OT: automatic van hire - possible?

[Unbeliever]

Now that is a "pretty stupid" response!

Believe it or not, there are some disabled and able-bodied people out there who are unable to use a manual gearchange for many reasons.

Many of the disabled and able-bodied people that I have met are probably more active than you - particularly in the brains department!

Now that is the kettle calling the old saucepan black!

Now get someone else to think for you then - as you seem unable to do it for yourself. ;-)

BTW, can you actually drive a vehicle, if so, do you legally hold a licence to do so - and which type?

[Huge]

That may account for some of the rather heated discussions I've seen on the topic.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

To our US cousins, an auto has a torque convertor. Use and understanding Engish never their strongest point.

The strange thing is in the UK the DVLA (at one point) considered the BMW SMG box a manual as regards the licence needed. It was a single clutch automated synchromesh box that as far as the driver was concerned is an auto.

[Huge]

Ahhh.

Well, they don't actually speak it, do they?

Likely an error in the beaurocracy.

[dennis]

Unfortunate that's not true.. you can get auto cars in the UK that don't have a torque converter and don't have a clutch pedal. IIRC Vauxhall use the selectronic on some cars and that doesn't have a clutch and can change gear automatically with no torque converter. Smarts don't have a clutch pedal or torque converter either, even on the so called manuals.

I thought it was the clutch that determined whether you had taken a manual test or an auto test. You are tested on clutch control in the manual test.

I think you would struggle to pass a manual test in a car with floppy paddle gear changes but I couldn't swear to it.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

So? I was referring to what those in the US refer to as an auto.

What a car maker chooses to call a version of their transmission is no guide to the design. BMW called one of their selector mechanisms Steptronic, but behind the name was a normal torque convertor auto. Every possible combination of clutch and torque convertor with different gearbox types have been made at some point or another. But if it doesn't change gear without some action from a driver, it's not an auto.

Apparently not in the case of the BMW SMG unit. And I'm not sure how you'd get on with a pre-select box as was quite common up to the mid '50s. I think that is treated as a manual - although you don't need a clutch for starting off.

Pretty well all cars with paddle gear changes - apart from some exotics - have an auto mode. Using the paddles will give the driver a degree of control over the gearchanges - but this is no different from a conventional auto.

[charles]

[Snip]

1. it depends on the disability.
2. Driver doesn't mean loader/unloader. Our local builders' merchant has a disabled driver for one of its lorries. He can drive and operate the mini-winch on the lorry. It's up to the customer to help unload.

[Jethro]

It usually the selling on they worry about. My wife needs an automatic due to her disability, and it's a right faff trying to get one to test drive (on Motability). Last time we test drove a Ford, the dealer refused point blank to get an automatic (despite being willing to sell us one). When the Mrs asked him why, he said "they're difficult to sell second hand", to which I replied "maybe you're not a very good salesman then.". Which made my Dad (40 years selling cars) smile. He's still proud of the day he sold an automatic MGB a colleague got stiffed in p/ex with, in the early 70s.

[Huge]

Utter bollocks. My wife can only drive an automatic and we've had no trouble whatsoever disposing of her cars. Indeed, people are usually climbing over each other for them, since small automatics are like rocking horse poo.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Autos usually command a premium secondhand. Indeed with some models you'd have difficulty shifting the manual version. But that may change as they get older - people worried about repair costs.

[Jethro]

That was his excuse. We've had 12 years of it now ... usually they need to phone around the country to find another dealer who has an automatic tester. Unless they have a member of staff who has one - a few times we've test driven personal cars.

I've written to Motability a few times, suggesting they try and encourage dealers to carry auto cars (and adjust the advance payments) to reflect the fact that for many disabled people, the single most essential "adaptation" is an automatic gearbox.

After the Ford debacle, we were incredibly lucky to bump into someone in a car park who had just got a Citroen C4 Grand Picasso, with the flappy- paddle auto box. We called a local dealer who was more than happy to arrange test drive in an auto. That, coupled with the £600 advance payment (compared to the £3,000 Ford one) sealed the deal. It's a great car, and with 45mpg average consumption, very economical.

[Jethro]

Things may be changing ... but I recall in the 70s and 80s, very few people would even try an automatic. Just prejudice I guess.

[Huge]

Oh, I wasn't getting at you. My wife wanted to try an automatic Mini (a new shape one) but the dealer said they couldn't get one, not because they were hard to sell, but for the opposite reason - as soon as one came in, they sold them straight off the forecourt.

[Huge]

I didn't like them until forced to get one because of my wife. Now I wouldn't have a manual for everyday motoring.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I started seriously on them because jaguars didn't come in manual.

Jag auto boxes are petty good,. so when I traded the jag in because I had had me fun and wasn't doing the mileage, I got an auto freelander instead. wife was dubious..for the first 3 minutes..the 'Ooh yes, I want it'

After the dear old defender, its become the second most loved car ever I think. AND I can to an extent override the box if I want to pedal along country lanes a bit briskly.

The only penalty is fuel consumption really. Some of those 'automated manuals' don't even have that problem.

I still have a manual as well. and its a bit weird for the first few minutes. And harder work, especially in traffic.

So I totally endorse autos. Unless you want to e a hairy arsed sports car driver, or save the ultimate penny on fuel get one.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Autos have come on a long way since then. Once only 2 or three speed, they're now often 5+. And the few small cars which offered one usually just adapted one from a much larger car. The original Mini had an auto specially made for it which worked quite well but wasn't very reliable.

[ARWadsworth]

He seems the sort of guy that would tell a thalidomide victim to grow a pair of arms and stop being lazy!

[hugh]

In message , The Natural Philosopher writes

Because they don't have a torque converter and are effectively a manual with a robot gear changer.

[hugh]

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

Had an Austin 110 auto in 1967. 4 speed box mounted under the engine and used the engine oil as transmission fluid. Brilliant little car to drive - til I suddenly lost reverse. That was amusing trying to park it. Had a Daf belt driven CVT that was brilliant especially in snow. Have had Volvo estate autos, Jeeps Cherokee and Grand very smooth boxes and a Land Rover Defender V8 auto. Poorest auto boxes have been those on VWs -a Transporter van and two Polos. Recently gone back to 6 speed manual on new Defender - bloody awful. Forever changing gear. Totally mindless. No thought or decision making involved. Engine says change gear, so I change gear. Left leg, left arm here we go again... and again... and again.

[Andy Champ]

Diesel was it? With that legendary torque spread?

Funny how that still seems to be a selling point when modern diesels are turbocharged and tuned until they have a power band like a 1950s racing car.

Andy