The Day Diesel Became an Automatic Choice – A Personal Journey
I used to be a hot-hatch type of driver – a class of car that’s returning to popularity now after a brief period where fuel bills and insurance premiums had contrived against it. This resurgence is also bringing along a wave of sports coupes to tempt this kind of driver. Smaller, more punch-per-pound turbo engines have improved the fuel efficiency and a small, fast, yet practical vehicle could again be tempting to see on my driveway.
What to Select?
However a little while back, I was tempted by a large coupé for no other reason than it looked fantastic, essentially the coupé’s raison d’être.
I was coming to the end of the term (well, dealer warranty period) on my hot hatch and couldn’t get the spy-shots, sneak previews and launch-date speculation out of my head. Then the unthinkable happened once the specifications were released… no, it was affordable; yes, it was available in white (that year’s en vogue “colour”) the problem was that to get the performance of my sporty hatchback with reasonable fuel economy, the sole option was the V6 diesel – only available as an automatic!
It took a couple of weeks of soul-searching to decide that even if it might only be skin-deep; beauty was going to win over the beast. I ticked the boxes – equipment choices, finance and the mental “try anything once” selection.
Change is Good
The idea of a manual shifting petrol powered car is tremendously appealing for the racing driver in all of us. Of course on the public roads this instinct has to be diluted, although the track-day treat is an option which is well and truly on the radar in recent times. The connection to the actual mechanicals of the gearbox and the traditional power delivery of a petrol engine can make us feel a cut above the average motorist and affords a little more enjoyment on whatever journey, be it business or pleasure.
I have been the recipient of gift experience days on a racing track, but for me day to day motoring fulfils the overwhelming majority of my time behind the wheel and much of that is in built up areas. What I found fairly quickly was that the blend of an automatic and a modern diesel engine was an irresistible combination. I never embarrassingly missed a gear change when squirting onto a busy roundabout in rush-hour with a billion tonne juggernaut bearing down on me and for situations when I needed more control, there was a “manual” mode so I could choose when to move up or down the ratios. Just like a racing driver!
The other smug benefit of the auto box became apparent during those increasingly frequent occasions stuck in a queue on the motorway. This is a frustrating and tiring situation and I really enjoyed not having to be constantly depressing the clutch pedal, engaging first, releasing the handbrake, releasing the clutch pedal delicately, inching forward, possibly grabbing second, then braking and repeating the process. The automatic gearbox (and an electronic handbrake release) made this process ALMOST a pleasure. Add to this all the times when a journey has to be made and you are not really in the mood for all of that extra work and the advantages are difficult to resist.
Fuelling the Habit
Now I was addicted to the automatic gearbox, the benefit of the diesel engine was also apparent, especially in this combination. The instant low-down torque enables efficient progress in those scenarios where you are not stuck in a go-slow in the fast lane: needing to get past that tractor safely on a country road – a situation where previously the hot-hatch excelled. The difference between petrol and diesel motoring has oft been debated, but practice sometimes overrides the theory.
Despite being a 3-litre V6, this new generation diesel unit was also proving more economical than the 2-litre petrol engine I was previously running. The alternative petrol V6 certainly wouldn’t have been. So despite one minor lapse into the old habit – a couple of litres of unleaded accidentally deposited in the tank – I was also actually enjoying the other choice I initially felt I had been forced into.
Horses for Courses
Perhaps this choice is not for everyone, there are still cons to the diesel option, and in some situations the initial cost only makes sense after a lot of mileage. However if you are in the situation where a larger vehicle really is necessary and you are apprehensive about leaving behind your inner championship winner, rest assured that the mix of a diesel engine and an automatic gearbox can be a revelation.
An interesting article that helps make the point that “petrol” heads can become “diesel” heads without giving up the fun and joy of motoring. When driving my old A4 diesel on a busy but not crowded M25 one morning I remember the surprise at getting the ‘distance until next refuel’ figure up to 999 miles!
The point about automatics taking the hard work out of much of the day-to-day motoring hat we all do is also well made.