Manual Drivers Converted To The Zf Auto

[nextcar]

Howdy All,

I am a new member to the site but have been following the forum for a little while now. I have to say the information and knowledge presented here has been brilliant for researching cars.

Anyway I am in the market for a new car and have narrowed my search down to a BF XR6T. The only sticking point I have now is whether to go manual or auto. If I were going the BA Mk II I’d be manual for sure, however the write-ups on the ZF 6 speed make it very hard to ignore.

I know this topic has been raised a few times in different guises, but what I am really interested in is feedback from anyone that has the ZF auto that is a manual convert… and in particular whether you are happy with your decision.

Cheers.

[EvilDaifu]

Hi nextcar,

I've had my BF XR6T auto for 4 weeks now and previous to that, I had a BA XR6 Mk I auto. I am running in my new BF, so I'm driving it in sports sequential manual at the moment to make sure engine goes up and down the rev range rather than stay on mild mannered 1800 rpm. I've noticed that when I do go back to performance auto, the auto is more gruntier in that it really stays in the lower gears alot more than how I think it was when I first got it. I reckon that I must have trained the ZF auto (it has a points scoring system - which I could get a readout of it somewhere on the dash trip computer) because I mostly try to keep it on boost (I.e. above 2000rpm) whilst in sports sequential manual.

I reckon the ZF is the best of both worlds (I used to drive a manual but that was in the dim dark past) for me because my other half prefers auto and I sometimes like to control the revs and sometimes like to concentrate on the street signs (especially if I'm visiting a new city, etc.)

I've noticed though that when I stop, it does not drop back to 1st gear but to 2nd gear. My BA used to drop back to 1st gear. So, if you want really fast take off, I have to deliberately push it forward into 1st gear. Most of the time, for city driving, I'm in 3rd gear which will nicely do anywhere between 40km/h to 70km/h and keep the revs around 2000rpm just in boost.

I've noticed though that fuel economy is not the best. I reckon I am worse off in the BF than the BA (mind you the BA was not a turbo). I'm easily doing 17-18 litres / 100km in the BF with city driving in sports sequential manual. However, I notice if I leave it in Adaptive (or economy) auto, the revs are usually around the 1800 rpm and I reckon fuel economy should improve if driven conservatively and gently.

I like the new position of the ZF shifter. It is a bit closer in to the driver in sports sequential mode compared with the old 4 speed auto shifter found in the BA. However, it's to easy to accidently bump the shifter from Performance auto into sports sequential mode (just push it forward) when braking to stop at the lights if your left hand is resting on the shifter.

In cruising mode, like when I drove from Melbourne to Bendigo and back recently, I left it in Adaptive auto and was doing 110km/h at about 1800rpm in 6th gear. So having 5th and 6th is excellent for cruising and fuel economy (was doing 10.5litres/100km instantanously according the trip computer which is about what I averaged Melboune to the Gold Coast in the BA in Sep gone by). Though I must admit, I got a bit impatient for the auto to change down to 5th when overtaking gradually in the purpose built overtaking lanes as they usually make them on the uphill sections to make the slow vehicles easier to pass. I more often than not, shifted across to Performance auto to give it that extra oompf to pass the slower cars and stop pissing off the cars behind me waiting to overtake the slower cars.

So, I'm overall am pleased with the ZF. Happy car hunting!

[nextcar]

Thanks for the feedback EvilDaifu. Appreciate you taking the time and effort. I am pretty sure I will go the ZF but don't want to be dissappointed with the car after outlaying 50K!

I have been for a short test drive but it is very hard to tell after a 10 minute session in traffic with a salesman sitting beside me...

[harvyk]

Thanks for the feedback EvilDaifu. Appreciate you taking the time and effort. I am pretty sure I will go the ZF but don't want to be dissappointed with the car after outlaying 50K!

I have been for a short test drive but it is very hard to tell after a 10 minute session in traffic with a salesman sitting beside me...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm a absolute manual fan, but the 6 speed auto has caught my attention as well, as for the 10 min session in traffic??? WTF, lay down the terms to the sales person, tell them where you want to go, remember ultimately they want to sell a car, so if they think your interested they will let you usually go for longer drives (I had nearly 2 hours behind the wheel of an XR (broken up over about 3 or 4 half hour sessions) from the same dealer before I signed the dotted line, the dealers justification to the boss - "They'd rather spend the time and get the sale than go for 10 different test drives in that time and get no sale"...

[EvilDaifu]

Hi nextcar. It helped me to do long test drives as well. I had a friend at work who had a BA XR6T and he let me drive it around sometimes which partly convinced me that I should change over to a T (just luvved the exhaust tone and the throb compared with my XR6 n/a). Also, mid-life crisis Who knows when I would get the chance to have such a cult car again

BTW, his was auto too (though 4 speed auto).

Edited 08/12/05 10:40 AM by EvilDaifu

[nextcar]

Actually, the limited test drive duration was my fault. I'd organised an early afternoon drive so as to miss peak hour but got caught up at work. I didn't end up getting there untill a few hours after we'd arranged.

Ah well. Just to be impulsive I put an order in yesterday (it's a work car with a two month lead time and I'm sick of procrastinating). Got the Auto, iDesign luxury interior, plus a few more options, and Rapid in colour. Funnily enough colour was a tough choice too, especially as the yellow is a bit lairy... hopefully it will not date quickly.

[EvilDaifu]

Ah well. Just to be impulsive I put an order in yesterday

Good on ya!