← Continued from Page 7 of "Automotive Industry Gotchas. Buying a Good New Car Without Getting Screwed"The Gearbox. Air Conditioning. USB
Automatic gearboxes are usually more comfortable than their manual counterparts. Usually. There are cases, such as the Smart or Toyota IQ, when an automatic gearbox is not truly automatic, but a puny CVT derivative (IQ) or a five-speed robotized manual transmission (Smart) which will really get on your nerves. As a rule of thumb, avoid unfortunate pairings between small engines (1L or less) and automatic transmission (normal, CTV or robotized). It’s like trying to mate a giraffe and a gerbil. Nothing good will ever come out of it.
Automatic gearboxes provide elevated comfort levels but you should be aware they also increase fuel consumption. The only exception is in the case of very powerful engines, when drivers are less likely to shift gears manually in an optimal manner. The reliability of automatic gearboxes is not an issue anymore and hasn’t been for several years; there’s simply no point in discussing it.
On the other hand, a manual gearbox will give you more freedom and, consequently, more fun times, but is clearly not the best choice for people who prefer a safe and tranquil means of transportation.
If possible, get automatic air conditioning, as the manual version installed as a standard is a real pain. It’s much, much more efficient to allow the AC to run on automatic. Dual-zone air conditioning has become something of the norm long ago. I’ve noticed drivers tend to prefer a slightly lower temperature on their side, while passengers who are not participating to the actual driving are more relaxed and prefer to have more comfortable conditions.
Don’t leave the USB port out. Many car makers offer this as an optional feature and it’s extremely convenient to have your favorite music on an USB memory stick than burning countless CDs or, if you’re lucky, DVDs. True, this may leave a hole of up to 1500 Euro in your pocket (it’s in the same package as the navigation features) if you’re getting a Mini Countryman, but being infatuated with this model is also optional.
USB is starting to become standard for many cars and is not linked to GPS navigation features or other extremely expensive equipment packages, therefore costing a lot less, as long as the brand’s not called BMW, Mercedes, Audi and so on.
With that being said, I wish you lots of luck choosing your next new car. I sincerely hope that, in the future, car makers become more open, relevant technical data stops being a taboo subject and we, the clients, become more demanding. We’ll hopefully manage to make manufacturers listen to us more and, eventually, benefit from cars that closely follow technological evolution, which the automotive industry seems to be the slowest to adapt to.
Automatic gearboxes provide elevated comfort levels but you should be aware they also increase fuel consumption. The only exception is in the case of very powerful engines, when drivers are less likely to shift gears manually in an optimal manner. The reliability of automatic gearboxes is not an issue anymore and hasn’t been for several years; there’s simply no point in discussing it.
On the other hand, a manual gearbox will give you more freedom and, consequently, more fun times, but is clearly not the best choice for people who prefer a safe and tranquil means of transportation.
If possible, get automatic air conditioning, as the manual version installed as a standard is a real pain. It’s much, much more efficient to allow the AC to run on automatic. Dual-zone air conditioning has become something of the norm long ago. I’ve noticed drivers tend to prefer a slightly lower temperature on their side, while passengers who are not participating to the actual driving are more relaxed and prefer to have more comfortable conditions.
Don’t leave the USB port out. Many car makers offer this as an optional feature and it’s extremely convenient to have your favorite music on an USB memory stick than burning countless CDs or, if you’re lucky, DVDs. True, this may leave a hole of up to 1500 Euro in your pocket (it’s in the same package as the navigation features) if you’re getting a Mini Countryman, but being infatuated with this model is also optional.
USB is starting to become standard for many cars and is not linked to GPS navigation features or other extremely expensive equipment packages, therefore costing a lot less, as long as the brand’s not called BMW, Mercedes, Audi and so on.
With that being said, I wish you lots of luck choosing your next new car. I sincerely hope that, in the future, car makers become more open, relevant technical data stops being a taboo subject and we, the clients, become more demanding. We’ll hopefully manage to make manufacturers listen to us more and, eventually, benefit from cars that closely follow technological evolution, which the automotive industry seems to be the slowest to adapt to.
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