NEW Berlingo but which, auto or manual

[ATL_driver]

hey you guys, I'm sure many have seen my posts about me and my 63 plate Berlingo 90 over the last year and 3 months, well in that time I've added Cruise Control and not had any real issues in the 72,500mls I've done since getting the van, so we will be getting another one for sure, what are my options, quite like the 6 Speed auto's the lorry world is embracing the automatic gearbox in a work vehicle, maybe I need to do the same.. any one got the auto box? any issues?

the van does 64,000mls a year, on town and country roads and a very little bit of fast dual carriageway driving, will the auto gearbox cope,  we don't carry weight but the chiller van conversion is about 150KG
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what are your views? 

[Lighty]

Had one in the other day with the clutch worn out, , had done @ 85k miles , cost to change was about £900 with a new flywheel, just saying !

[ATL_driver]

Had one in the other day with the clutch worn out, , had done @ 85k miles , cost to change was about £900 with a new flywheel, just saying !

mother had a focus manual that needed that @50,000 costing over £1000, that's all cars now days, manual or auto

I drive fairly well  smooth but fast, never worn a clutch out myself haha

[ATL_driver]

so anybody else have a view on these, good or bad?

[Chris__M]

I've had two autos, and love them both. Had previously driven a fully automatic Scenic, and it didn't take me long to adapt - I now prefer the Berlingo.

Interesting to read Doofer's comment about not needing to release the throttle. You don't need to, but I felt that if you do lift off just as you feel it changing, and then put it down again, the change is smoother. Might be my imagination, and it doesn't bother me enough to do this consistantly and religiously.

[Dawntreader]

you can force an early change as well by lifting off on the throttle, if you feel its necessary. autos are more relaxing to drive. had three over the years but none recently. in the second hand market, auto would not matter to me really
Mel

[ATL_driver]

my daily retro Honda is a little automatic and I prefer it for driving around, but the gf's kangoo is a sporty petrol engine and I love the manual for the proper balls out driving experience, if that's possible in a kangoo MPV,

I will be awaiting a test drive but I'm pretty sold on the Berlingo auto's 6 speed and no clutch, just yes...

[rnamman]

I had an 06 Kangoo Expression auto and wanted to buy a new one last year, but Renault had stopped  importing the Kangoo MPV into the UK.

So I bought a new Berlingo TVR with the auto diesel engine, and after 10 months and 6K miles it's still a brilliant car. The auto is better than any previous ones that I had on a succession of new Volvo estates, and the low emissions means low road tax too.

I've said for years that every car should be auto; you've then got two hands on the wheel instead of faffing about with a gear stick. Who buys a manual camera  these days?

[Robbieg]

Go for the auto, it's brilliant. A nice relaxing drive due to the 6 speeds, great around town especially. Low tax as well, the best of both worlds.

[Capelbond]

I've had my auto for two years and I've been very happy with it. Apart from the usual domestic journeys I also tow a lightish caravan behind it and has been no problem at all and the gearbox copes really well.  I drove a Hyundai i30 diesel recently with the traditional auto box and it felt like a snail in comparison.  The only thing I don't like is the way it sometimes drops into first just as you slowly approach a roundabout and decide to nip out in front of a juggernaut. If it does this, there is a horrifying moment where you put your foot down, nothing happens for what seems an alarmingly long time, (in reality probably only a second or so) as you roll slowly onto the roundabout with traffic bearing down on you.  You can almost feel the gearbox thinking first? second? - no first and then wham, in comes the power. I guess it's a problem with all makes of this type of gearbox as they can't actually see what is going on in your mind.  It makes me very wary at roundabouts.  Other than that, it's great and the most versatile and useful vehicle I've ever owned.