[ChrisJ]

Hi folks, just dropped in from Chesterfield in the East Mids. No really there is a region called the East Midlands.

Company has seen fit to bestow upon me a 2013 SE NAV manual which is fine by me. They wouldn't give me a Hilux.

It's handy being an SUV as I have a dog and go shooting up in Scotland, nice enough to drive, roomy (or what?) but coming from years of Toyotas, I am not sure I feel the same about the build etc. The DLR lights packed up in the first week. Is this common, I see a lot of new Antaras running with no lights at the front. Mine definitely had them when it arrived.

I fitted a Tdi chip fairly quickly as it was a bit gutless for a 2.2 I thought. This took mpg up to around 46. But then I needed to adjust it to get performance over economy and now it's sitting solidly at 34.2 with a roof box on up and down the motorway.

And the gearbox feels as though it might let me down at some point. 1st to second is very notchy and different every time I change gear. Do I really need 6 gears? 5 decently spread ones used to be fine.
Anyhoo - all round, I like it.

See you on the forum - if I have any other problems that is.

Chris

 

[wilma08]

welcome Chris i have a automatic senav 13 plate so that i would not have gearbox problems plus due to mobility problems, but anyway welcome and enjoy the site.Regards
Wilma

 

[♠ChumBucket♠]

Gearbox will loosen up, 1st to 2nd, and indeed the rest are slick on ours now with just over 4k on the clock. Also, unless you higher the drivers seat, the armrest can get in the way of your elbow when changing from 1st to 2nd. Higher it to the max for a better driving position & eliminate the other issue.

6th gear is a funny one, in my opinion it's way too tall & should be closer to 5th in ratio for a UK vehicle (70mph speed limit). I'm also beginning to think that motorway miles in 6th gear clog the DPF up more than shorter, rural journeys!!

 

[ChrisJ]

Thanks fellas. Got 7k on the clock now. It's not tight, it's crunchy. The rest are fine, so is 2nd to first. But 1st to second is rubbish. Not my elbow getting in the way. I wish it were that simple. Like me.

Chris

 

[♠ChumBucket♠]

Thanks fellas. Got 7k on the clock now. It's not tight, it's crunchy. The rest are fine, so is 2nd to first. But 1st to second is rubbish. Not my elbow getting in the way. I wish it were that simple. Like me.

Chris

Ours is fine & I'm not trying to teach you how to suck eggs but......

when changing from 1st to second just take half a second longer to do it. Depress the clutch fully & take a split second longer to make the change. I find a natural "urge" to rush the first gear change for some reason & this can lead to it not being a smooth shift.

 

[ChrisJ]

I'd love to say 'Oh I'll try that; but guess what - I drive a lot and a lot of different vehicles and when I say the change is rubbish, it's rubbish honestly. I have tried everything except double de clutching and it baulks, sometimes it even grinds with the clutch depressed. No you cannot hurry it that is for sure, but I do pause now and that's the best I can get it. Hot or cold, it's rubbish.

Each time I change up, I have to 'feel' the lever into gear to be smooth. I actually think it's getting worse. Just preparing for the day when it loses 1st gear really. Other than that it's a nice drive.

 

[♠ChumBucket♠]

I'd love to say 'Oh I'll try that; but guess what - I drive a lot and a lot of different vehicles and when I say the change is rubbish, it's rubbish honestly. I have tried everything except double de clutching and it baulks, sometimes it even grinds with the clutch depressed. No you cannot hurry it that is for sure, but I do pause now and that's the best I can get it. Hot or cold, it's rubbish.

Each time I change up, I have to 'feel' the lever into gear to be smooth. I actually think it's getting worse. Just preparing for the day when it loses 1st gear really. Other than that it's a nice drive.

Sounds like there is definitely an issue then. I have read a few times that people find the 1st change "notchy" & I was prepared for it when we got ours but I personally never found it an issue. The whole box is very smooth & slick now on ours.

 

[ChrisJ]

I shall get them to look at it when it goes for a service. But I can guess the reply.

Our highly qualified technichian (Dazz) has been for a spin in it and he can't find anything wrong. Oh by the way your tyres are near the legal limit and it needs a new spam filter, an air detector valve and a full safety check, which is £1500 but we've given you some discount there.

 

[Grumps]

Welcome to the forum Chris

I agree 1st to 2nd isn't great but you can't rush it. I keep the revs down and its okay.

Another thing to check is your mats are letting the clutch go all the way down. It's known issue that they are a bit on he thick side.

 

[JR123]

I find low or high revs from 1st to 2nd is fine - mid/average revs it can be notchy, especially when cold. The rest of the box is fine, however, I can be a bit lazy and do tend to miss a fair few gears out on changes up and down!

 

[wilma08]

One thing and one thing only AUTOMATIC is the way lol

 

[Dilligaf]

One thing and one thing only AUTOMATIC is the way lol

Automatics are for lazy people. That's why I drive one at work.

 

[wilma08]

One thing and one thing only AUTOMATIC is the way lol

Automatics are for lazy people. That's why I drive one at work.

you cheeky monkey I have one because of mobility problems as gear shift give me great pain and I canot drive them no more,but to be honest I love automatic nno more problems with gears being notchy

 

[Inchindown]

One thing and one thing only AUTOMATIC is the way lol

Automatics are for lazy people. That's why I drive one at work.

Stick shifts are for men with small (BLANKS).

I've driven automatics since 1995, (passed my test on a manual),and would never go back to a manual gearbox. Gear change is smooth and effortless. Most modern autos have a manual mode where you can change gears by hand if you want, but I find auto is enough most of the time. I also like the fact that autos will creep a bit after you let go of the brake. Helps a lot with parking and hill starts.

The only downsides I see are that Auto cars are generally more expensive to buy and you get less MPG.

 

[Spantara]

I've driven automatics since 1995, (passed my test on a manual), and would never go back to a manual gearbox. Gear change is smooth and effortless. Most modern autos have a manual mode where you can change gears by hand if you want, but I find auto is enough most of the time. I also like the fact that autos will creep a bit after you let go of the brake. Helps a lot with parking and hill starts.
 
The only downsides I see are that Auto cars are generally more expensive to buy and you get less MPG.

Agreed then there is the additional benefit of learner children not being able to crash the gears

- not that mine ever would

Edited by: Spantara

 

[Dave47]

Hi all,

Isn't that a bit contradictory, if you buy an auto why would
you want to drive it manually?

The Antara has hill start assist so no need for creep and I
would have thoughtthat the added cost and lower mpg mean that you have to do a
lot more miles for it to become cost effective. Not so easy once you are
retired.

 

[Spantara]

Isn't that a bit contradictory, if you buy an auto why would
you want to drive it manually?

The Antara has hill start assist so no need for creep and I
would have thought that the added cost and lower mpg mean that you have to do a lot more miles for it to become cost effective. Not so easy once you are retired.

I take your point Dave but I would have thought that an automatic would suit many retired people better as the clutch pedal, at least on my Antara, is quite heavy.

A former neighbour of mine had to change from a manual to an automatic Discovery as his wife found the clutch too heavy as she got older and that was not just a case of her winging - she had driven a Defender for years and a series 3 before that.Edited by: Spantara

 

[Dave47]

Yes I take your point, and thankfully despite all the aches and pains
that come with senior years my left leg still appears to function, so saving me
a considerable amount of cash at purchase so I can spend it on diesel later. <?: prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" />














</v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:ulas>

<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit">
</o:lock></vath></v:stroke></v:shape>

</v:></v:shape>

What really concerns me is what appears to be current wisdom that you
should not be running a diesel if you do less than 15k a year. I do much less
than that but bought the car primarily for its towing capabilities; much of the
rest is short journeys.

.

 

[Spantara]

What really concerns me is what appears to be current wisdom that you
should not be running a diesel if you do less than 15k a year. I do much less than that but bought the car primarily for its towing capabilities; much of the rest is short journeys[ QUOTE]

That wisdom is, I believe, linked mainly to DPF issues of which there is any amount of discussion in the forum. There is no pont is repeating all that here as I am sure you will find those discussions, which are still on-going, without problems.

Enjoy your new car and its towing capabilities. Although I don't tow a caravan, I believe the Antara is an excellent "tractor".

All the best!Edited by: Spantara

 

[Inchindown]

Hi all,

Isn't that a bit contradictory, if you buy an auto why would
you want to drive it manually?

The Antara has hill start assist so no need for creep and I
would have thoughtthat the added cost and lower mpg mean that you have to do a
lot more miles for it to become cost effective. Not so easy once you are
retired.

There are at least two reasons I can think of why you might want to change gear manually with an automatic.

First, you can hold a gear longer in manual mode before you have to change up, or the car changes up for you. This gives a sportier acceleration than if you leave it to the auto box. It can be useful for overtaking in certain circumstances.

Second, in winter, you will get better traction if you pull away on slippery surfaces if you put the car in second or third gear. In full auto you can't do that.

I suppose I could add a third reason in that some people may not be able to operate a normal clutch, but still want to change gear manually.

As for the creep, I think the parking aspect of it is probably the biggest benefit from having creep. It means all you have to do when parking is to steer and control the speed with the brake. No having to balance the clutch, brakeand accelerator.

The cost issue is always going to be a personal choice, but my take on the matter is none of us drive a car that is the lowest possible cost. We all make choices about the sort of car we drive, and the cost is not always the most important.