Getting a new car w/ Semi-automatic transmission.

[mrpink]

ang alam kong semi-auto eh yung mga riple .. hehe ..

[1D4LV]

Ano yung semi automatic?

eto yata yung baril na hindi mo na kailangang ikasa after every putok.

[jim]

what happens kung nagkamali ka na apakan yung clutch sa 1st or 2nd gear using a semi automatic vehicle??

[Bravoexo]

what clutch??

[miLes]

Trust me, the 4-speed Automatics with Manual over-ride in the Mazda 2.0 and Ford Focus 2.0 shift as slow as molasses. Imagine yourself wanting to overtake a car at about 80kph. You move the lever over to switch to manual mode and 'downshift' while pressing the gas at the same time. Instead of it choosing the gear quickly, it waits and waits (about 2 seconds and thats like an ETERNITY when you want to overtake) before downshifting. Instead of fun its frustrating as hell. 2 seconds delay can mean the difference between a successful overtaking manuever or an aborted attempt.

well not entirely true, 2 secs is a long time, more about 0.5 sec or less for my 3 but not ALWAYS instantaneous, ive noticed this depends on the fuel im using whether shell, caltex or petron

with the 3, you can overtake most cars naman by just using the auto mode
within 60 to 120kph, sayang nga lang if the 3 was coupled with the city's instantaneous shifting...

but is the city's M mode shifting flawless? i mean sa 3 sometimes kagat agad sometimes may lag (probably also depends on the slope of the road) but i can attest that fuel quality affects this one

[jim]

semi automatic yung kalahati automatic pero pagdating mo sa 3rd gear tatapak ka na sa clutch para magshift.

BravoExo sabi kasi (from the quote) aapakan ang clutch pagdating ng 3rd gear, kaya nagtatanong ako kung anong mangyayari pag naapakan mo yung clutch sa unang kalahati w/c i assumed 1st or second gear. sensya na ha di pa ako nakakapag-drive ng semi A/T eh hehehehe

[Bravoexo]

Feeling ko nga yung delay na sinasabi nila na 2 secs. is because of the shifting at the wrong RPM range.... kasi, since I use the activematic 100% of the time, I know now when and where to down and upshift ideally for the situation, be it to overtake, to hillclimb, or to turn a curve agressively or not... very instantaneous na siya... just like if I had a clutch I would need to step on, remove from one gear and shift it to the next... kaso sa mazda3... I can do all that with my pinkie. (Sa focus, dehins, mababali daliri mo doon, kamao talaga kailangan doon.)

[Bravoexo]

BravoExo sabi kasi (from the quote) aapakan ang clutch pagdating ng 3rd gear, kaya nagtatanong ako kung anong mangyayari pag naapakan mo yung clutch sa unang kalahati w/c i assumed 1st or second gear. sensya na ha di pa ako nakakapag-drive ng semi A/T eh hehehehe

I believe mali nga yun. When you say semi A/T eh, AT talaga siya, with some hint of manual transmission... not the other way around. Unless mali din ako

[ryan]

If you were to buy a new car w/ a semi-automatic transmission, w/in the 500k-1M bracket, what car would you choose? (considering also economy, style)

Mitsubishi Lancer 1.6 (GLS & MX) & 1.8 (MX Limited)
Honda City/Jazz CVT (DSi and VTEC)
Mazda3 (S,V,R)
Ford Focus (1.8 & 2.0 Sport)

I would choose the Focus 2.0 Sport.

Any other opinions out there??

I'm curious, among the 3 hatches (Jazz, Mazda3, Focus), sino may pinakamalaki and useful cargo space? Yung Jazz pinakamaliit but parang ok yung boot shape. Sa Focus, since sloping down yung rear, parang di ganun ka laki.

What do you think guys?

[niky]

The Jazz has the biggest space, supposedly, with the seats down, pero mas malaki yata yung boot opening ng Mazda3. The Focus hatch didn't impress me with its space when I looked at it, pero I guess it's okay. I'd judge it as Mazda>Focus>Jazz (with the seats still in their upright position), bu Jazz>Mazda&Focus with the seats folded.

Take note, though, that the Focus and Mazda are much wider than the Jazz.

[Bravoexo]

I was able to load four 15" mags w/ tires (25" radius) in the back with the seats down. W/ two JBL GTO amps and 10" infinity sub pa yun. I recoken I could have hauled 6-7 tires in the back as there was still space... and still would not have had to removed my amps and sub.

[Bravoexo]

So how does the Jazz downshift to overtake while cornering??

[niky]

That's one thing I don't like about traditional automatics at the track... the sudden kickdown or kick-up when you're cornering. It unsettles the car. The Jazz CVT doesn't do that, though...

[Bravoexo]

Thats dangerous Overtaking while cornering

eh?? ha ha ha... ayos. I think I know now how to understand your posts.

But if you had to do it, just depress the -Minus button on the steering wheel and voila.... instant downshift (assuming you where on 7-speed virtual gear mode).

Ah...but which hand?

If you werent on 7-speed mode, technically it doesnt even shift at all when you mash the gas pedal because its a CVT. The speed just climbs and the CVT works its infinite ratio magic, matching the pulley's ratio with engine speed and car speed to best take advantage of the throttle position.

So bale, no choice... he he he. I guess some people like the lack of guess work. Keeping it simple nga naman.

[Bravoexo]

That's one thing I don't like about traditional automatics at the track... the sudden kickdown or kick-up when you're cornering. It unsettles the car. The Jazz CVT doesn't do that, though...

So predictable ang Jazz sa corners...

[niky]

That much is true. Medyo sobrang filtered yung sensation sa steering ng Jazz (electric kasi). Mazda/Ford has the accurate steering feel down pat. Also, the rear beam axle of the Jazz gives it more natural understeer and shorter transition to snap-oversteer than the Mazda (although Honda has fixed this with the new City, with a softer rear anti-roll bar). Mazda's gorgeous rear suspensions are the reason why the Lynx RS and the Mazda 3 have such good "carving" abilities in the corners.

But you can also throw the Jazz through corners with alarcity. The light weight and chuckable chassis make up somewhat for the greater understeer and artificial steering.

Take note, though, that snap-oversteer and unrecoverable understeer only occurs if you are driving way too fast. I've seen accidents in the RS, the Mazda3 and the Vios wherein drivers have failed to take this into account. Wala pa naman akong nakitang Jazz na nag-spin, but I don't doubt it's happened elsewhere... hence the suspension redesign for the updated City.

Basta, stay within your limits on the road, and join us on trackdays whichever of the two you have... you'll have fun either way. :lol:

[miLes]

hm..that was entertaining