I miss driving a manual… only because my left side has nothing to do… as a consequence I now have a severely weak left arm…
I find myself slumped sideways in the seat. and because I have nothing to do for such a long time, my left leg is often asleep when I get out of the cab…
Muckaway:
How many auto converts out there would buy an auto car though?
funny you should ask this as i had to drive my old mans jaguar xjr tonight to take us all out for a family occasion,lovely motor,with its 4 litre supercharged lump its a flying machine,but its achilles heel is its poxy slush box!!
fantastic car but it is criminal to saddle it with such a lifeless gearbox…
same with lorries,cant beat a manual,(although the fmx volvo i had was very good once i got used to it-on the road,but was ■■■■ poor on the tip.and i mean ■■■■ poor-i used to dread wet weather lol…)
and the alternative was a volvo with a manual (cable change) pudding stirrer- no thanks.
there is a lot to be said for the 16 speed zf manual box in a daf cf-very nice combination in my opinion…
Andrew S just move the stick to the left and use the gearbox manually,J box quite excellent and in manual/sport mode that’s the button below gearstick
it will fly,least it does on my Sovereign.
Armagedon:
Andrew S just move the stick to the left and use the gearbox manually,J box quite excellent and in manual/sport mode that’s the button below gearstick
it will fly,least it does on my Sovereign.
i know that,but if it was fitted with a really slick 5 or 6 speed manual it would transform the car-that said its something of a monster anyway once it gets going.i just feel feel the auto box somehow makes the car “feel” heavier than it is-i’m used to high powered hot hatches etc and like the linear feel when you press the loud pedal…
Same here, i miss it too…
I see no real benefits regarding fuel economy in the Daf i drive.
I wish that one day they will revert back to manuals.
There are some things though that i would never go back too though and thats no power steering, i remember trying to drive my dads unit without it when i was younger and blimey that was hard 
gazzah:
Same here, i miss it too…
I see no real benefits regarding fuel economy in the Daf i drive.
I wish that one day they will revert back to manuals.
There are some things though that i would never go back too though and thats no power steering, i remember trying to drive my dads unit without it when i was younger and blimey that was hard
my dad used to have a semi automatic “two pedal leyland beaver”.he thought it was great ,apart from the lack of power steering ffs !!! all that “technology” back in the sixties,and they still saw fit to offer it without power steering as standard. 
Autoboxes can’t see the road ahead, and flicking at some silly tacky plastic switch to change gear is just stupid.
Now,now you young lad’s don’t be so harsh about the lack of power steering it had massive advantages in particular for a ‘NEW’ driver.
We all have to reverse,today make a mistake it is not too hard to begin again, indeed some even turn the unit into a forklift with a nob
on the steering wheel but without power steering you learnt fast how to reverse,very fast because it was too damned hard if you got it wrong,
in those days reversing was done perfectly everytime,I kid you not, the pain in the arms getting it wrong was almost unbearable.
Andyroo:
Autoboxes can’t see the road ahead, and flicking at some silly tacky plastic switch to change gear is just stupid.
andy187:
Andyroo:
Autoboxes can’t see the road ahead, and flicking at some silly tacky plastic switch to change gear is just stupid.
That’s depressing.
Prefer an auto anytime, if needs be can instantly knock it into manual mode. Anyway how the hell would i be able to concentrate on watching the world cup next month if I have to constantly change gear while im driving!
dowahdiddyman:
Prefer an auto anytime, if needs be can instantly knock it into manual mode. Anyway how the hell would i be able to concentrate on watching the world cup next month if I have to constantly change gear while im driving!
I’ll be alright with a manual then- I couldn’t give a tossabout the World Cup.
I must be a really crap driver because I love autos. I don’t have a problem reversing under trailers or reversing up to bays and I don’t get stuck in the snow or have a problem with roundabouts. If I see a sharp rise coming I just knock it down a cog or two because I am in control.
What do you peeps do if you need a ferry wait on the dock in hope Noah comes along with his Ark!
knight:
I must be a really crap driver because I love autos. I don’t have a problem reversing under trailers or reversing up to bays and I don’t get stuck in the snow or have a problem with roundabouts. If I see a sharp rise coming I just knock it down a cog or two because I am in control.
What do you peeps do if you need a ferry wait on the dock in hope Noah comes along with his Ark!
You obviously drive a Volvo and not a DAF then.
I have to admit I just got a 14 plate Daf and I don’t like the auto as much as the 11 plate MAN I had before.
bigr250:
Any dim-whit can drive an auto (which is why 99% of all new trucks are auto) but it takes a ‘half decent’ driver to get the best out of a manual.Ross.
I consider myself a ‘half decent’ driver, but d’know, I like being a dim whit(sic) 
knight:
I have to admit I just got a 14 plate Daf and I don’t like the auto as much as the 11 plate MAN I had before.
Thats interesting, i thought they were the same crap box, indeed several times its been suggested here that the latest fitments in DAFs are a big improvement (could hardly be worse), so whats wrong with the DAF jobbie please.
I find the MAN’s auto clutch better (thats not saying much mind), DAFs i’ve been unfortunate enough to drive with ZF’s autobox the clutch has been more like an on/off switch, is that still the same bloody awful thing.
How they get this rubbish through type approval has always been a mystery.
kr79:
A lot of the problem is drivers putting it in auto and leaving it. Its an automated manual and a bit of manual override can make the drive a lot more enjoyable.
^This. I often drive in manual mode, but there comes a point where you think “why can’t there just be a gear stick in here” rather than you messing about with a flappy paddle or whatever.
iShift in my experience requires the least manual overrides, which quite simply makes it the best box.
I’m in a new job using a manual box in a 105 XF and I’m loving it! Snatching that half gear when freighted on a steep hill is great now!
I remember driving manuals and it was a great feeling being in control of the truck and getting the gear changes spot on 
but i also remember being in traffic jams and your left leg feeling like its about to fall off with all the gear changes 
i dont really have a problem with automatics apart from the MAN which seems to be hesitant when moving off and it wants to rev its nuts off all the time !! 