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Experiences of 3 cylinder automatics?

Passion, instruction, buying, care, maintenance and more, any form of vehicle discussion is welcome here
Lootman
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Re: Experiences of 3 cylinder automatics?

#387800

Postby Lootman » February 18th, 2021, 5:33 pm

9873210 wrote:I drove a Camry with an inline-4 with no compression on one for a couple of months. Can't say I noticed much difference.

Well, you would have used 33% more petrol than otherwise. You might have noticed that if you were tracking your fuel mileage.

That uncombusted petrol was flushing away vital lubricrants and that probably didn't help much either.

And if the spent unburnt fuel was ignited in the exhaust system then you certainly would have "noticed" :D

jackdaww
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Re: Experiences of 3 cylinder automatics?

#387818

Postby jackdaww » February 18th, 2021, 6:40 pm

staffordian wrote:Coincidentally, I have today driven a three cylinder automatic for the first time. Whilst my Tucson is in for service I've been given a 70 reg 1.0 litre Hyundai i10 automatic.

Not unduly impressed, I have to say.

The box is apparently a five speed manual with clutch and gears operated by a robot (according to a road test I've just read). Whilst I realise this is probably the best from an economy viewpoint, my initial reaction is that the changes are sluggish and the car seems to hunt between gears at times when trundling along.

I suspect a CVT might be a better fit, but some of these, particularly those from Nissan, from what I've read, might be made of chocolate or similar based on their reliability.

So, in summary, whilst I don't think three cylinder engines are bad, I'd be very keen to give an auto version a decent test before making any decisions.


========================

my nissan primera CVT did 150k miles - still going strong.

my current nissan qashqai CVT has been fine so far .

i dont like the sound of these DSG dual clutch robotics at all .

honda and toyota ( most reliable ) have taken the CVT route .

:)

Lootman
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Re: Experiences of 3 cylinder automatics?

#387822

Postby Lootman » February 18th, 2021, 6:47 pm

jackdaww wrote:
staffordian wrote:The box is apparently a five speed manual with clutch and gears operated by a robot

i dont like the sound of these DSG dual clutch robotics at all .

Agreed, sounds like an automatic in all but name, but with extra complications.

Back in the 1950s a few cars came with so-called "Manumatic" gearboxes. Essentially they were manual gearboxes that didn't need a clutch. Never really caught on.

Either give me a manual box with control, or an automatic box where I can forget about gears.

swill453
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Re: Experiences of 3 cylinder automatics?

#387823

Postby swill453 » February 18th, 2021, 6:54 pm

Lootman wrote:Either give me a manual box with control, or an automatic box where I can forget about gears.

Well the (VW) DSG can be treated exactly as an automatic, if you so wish. Stick it in 'D' and forget about it.

The manual changes and "flappy paddles" are there if you want them, but pretty unobtrusive if you don't.

I have one, and you're really not aware of the changes*. Or much engine noise at all.

* - unless you watch the rev counter

Scott.

Lootman
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Re: Experiences of 3 cylinder automatics?

#387832

Postby Lootman » February 18th, 2021, 7:31 pm

swill453 wrote:
Lootman wrote:Either give me a manual box with control, or an automatic box where I can forget about gears.

Well the (VW) DSG can be treated exactly as an automatic, if you so wish. Stick it in 'D' and forget about it.

The manual changes and "flappy paddles" are there if you want them, but pretty unobtrusive if you don't.

I guess so. All the automatics I have owned have had the ability to choose a different gear if I want to, up or down. But they didn't have those fancy paddle shifters.

staffordian
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Re: Experiences of 3 cylinder automatics?

#387843

Postby staffordian » February 18th, 2021, 9:27 pm

Re the DSG autos, (possibly just VAG ones?) I've read that if you treat them like an automatic, eg pull up at lights and pull handbrake on, they don't properly disengage and therefore slip the clutch causing wear. Whereas holding the car on the footbrake does disengage it. Hence the number of drivers sitting at lights with their foot on the brake blinding the following car.

Is there any truth in this or is it just one of those urban myths?

staffordian
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Re: Experiences of 3 cylinder automatics?

#387844

Postby staffordian » February 18th, 2021, 9:30 pm

jackdaww wrote:
staffordian wrote:Coincidentally, I have today driven a three cylinder automatic for the first time. Whilst my Tucson is in for service I've been given a 70 reg 1.0 litre Hyundai i10 automatic.

Not unduly impressed, I have to say.

The box is apparently a five speed manual with clutch and gears operated by a robot (according to a road test I've just read). Whilst I realise this is probably the best from an economy viewpoint, my initial reaction is that the changes are sluggish and the car seems to hunt between gears at times when trundling along.

I suspect a CVT might be a better fit, but some of these, particularly those from Nissan, from what I've read, might be made of chocolate or similar based on their reliability.

So, in summary, whilst I don't think three cylinder engines are bad, I'd be very keen to give an auto version a decent test before making any decisions.


========================

my nissan primera CVT did 150k miles - still going strong.

my current nissan qashqai CVT has been fine so far .

i dont like the sound of these DSG dual clutch robotics at all .

honda and toyota ( most reliable ) have taken the CVT route .

:)

I guess the ones which fail are the only ones you tend to hear of. I must say, my late father had a Micra with CVT back in the early 2000s as his last car and that was fine, though he did very few miles in it.

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Re: Experiences of 3 cylinder automatics?

#388374

Postby raybarrow » February 21st, 2021, 11:47 am

Hi Folks,

Think I know why my two 'Thanks' replies never appeared. I was using a Private Window. Anyway, thanks for the comments.
The proof will have to be in the test dirve, when Boris allows us to go out for non-essential things. I briefly looked at electric cars, not that I want to pay that sort of price. Dissapointed to find we have learnt nothing about 'standard' fittings and the different types of charging points charging points. Something like seven different kind of connectors, really useful - not. At least a petrol pump is a petrol pump is a petrol pump.

I think the last 'standard' thing, that springs to mind, in the UK was the 13amp three pin socket.

Enough ranting,
Ray.

AF62
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Re: Experiences of 3 cylinder automatics?

#388540

Postby AF62 » February 21st, 2021, 9:13 pm

raybarrow wrote:I briefly looked at electric cars, not that I want to pay that sort of price. Dissapointed to find we have learnt nothing about 'standard' fittings and the different types of charging points charging points. Something like seven different kind of connectors, really useful - not. At least a petrol pump is a petrol pump is a petrol pump.


I suggest you need to do more research.

A few years back there was an issue, but these days all new EVs in the UK use at minimum a 'type 2' connector with the only issue being the rate which the car charges - and that is only whether it charges at a rate over 22kW at a commercial charger (domestic type 2 would charge at 7kW or 3.6kW), so a charger is a charger.


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