Sales of Automatics taking off

anonymous · 26th August 2009, 20:31

My personal opinion, I like being busy through gears and clutch

But anyways its good news and I hope that more companies will follow the trend.

superamerica · 26th August 2009, 20:43

I sincerely wish maruti can launch a second attempt at making ATs. As of now Hyundai is the only manufacturer with options below the 10L bracket. I am waiting for the day when there would a diesel big hatch around 8L with an AT.

TheDoors · 26th August 2009, 20:46

I wanted to own an Automatic and almost came close to booking the Civic AT. However I changed my decision at the last moment and went in for the MT.

Had a feeling that once I get an AT and get used to it and I will probably stop using my small MT car and then slowly find driving any car with MT extremely difficult.

So, I have decided to stick to this rule, If I have to maintain more than one car, all of them have to either MT or all AT. If it is only one car that I have to own then it would most likely going to be an AT.

I have driven my friends ANHC AT and also other AT's in the U.S, its a pleasure driving them, but then there is also a different kind of adrenaline rush when you shift the gears and floor the accelerator which you won't find in an AT.

rageshgr · 26th August 2009, 20:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by NIP

WHat I dont understand is why Ford, being an american company, cant offer automatics at least in the fiesta diesel. I'm sure it will sell like crazy.

Great man! today @ office I was just thinking, I would really love an automatic Fiesta!

Quote:

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

And that's how GTO saved the day

.

Didn't realise it was that bad in the States that a majority can't drive manuals. Its not particularly hard to learn but its very useful to know how to drive it even if you prefer an auto for your daily use.

Here in India, its opposite, many drivers were afraid and not confident of driving my AT, then I explained them how to use, and after a 2 min, they found how easy it is.

But they still told me , their leg automatically starts pumping a non-existent clucth pedal LOL!!

loving_alaap · 26th August 2009, 23:13

AT cars's driving pleasure can not be compared by MT cars. You will feel so relaxed in the usual traffic jams, and even ladies find its so easy to drive.

After buying AT cars, one will definitly cursing himself for not buying AT cars for such time.

And if your AT car is like OHC, than the experience is priceless. (like I m having)

AT sale going off, no surpice for me.

McLaren Rulez · 27th August 2009, 08:56

But if you're an enthusiast, surely you'd go for the MT? From what journalists say even the flappy paddle gearboxes don't match up to a stick shift. Not to mention that the flappy paddle 'box is a pain during tight parking and three point turns.

vasudeva · 27th August 2009, 09:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDoors

I wanted to own an Automatic and almost came close to booking the Civic AT. However I changed my decision at the last moment and went in for the MT.

Had a feeling that once I get an AT and get used to it and I will probably stop using my small MT car and then slowly find driving any car with MT extremely difficult.

Such an unjustifiable concern prevented you for getting an AT. I have been using the AT for more than 2 years, but also have a manual, which I drive sometimes. Never faced such a problem. It is a different matter that I do not feel like changing gears and pressing the clutch anymore.

anilkalvani · 27th August 2009, 11:17

After buying the i10 Auto, i have been an advocate of Automatics for their sheer convenience, ease and stress free driving in bumper-to-bumper city traffic. But having said that i have not tried driving it on the highway and would want to know how to use it precisely while overtaking at high speeds, that's where the manual would really help. Also that's where the Honda City with paddle shift would be apt, i feel.

The major advantages i have seen vis a vis manual transmission are:

1. Ease of driving of course, giving more attention on the road.
2. No strain on the left leg and knee in contant start stop traffic.
3. A month back and recently we had 7 people (5 adults and 2 kids) and 6 adults in the car. The ease is that when there's a full load in the car you need to downshift and constantly change gears to pull the load. With the automatic, all you need to do is press the accelerator! You don't need to work the gears and that removes all the strain when carrying a full load. Its something you appreciate only when you experience it.
4. Driving in my area Pali Hill has become cumbersome with cars parked all over and mini-traffic jams while ascending. Here again, because of no rollback in the automatic, i dont have to negotiate clutch, gear, brakes at all. Just step off the brakes and accelerate!
5. Strain on the engine when the air conditioner is on is not visible when you use an automatic as you don't have to put in any effort of downshifting if there's load on the engine.

These are small but very significant plus points for me, whatever i have observed till now. And yes, my next car replacing my Logan dCi will definitely be an Automatic.

aaggoswami · 27th August 2009, 11:33

Well, its a good trend for those who love AT.
After driving in A'bad and Vadodara and one highway trip in last 15 days, I also once thought of automatic. I thought that AT car will be so good to drive in traffic, I dont have to worry about changing gear or moving the car from standstill will not be an issue, just press the throttle pedal and off you move.

That was untill I made the highway trip. Pulling with Corollas and Vernas and Citys of this world was fun with MT. To me, MT can never be replaced by AT. The feeling of being more in control of the car also comes in, but the best factor is taking the car to redline whenever I want and one shift away is a car that is much alive.

The modern age AT are quite good. Drop in FE is there, but the life of clutch also increase IMHO ( this is the concept I am having ). The G3HC AT has a taller fifth than manual, which is good for highways.
The DSG is also good.

It all boils down to this : If the car is driven more in traffic, go for AT or if you have plans for highway trip, go for MT. Within a few years, we will see more AT as the traffic is sure to get worse. A positive trend if technology is also moving into AT.

DieselFan · 27th August 2009, 12:58

Maruti Udyog the biggest Auto manufacturer in India doesn't have a decent Automatic transmission and have no plans of getting one. They have an outdated 3Speed AT which they have been plonking it in WagonR for quite a while where there are no takers. I feel they should invest on a good AT technology to build AT for all their range of cars. It will sell very well and capture all the AT market at least in the B, B+ and C segment.

TheDoors · 27th August 2009, 13:16

When I switched my booking from AT to MT, the sales person told me that it is a lot easier to sell a MT in the second hand market. Apparently most AT buyers prefer a brand new car.

Also, he mentioned that that the re-sale value drops more for an AT than for the MT.

tanwaramit · 27th August 2009, 13:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselFan

Maruti Udyog the biggest Auto manufacturer in India doesn't have a decent Automatic transmission and have no plans of getting one. They have an outdated 3Speed AT which they have been plonking it in WagonR for quite a while where there are no takers. I feel they should invest on a good AT technology to build AT for all their range of cars. It will sell very well and capture all the AT market at least in the B, B+ and C segment.

Infact why should Maruti spend money on technology ? Doesnt Suzuki has one ? Isnt Swift sold with AT gearbox in Europe ? A Swift with an AT gearbox would have been very good combo, similarly Innova with AT box is much awaited. Only if these manufacturers listen to us.

jesal · 27th August 2009, 14:06

i got on the autobox bandwagon 4 years back and have not looked back on manuals at all. its not like india has good manual cars anyways at decent prices ofcourse. to those who say autos give less mileage than manuals they dont know how to drive a auto hence the rumour, its only in india where they say this as far as resale goes autos are more priced than manuals as of now

amitoj · 27th August 2009, 14:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselFan

Maruti Udyog the biggest Auto manufacturer in India doesn't have a decent Automatic transmission and have no plans of getting one. They have an outdated 3Speed AT which they have been plonking it in WagonR for quite a while where there are no takers. I feel they should invest on a good AT technology to build AT for all their range of cars. It will sell very well and capture all the AT market at least in the B, B+ and C segment.

+1 there. Right now, i10 AT is running away with the complete pie of poeple looking for an AT car within city. There is no other hatch AT at all (not counting Reva here)! And the number of people willing to buy an AT is on the rise. And it is going to increase only.
I feel MUL should have atleast tried launching an AT version for the new Estilo atleast. That would have surely helped their sales numbers.

vasudeva · 27th August 2009, 14:20

I had posted earlier that for ATs to have any penetration, they should be offered in compacts. Compacts and minis account for 80% of domestic sales, and this share has held for the last 6-7 years with compacts gaining from M-800. In this segment, except for some minor sales of Santro, perhaps 99.8% of 80% is manual.

For me AT hold benefits under both low and high mileage conditions:
1. Low mileage per month: the FE penalty is low.
2. High mileage: the comfort and less fatigue is much higher than the 200-300 rupees lost on low FE.

26th August 2009, 20:31	#16
anonymous BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: NCR Posts: 565 Thanked: 25 Times	My personal opinion, I like being busy through gears and clutch But anyways its good news and I hope that more companies will follow the trend.
	() Thanks

26th August 2009, 20:43	#17
superamerica BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 59 Thanked: 0 Times	I sincerely wish maruti can launch a second attempt at making ATs. As of now Hyundai is the only manufacturer with options below the 10L bracket. I am waiting for the day when there would a diesel big hatch around 8L with an AT.
	() Thanks

26th August 2009, 20:46	#18
TheDoors BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 27 Thanked: 0 Times	I wanted to own an Automatic and almost came close to booking the Civic AT. However I changed my decision at the last moment and went in for the MT. Had a feeling that once I get an AT and get used to it and I will probably stop using my small MT car and then slowly find driving any car with MT extremely difficult. So, I have decided to stick to this rule, If I have to maintain more than one car, all of them have to either MT or all AT. If it is only one car that I have to own then it would most likely going to be an AT. I have driven my friends ANHC AT and also other AT's in the U.S, its a pleasure driving them, but then there is also a different kind of adrenaline rush when you shift the gears and floor the accelerator which you won't find in an AT.
	() Thanks

26th August 2009, 23:13	#20
loving_alaap BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Ahmedabad Posts: 808 Thanked: 9 Times	AT cars's driving pleasure can not be compared by MT cars. You will feel so relaxed in the usual traffic jams, and even ladies find its so easy to drive. After buying AT cars, one will definitly cursing himself for not buying AT cars for such time. And if your AT car is like OHC, than the experience is priceless. (like I m having) AT sale going off, no surpice for me.
	() Thanks

27th August 2009, 08:56	#21
McLaren Rulez Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Mysore Posts: 3,390 Thanked: 5,107 Times	But if you're an enthusiast, surely you'd go for the MT? From what journalists say even the flappy paddle gearboxes don't match up to a stick shift. Not to mention that the flappy paddle 'box is a pain during tight parking and three point turns.
	() Thanks

27th August 2009, 11:17	#23
anilkalvani BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Bandra West, Bombay Posts: 633 Thanked: 89 Times	After buying the i10 Auto, i have been an advocate of Automatics for their sheer convenience, ease and stress free driving in bumper-to-bumper city traffic. But having said that i have not tried driving it on the highway and would want to know how to use it precisely while overtaking at high speeds, that's where the manual would really help. Also that's where the Honda City with paddle shift would be apt, i feel. The major advantages i have seen vis a vis manual transmission are: 1. Ease of driving of course, giving more attention on the road. 2. No strain on the left leg and knee in contant start stop traffic. 3. A month back and recently we had 7 people (5 adults and 2 kids) and 6 adults in the car. The ease is that when there's a full load in the car you need to downshift and constantly change gears to pull the load. With the automatic, all you need to do is press the accelerator! You don't need to work the gears and that removes all the strain when carrying a full load. Its something you appreciate only when you experience it. 4. Driving in my area Pali Hill has become cumbersome with cars parked all over and mini-traffic jams while ascending. Here again, because of no rollback in the automatic, i dont have to negotiate clutch, gear, brakes at all. Just step off the brakes and accelerate! 5. Strain on the engine when the air conditioner is on is not visible when you use an automatic as you don't have to put in any effort of downshifting if there's load on the engine. These are small but very significant plus points for me, whatever i have observed till now. And yes, my next car replacing my Logan dCi will definitely be an Automatic.
	() Thanks

27th August 2009, 11:33	#24
aaggoswami Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Vadodara Posts: 4,982 Thanked: 2,931 Times	Well, its a good trend for those who love AT. After driving in A'bad and Vadodara and one highway trip in last 15 days, I also once thought of automatic. I thought that AT car will be so good to drive in traffic, I dont have to worry about changing gear or moving the car from standstill will not be an issue, just press the throttle pedal and off you move. That was untill I made the highway trip. Pulling with Corollas and Vernas and Citys of this world was fun with MT. To me, MT can never be replaced by AT. The feeling of being more in control of the car also comes in, but the best factor is taking the car to redline whenever I want and one shift away is a car that is much alive. The modern age AT are quite good. Drop in FE is there, but the life of clutch also increase IMHO ( this is the concept I am having ). The G3HC AT has a taller fifth than manual, which is good for highways. The DSG is also good. It all boils down to this : If the car is driven more in traffic, go for AT or if you have plans for highway trip, go for MT. Within a few years, we will see more AT as the traffic is sure to get worse. A positive trend if technology is also moving into AT.
	() Thanks

27th August 2009, 12:58	#25
DieselFan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,584 Thanked: 259 Times	Maruti Udyog the biggest Auto manufacturer in India doesn't have a decent Automatic transmission and have no plans of getting one. They have an outdated 3Speed AT which they have been plonking it in WagonR for quite a while where there are no takers. I feel they should invest on a good AT technology to build AT for all their range of cars. It will sell very well and capture all the AT market at least in the B, B+ and C segment.
	() Thanks

27th August 2009, 13:16	#26
TheDoors BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 27 Thanked: 0 Times	When I switched my booking from AT to MT, the sales person told me that it is a lot easier to sell a MT in the second hand market. Apparently most AT buyers prefer a brand new car. Also, he mentioned that that the re-sale value drops more for an AT than for the MT.
	() Thanks

27th August 2009, 14:06	#28
jesal BANNED Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 2,323 Thanked: 13 Times View My Garage	i got on the autobox bandwagon 4 years back and have not looked back on manuals at all. its not like india has good manual cars anyways at decent prices ofcourse. to those who say autos give less mileage than manuals they dont know how to drive a auto hence the rumour, its only in india where they say this as far as resale goes autos are more priced than manuals as of now
	() Thanks

27th August 2009, 14:20	#30
vasudeva Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 2,221 Thanked: 212 Times	I had posted earlier that for ATs to have any penetration, they should be offered in compacts. Compacts and minis account for 80% of domestic sales, and this share has held for the last 6-7 years with compacts gaining from M-800. In this segment, except for some minor sales of Santro, perhaps 99.8% of 80% is manual. For me AT hold benefits under both low and high mileage conditions: 1. Low mileage per month: the FE penalty is low. 2. High mileage: the comfort and less fatigue is much higher than the 200-300 rupees lost on low FE.
	() Thanks