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, Fri, 7 May 2004 08:03:58
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Thanks for giving (as usual) such a balanced picture. To back up your thesis, I was prepared to pay the cost of a rebuild a couple of years ago because I really like my automatic and wanted to stay with a car I knew - the transmission is not the only thing that can fail...
Models will vary, but for my year (1993) a standard 200 bhp 2.3 turbo automatic is supposed to get to 60 in 8.1 seconds rather than 7.2 for the manual. In real-life terms, allowing for less than perfect manual changes, there's very little difference. Top speed is listed as 140 rather than 143 mph.
Fitting a bigger-bore exhaust such as the JT 3" works really well with the automatic transmission, and any remaining turbo lag seems to be soaked up by the normal working of the automatic transmission. The extra oomph and flexibility will probably have the auto and manual level-pegging, and if the exhaust needs replacing anyway the cost is negligible. Finally, one can defeat (ie. cut or interrupt) the circuit that restricts boost on automatics, at the risk of shorter transmission life.
On fuel economy, the figures for the 1993 2.3 turbo are 19% worse on our European "Urban" cycle, and 10% worse at 75 mph. Quite a big difference (and more important at European fuel prices!) but you could see greater differences between drivers on cars with either transmission. I would expect later (or newer) cars to be more fuel-efficient overall, and there may be differences in gearing between years but you get the picture.
There are a few operational anoyances with the ZF auto, particularly the lack of a detent to stop you going straight from third into neutral when you really want fourth. The movements are very short, and Mercedes does this better. But you were locked in third to start with because it's the perfect gear for winding country roads, and prevents the up-change to fourth halfway though a corner which is the unwelcome reward for easing off in case someone's coming the other way.
Just point and shoot...
posted by 81.131.231...
, Fri, 7 May 2004 09:03:16, Fri, 7 May 2004 08:03:58
, Fri, 7 May 2004 07:58:37
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