Manual vs Automatic

Geoff.D said:
Ja I see. The Toyota site just says 4-speed automatic.
No more detail.
The manual versions are at least 5 speed .....
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I even did a bit of digging around trying to find a reference to a model number and Toyota are hugely cagey, which is indicative that they've gone rummaging in their ancient parts bin for shyte that they couldn't sell from ages ago and slapped into into this model.

But to sell a car these days with a 4speed auto is just piss poor, they're fscking ancient tech at this point.
 
ToxicBunny said:
I even did a bit of digging around trying to find a reference to a model number and Toyota are hugely cagey, which is indicative that they've gone rummaging in their ancient parts bin for shyte that they couldn't sell from ages ago and slapped into into this model.

But to sell a car these days with a 4speed auto is just piss poor, they're fscking ancient tech at this point.
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And to think we complaining as private buyers, you get guys who drive theses cars all day as taxis and the like, to make a living.
 
Geoff.D said:
Came across a guy today in a 4 x 4 automatic. He was struggling at about 30 km/h.
He finally pulled off the road. I stopped and asked him what was wrong.
The damn thing was stuck in 4 wheel low and would not disengage. We fiddled around for 20 minutes to get the stupid back into 2-wheel drive.
Now I know the same happens to manual drives as well but it usually takes a few seconds to sort out.
Down goes my opinion of automatics a few more notches.
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You can get similar issues on old manual vehicles too. We once broke a sideshaft on a car from an era you'd appreciate (it could be crank-started!), but couldn't get it into 4WD because the locking front hubs were gummed up with dust.
 
Meister-Man said:
Drove an avanza auto for a few days. It was a rental, needed something with a bit more ground clearance.
It was k@k.
You put your foot down and it revs its nuts off, the lack of refinement and sound deadening didn't help either.
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The Avanza might well be one of the worst vehicles ever sold in SA. I hade one as a rental once. Opened the boot to put my luggage in...and not enough space. Luggage had to go on the back seats. It had a near-horizontal cup holder (WTF?). Handling was terrible, engine was screamy. Just awful all round.
 
Claymore said:
You can get similar issues on old manual vehicles too. We once broke a sideshaft on a car from an era you'd appreciate (it could be crank-started!), but couldn't get it into 4WD because the locking front hubs were gummed up with dust.
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But not on a vehicle in town, with less than 15 000 km on the clock and so new it smells as if it just camecvoff the showroom floor.
 
Claymore said:
You have that right. Anyone wearing a hat while driving is, almost without exception, a menace on the road.
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Beyond being a menace, they're a douche-canoe (new word I picked up from one of those bad driver YouTube videos and I kinda likes it)
 
Geoff.D said:
But not on a vehicle in town, with less than 15 000 km on the clock and so new it smells as if it just camecvoff the showroom floor.
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Yes, even on a vehicle in town with less than 15000km on the clock and so new it smells as if it just came off the showroom floor.

Mates brand spanking new Nissan Navara manual had less than 10000kms on the clock and the gearbox went pop... The vehicle had never seen the offroad yet, or a long road trip or anything hugely taxing at that point.
 
The price and demand for used small hatchback automatics seems all kind of crazy. The good ones get snapped up very quickly and the auto Koreans (i10/picanto) and Japs (Swift/brio/Yaris etc) have great resale.
 
XPD said:
The price and demand for used small hatchback automatics seems all kind of crazy. The good ones get snapped up very quickly and the auto Koreans (i10/picanto) and Japs (Swift/brio/Yaris etc) have great resale.
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Yes it's neigh impossible to get a good deal on a small automatic, they are like hens teeth and pricey.
 
Tech feature: The pros and cons of CVT gearboxes

The need to meet ever-more stringent fuel consumption and emission regulations has become an expensive and complex challenge for motor manufacturers. Reduction of friction in the drivetrain, lessening of aerodynamic drag, deletion of vehicle weight and elimination of rolling resistance are all important focus areas, but the continued evolution of the vehicle’s internal combustion engine remains the number one factor. A general move to engine downsizing has been countered by the widespread adoption of turbocharging, direct injection, variable-camshaft timing, sophisticated electronic engine-management systems and several other technologies, all intended to boost engine efficiency and meet these targets.

However, without an appropriate transmission – carefully matched to the characteristics of the engine and thus allowing it to operate at optimum speeds and engine loads – the improved efficiencies promised cannot be realised. As a result, the most popular transmission types – the torque converter automatic with 37% share worldwide and the conventional manual transmission with approximately 23% share – have seen significant improvements to better match the characteristics of improved engines. The most obvious change has been the trend to more gears with eight, nine and even 10 speeds becoming common. Generally speaking, the more gears in a transmission, the easier it is to maintain the optimum engine speed in different driving conditions, thus improving efficiency and fuel economy.

www.carmag.co.za

Tech feature: The pros and cons of CVT gearboxes - CAR Magazine

By: Graham Eagle The need to meet ever-more stringent fuel consumption and emission regulations has become an expensive and complex challenge for motor manufacturers. Reduction... Read more →
www.carmag.co.za www.carmag.co.za
 
Volkswagen could phase-out the manual gearbox by the end of this decade

A new report from Germany suggests that Volkswagen may be putting an end to its manual gearbox by the end of this decade as the manufacturer pushes forward towards a fully electrified line-up. The first models to do away with the transmission will be the Tiguan and Passat which are sold with the brand’s six-speed in select markets.

As Auto Motor Sport reports based on information from unnamed sources, this is partly due to the push towards electromobility as well as the diminishing demand for manual transmissions. According to market analyst JATO, of a total of 5 838 models across all manufacturers only 1 870 vehicles were sold with manual transmissions. 218 of these were five-speed and 1 652 were six-speeds. In a total of 353 units sold by Volkswagen, 214 are currently equipped with an automatic transmission including the DSG and 139 with a manual.

While not available in higher-end cars here in South Africa, manual transmission Volkswagen products act as entry-points for certain models such as the Caddy, Polo (including Vivo and Sedan), T-Cross and Transporter.

https://www.carmag.co.za/news/rumours/volkswagen-manual-gearbox-end/
 
Volkswagen to slowly phase out manual gearboxes - report

It’s no secret that manual gearboxes are becoming a less common sight in modern vehicles as buyers continue to gravitate towards automatics.

Some premium car brands, such as Jaguar, Land Rover and Mercedes (passenger cars), have already phased out manual transmissions. However, it looks like some mainstream brands are also getting ready to ditch the stick.

According to Auto Motor und Sport, Volkswagen will gradually eliminate manual gearboxes from its cars, starting with the next-generation Tiguan and Passat models in 2023. The German publication says that by 2030 Volkswagen will no longer launch new models with manual options in key markets such as Europe, China and the USA.

Although the shift to electric vehicles will eventually sound the death knell for manual gearboxes anyway, it appears Volkswagen will eliminate manuals long before it completely abandons internal combustion. This reason for this, Auto Motor und Sport says, is to save on development costs. This will likely come hand in hand with a reduction in the number of internal combustion options available. Volkswagen wants to stop selling ICE models in Europe by 2035, although they will continue for a bit longer in other markets.

Most Volkswagen model derivatives in South Africa are already fitted with auto gearboxes. In fact only the Polo Vivo, Polo, T-Cross, Caddy, Transporter and Amarok are still offered with traditional manual transmissions. In total, VWSA offers 29 models with manual gearboxes, versus 47 DSGs or automatics.

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/indu...s-report-fae2dec5-7dd4-474e-9210-5afa379f3811
 
I won't be missing manual shift, especially since I've gotten so accustomed to Audi's multitronic.

My car's got the tiptronic gear shift as well as paddles, but for the tiniest bit of letting my hair down for windgat driving I use the auto all the time - its just that good.
 
Be careful what you wish for. My neighbour's Audi gearbox started giving problems, and had to be replaced. The cost of R50K was covered by the warranty, but you have to drive a lot to justify that sort of expense. .
 
Gordon_R said:
Be careful what you wish for. My neighbour's Audi gearbox started giving problems, and had to be replaced. The cost of R50K was covered by the warranty, but you have to drive a lot to justify that sort of expense. .
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Audi's multitronic boxes are crap and always give crap,rather get something bullet proof like an auto ZF 8 speed in the BMW's and other cars.
 
falcon786 said:
Audi's multitronic boxes are crap and always give crap,rather get something bullet proof like an auto ZF 8 speed in the BMW's and other cars.
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I agree both of my partner's audi A3's had their gearbox replaced under warranty.. Not a good product.

But having said that, my mercedes Benz dct 7 speed has served me well for over 10 years now..
I would only buy auto dct, never cvt or multi.
 
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