probably already know. I consider myself one as well, but I don't hate the automatic, it's just a different.

But for the majority of people who use cars as modes of transportation, modern automatic cars (especially with double clutch) are really good.

 

[fpdoc0697]

The car suits an automatic and the DSG’s are so fast and reliable. I would imagine you’re not going to be driving a 1.5 V1 primarily for driving pleasure so the DSG is the way to go in my opinion.
Manuals these days are best for weedy engines or sports cars- I don’t think you’ll miss it

 

[tetrad]

I switched from manual gearbox from last 30years to DSG on VZ3 last month. I like the convenience in traffic and combined with the flappy paddles can still make the car do what I want when I like. I’m lucky enough to have a couple of classic Citroen’s both with crazy manual gearboxes to keep my left foot active !

 

[BigJase88]

No brainer auto every time

VAG auto box is second to none.

Manuals are dying of death anyways with shift to electric (all auto)

Manuals are for sports cars / 1st car cheapo super market jobs