[BhaskarG]

I am a newbie and cannot vote!!

For me, it is YES.

Actually I own a relatively better and smooth AMT in today's market (Hyundai's electric actuator based), and have written about it in this forum (already quoted by OP). I had opted for an AMT even though I was skeptical about it first.

AMT as a technology will not feel jerky after you get the hang of it. For me, as someone migrating from a MT car, it took about 500 kms of driving to know the gearbox and the way it shifts and how to communicate to it using the throttle. After that it was pretty smooth and predictable. If you are driving sedately, you might even mistake Hyundai's AMT for a TC (1st to 2nd shift will still give it away).

However, the reason I am ready to put my money on a conventional auto is because of its proven reliability. My first hand experience regarding reliability of AMTs is not that great, and would find it hard to recommend the same to someone who is looking for reliability as a major deciding factor. I have been stranded in the road twice due to transmission issues.

[vharihar]

Originally Posted by BhaskarGoswami

However, the reason I am ready to put my money on a conventional auto is because of its proven reliability. My first hand experience regarding reliability of AMTs is not that great, and would find it hard to recommend the same to someone who is looking for reliability as a major deciding factor. I have been stranded in the road twice due to transmission issues.

Oh really! I thought AMTs were very reliable since they were the simplest technologies.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by Sk8r

I would like to believe this is a bit of exaggeration.

For someone who has never driven automatics, AMT is as good as any automatic out there

Maybe you had a bad experience with a particular brand's AMT. I would suggest you to try Hyundai's, who have done a fabulous job with their AMTs ( realibility is yet to be proven tho )

Of course it was slightly in the lighter vein but I meant to underscore just how far I’d go to not own one. Let me try and rephrase in another way if you find it more palatable. I would rather drive a manual than an AMT.

Since 2009/2010 I have principally owned and driven 4 automatics - civic, city, BMW and i10 ( I am not even a fan of the i10 TC automatic, let alone their AMTs).

I have test driven a few AMTs over the years (Maruti, duster as well when it was AMT). I know I am very clear about my personal preference

DONT. LIKE. AMTs. Pinky swear. No exaggeration.

[spr1ngleo]

Originally Posted by vharihar

Oh really! I thought AMTs were very reliable since they were the simplest technologies.

I am yet to savour a conventional automatic, but had a brief tryst with AMT. The downsides of it are :

1. Jerky
2. Clutch juddering after 23k KMs, which the SA himself agreed will get worse with time.
3. Trans axle error on MID, that service folks were unable to diagnose. Although the engine did not stall, but I went in a panic mode. Had to halt the car in the middle of no where with two lady passengers on board.

[sriviswa]

Originally Posted by spr1ngleo

I am yet to savour a conventional automatic, but had a brief tryst with AMT. The downsides of it are :

1. Jerky
2. Clutch juddering after 23k KMs, which the SA himself agreed will get worse with time.
3. Trans axle error on MID, that service folks were unable to diagnose. Although the engine did not stall, but I went in a panic mode. Had to halt the car in the middle of no where with two lady passengers on board.

Hello,

Eventhough I am 50+, I have very little knowledge of the technical aspects of a car though I have been driving on and off for more than 20 years.

I live in Chennai and want to buy a small automatic car for city use primarily. Currently, use a Nano MT. I drive with a very light foot and so does my son (who drives it mostly). My question is, are these above problems universally true, with all car makes, with everyone who has purchased AMT cars (there seems to be so many of them on the roads nowadays). What are the conditions where an AMT would still be livable with (giving a trouble-free experience), or are they an absolute no-no. Usage is about 30 to 50 kms a day currently.

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by sriviswa

I live in Chennai and want to buy a small automatic car for city use primarily. Currently, use a Nano MT. I drive with a very light foot and so does my son (who drives it mostly). My question is, are these above problems universally true, with all car makes, with everyone who has purchased AMT cars (there seems to be so many of them on the roads nowadays). What are the conditions where an AMT would still be livable with (giving a trouble-free experience), or are they an absolute no-no. Usage is about 30 to 50 kms a day currently.

I have an equivalent level of automotive knowledge as you. But I do bank on my trustworthy mechanic of 10 years for inputs. He advised me strongly to avoid AMT cars simply because things go wrong all the time; but they're easy to fix by neighborhood mechanics. It's just the hassle of taking one's car in for a frequent fix that made me choose a reliable Torque Converter automatic in 2018 (2011 Suzuki A Star AT). It's been silent performing its duties, apart from its ageing symptoms.

I'd say - go for a CVT equipped Jazz/Micra or a Hyundai Grand i10 or i10 automatic for city duties. Whatever you lose by way of poorer fuel efficiency when compared to an AMT, you'll claw back by not having to get things repaired all the time. The peace of mind alone makes these non AMT cars worth it!

[Altocumulus]

Voted YES

I have driven the Ignis AMT significantly and I think the AMT gearboxes does suit the 1.2L engines very well and is a breeze to drive to the city when you are driving normally. It's predictable and you can have the gears shift when you want it to according to your wishes by modulating the throttle. It's just a matter of getting used to.

However saying that, I am a guy who loves to speed to up a bit, quick downshifts when the road is clear and am in the mood. For that a proper AT makes sense. And I maybe the only one, however I feel a proper quick shifting AT is more fun in the twisties and hills.

[VikramCS]

YES - definitely YES.

No point bashing any technology - AMT is a cost-effective solution for budget segment small cars meant for city driving. The advantage of not having to operate clutch in chock-a-block traffic, that too at a reasonable price is appreciable. However, in my view if the owner frequents the highways, and, as many BHPians, likes enthusiastic driving, AMTs can disappoint...not to mention the jerkiness (though controlled in Hyundai's) associated with AMTs.
For cars >7+ lakhs, it's prudent to expect a proper automatic.

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Yes, I will pay more or settle for MT.

I won't choose to live with the compromised / confusing performance experienced with the AMTs. I will choose in the following order:

1. Buy MT unless I really need an AT. Today and for foreseeable future, MT is enough for me and for those who drive in my family. Those who aren't comfortable to drive will anyway avoid driving even with AT.
2. If AT becomes a need, I will choose a combination of smooth performance, fuel efficiency and reliability. A small compromise in the FE is acceptable.
3. If I can't afford a good AT, an autoclutch seems to be a better choice. It will save my knee from pressing the clutch and the gear changes will be to my descrition.

[Mile_muncher]

I can't currently vote but honestly I would definitely pay a 'reasonable' amount extra to have a proper TC.

Currently I drive Aspire TDCI, and while I am extremely satisfied with my car, just imagine what kind of transformation a proper AT (not a 4 speed one) can bring to already awesome cars like - NEXON, XUV 300, Altroz. These cars (and many more) would become more loveable IMO.

[rajshenoy]

Couple of questions that come to my mind

Does conventional mean TC or CVT or DSG ?
Would you buy something like Vitara Brezza 4 AT vs Nexon AMT ?

If someone is purely looking at a cheap city car, chances are that we only have AMT as an option and If someone is looking at C2/D+ segment, we do not have AMT even if that is a primary req.

Personally i am happy with my Alto K10 AMT as a beater car. But if I have 10+ lakh budget for an automatic for city usage, i might go with CVT.

[VPJ74]

A very interesting topic! I am personally debating between a i10 AMT vs i20 CVT for a city runner, 2nd car. The price difference today is about 50-70K.

The primary difference between the 2 cars is the transmission and 2 vs 3 star Safety rating.

Any views on the above choices?

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by VPJ74

A very interesting topic! I am personally debating between a i10 AMT vs i20 CVT for a city runner, 2nd car. The price difference today is about 50-70K.

Get the i20 CVT any day over an AMT. The 50-70 thousand will pay for itself and be worth it in the long run. There is absolutely no way an AMT can ever match the smoothness and feel of driving a CVT.

Cheers

[fhdowntheline]

The main issue with MT is when you have to creep on an uphill road, where you need to use all your limbs together in coordination and control 6 components of the driving mechanism. That apart, it is not a big deal. I went through this AMT dilemma recently but settled on a MT Tiago as a beater city car. I was somehow not comfortable with the gear actuation and the slight lack of predictability of the AMT.

[shankar.balan]

I have test driven a few AMT cars. They are perfectly fine as middle-of-the-road, functional, city-commuters.

My Dad has a CVT. That thing is perpetually hunting for the right gear abd one can hear the revving engine all the time. On the highways I like leaving it sitting in L mode just so that it holds lower gears a tad longer. But this compromises FE a bit. Basically, Ive reconciled to driving that CVT car in a more chilled out ‘Cruise’ manner though it doesn’t have Cruise Control.

My Petrol Thar has a Torque Converter. Thats just fantastic. The power surge and the way it slaps down a gear when on an incline or when one stomps the accelerator. The Manual mode is great to downshift for those sweeping curves, well-anticipated rumble strips and speed bumps and chicanes and of course hill roads. I wish they had had paddle shifters on the Thar. It would have been a nice icing on the cake. And the vehicle is silent. No Aural pleasure to be had here.

My pretty little 10 year old Mini Cooper S R56 has the older Aisin 6 speed Torque Converter. And it has paddle shifters as well as a Manual Mode on the Gear Lever. And of course it has a growly burbly S mode. This is a beautifully tuned Torque Converter and immensely satisfying to drive, for obvious reasons.

It gives a pretty ‘raw’ feel as compared to the newer Mini Cooper S (F56) because of that ‘slightly edgy’ torque steer characteristic of that particular R56 generation. And when on the highway it settles into a certain constant drone. I feel somehow like what in my imagination, a Rallye Monte Carlo driver may have felt. The Torque Converter of the R56 also feels ‘raw-er’ than the more slick gearbox of the F56. The F56 feels more ‘controlled’ and the R56 feels just a tad ‘wilder’.

Now that this car is considered as a modern, near-classic, I am also wishing that in addition to the delights offered by the visual and aural senses, I would not mind some additional enjoyment offered by the olfactory senses too. There is a certain pleasure to also be had in the smells associated with petrol-burning fast cars.

These newer entry-level sports cars like the Cooper S and JCW and the Porsche Boxster and Fiat 124 and Mazda MX5 Miata and BMW M340i and all, have gone a very long way in ‘democratising’ sports cars and help any average bloke feel like he or she is a sports car driver. The Paddle Shifters, Sports Mode and Aural cues have a great deal to do with this.

The DSG type of Skoda/ VW/ Audi is smooth shifting yes, but I dont know why, I just prefer the Torque Converter.

Last point. When it comes to paying for something/ anything. I personally will not jib at paying for something/anything that makes my heart side feel good, more than I will listen to my head side.

I will pay for what makes me happy. You cannot put a price on happiness.