Manual transmission v automatic for towing
Iam currently looking to change a 7 year old Kia Sportage Titan for a new Sportage Kx4, Iam debating the manual which I ve been very satisfied with for the new model,but am undecided whether to go manual or auto .Has anyone out there experience of both or either models?I particularly want Kia as its one of the few 4x4s with an opening sun roof,I important for an owner of 3 Yorkshire terriers.
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I can't speak for the Sportage but I had two Kia Sorento's automatics when I was towing and if I were ever to go back to towing I would buy a towcar with an automatic gearbox. Just wished my motorhome was automatic!
David
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Ours is, David.
I agree about the auto Sorento and would always choose auto again.
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I had to make the same choice when I bought a Freelander2 three years ago. The sales manager explained to me that the automatic version was dearer, used more fuel, had worse emissions figures, and had a higher vehicle excise duty charge. I won't say what I decided, but it has worked out very well.
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What is a "manual" apart from something that lives in the glovebox and only gets looked at in an emergency.
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I drive a Hyundai Tucson (which is a sister to the Kia Sportage) auto and have done for a number of years.Apart from a leak in the gearbox that resulted in a rebuild it has worked really well. As others have said autos are more thirsty but I would not go back to a manual.
Mike
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l have towed with manual and Auto. l had 3 shoguns all auto's but wouldn't go passed garages but believe me it did what it said on the tin. No comparison Auto every time the shogun had the semi auto box where you can knock it over to change to manual, brilliant when faced with a steep hill. l have now changed to the Hyundai Santa FE Wiggins edition with all the bells and whistles same set up has the Shogun with semi auto box plus hill decent assist. First impressions brilliant cut the fuel bill by half solo, not towed yet until its done 1200 miles will reserve judgement until l see how it performs. Manual you will definitely get better fuel economy, you have to weigh up this with the ease of towing with an Auto
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A torque converter auto will always be worse that its manual equivalent due to the lack of direct drive through the transmission fluid, however DSG type automated manuals will be very similar to the manual version, because in essence, it is a manual gearbox .... ie it's a direct drive. Hence their recent popularity. Your definition of a semi auto isn't the same as mine ..... a semi auto to me, is a vehicle with a standard manual gear selector but no clutch pedal. We have both torque converter autos & automated manuals and I can drive any of them in auto or I can choose to drive them in manual (not quite with the R Class)
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When I first started out towing a caravan some years ago I had a manual car. It was ok, did the job, but it was hard work. When pulling away from standing starts I always felt like I was asking the drive-train to do too much and sitting in start-stop traffic was a real ball-ache.
I now tow with a primitive four speed auto (Volvo V70 TDi classic) and it is far and above better in nearly all circumstances. Junctions, roundabouts etc are simple, just mash the loud pedal and away she goes - much more efficient in getting away.
Sitting in slow traffic too is much better, most of the time it'll crawl along in 1st gear on tickover and I can control momentum with the brake.
Bear in mind that it's a primitive box with a torque convertor. Personally I don't think I'd feel confident towing with a servo operated clutch type auto box with dual mass flywheels and the like.
I also have an ATF cooler fitted to mine to keep the temperature down as towing puts a lot more strain on the gearbox and without adequate cooling it can cook the fluid and the box. Even with the van on the back it rarely goes above 62 degrees.
The only time a manual would be better is on some long motorway inclines when it would be nice to drop the box down a gear and maintain direct drive. I can still do it in the V70 as it has a lock-up clutch on 2nd, 3rd and 4th but as it's only four gears it kind of feels like there should be a gear ratio between 3rd and 4th, if you know what I mean.
I accept that as a caveat though and still drop down but ease off the power a bit and take it a tad slower so it's not revving the bollocks off the engine.
HTH
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Clip from CPH1977's post above.
"Personally I don't think I'd feel confident towing with a servo operated clutch type auto box with dual mass flywheels and the like."
Why ever not. I guess that's what my VW Passat has and it's an excellent tow car.
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