My courtesy car.

[pauldaf44]

I took my brothers motability Scenic back to the dealer this morning as the drivers seat adjustment and was initially rather disspointed with the courtesy car a 2006 Honda Jazz 1.4 auto. This was untill I drove it.

Its easy to drive and quiete with a lovely smooth engine but the best bit its a CVT auto and a good one at that. To drive it really does feel like a DAF only faster and quieter in fact we have fallen in love with the little Jazz to the extent that we are considering trading in the Ibiza for it. The Jazz returned 67mpg today from a 1.4 petrol.

What experience have other people on here had of modern CVT cars. Driving this one today really did feel like driving Gladys again.

[starider]

Hi,a friend of ours has recently purchased a Nissan Leaf electric car,all seems well [once he got used to the charging regime].I can see the use for shortish, fairly local runs but he is frightened to use the heater in the bad weather in case the battery flattens.My question is what use is this car in seriously cold weather especially if he is caught out in snow conditions?
You don't see the heater mentioned in advertising or hear it questioned. starider.

[pauldaf44]

I discovered today the most pointless thing possible the CVT box on the Jazz has a 7 speed flappy paddle manual mode. Im sorry but why?

1. Its a small car with a 1.4 so its not a sports car
2. Manual mode will only make it slower and less efficient

[Richard DAF Webmeister]

The Honda Jazz is a super little car. Very highly regarded in terms of quality, value and sheer useable space inside it.

The CVT versions are very popular and again well regarded and liked.

It is indeed ironic that most manufacturers who make and sell CVT cars also offer them with flappy paddles or flick lever arrangement to change gear.

Several reasons for this, including marketing and acceptance of it as being "an automatic" as opposed to "CVT". Unfortunately, early new generations of CVTs back in the 1980s from the likes of Ford and Fiat, proved rather troublesome and unreliable - certainly when compared to the original DAF Variomatic. As a result, people became wary and suspicious. Rover did a similar thing with its "Stepspeed" version of the MGF in the 1990s - they didn't call it CVT!

Similarly, Audi call theirs "Multitronic" and also offer the flappy paddles.

Personally, I think the manual override, certainly the flappy paddles, are pointless and perhaps a bit of a novelty that will wear off. But, at the end of the day, car makers need to sell cars, and if these extras help them do that, well, you can't blame them.

[pauldaf44]

Its not often that I fall in love with a modern car but im now actively trying to work out how I can afford the car. The problem being as its well regarded it also has held its value rather better than the Ibiza

[33grinder]

I agree with Mr B Paul - flappy paddles and manual shifters are de rigour for automatics at the moment - regardless of whether they are actually necessary.

[starider]

Hi,a question, don't know the car,is it classed as an automatic, semi-automatic or auto/ manual,and if someone has an auto only driving license are they legally allowed to drive it as it has a manual option?.As I have gotten older and driving in towns and cities with endless stop start driving;I've come to appreciate both our Suzuki Vitara and Daf automatic systems. starider.

[33grinder]

I should imagine you can drive such on an automatic licence Tony as there is no clutch pedal.

[Richard DAF Webmeister]

General thought and advice is that "no clutch pedal equals automatic". So yes.

If you do a quick Google search along the lines of "automatic driving licence and semi automatic cars", lots of advice sites will appear basically saying this.

[mtjm]

It seems like doing your test in a semi-auto will get you an automatic license.

My wife did her driving test in our Mini, which got her an automatic license, even though you can manually select the gears in it.

So if the testers give an auto license for passing your test in a semi-auto you should definitely be able to drive a semi-auto on an auto license.

OK, that last sentence was a lot clearer in my head, but hopefully you get the point!

Mark

[pauldaf44]

I asked the dealer and he said yes you can. I must say it really was a lovely little car but unfortunatly the £5k price tag the dealer wanted was out of our reach. But I will keep an eye out and if one comes up at the right price its mine. It did 72mpg for me!

[andrew]

The definition of an automatic car is as follows: "that the speed of the vehicle can be altered only by use of the throttle and the brake". In other words, no clutch pedal. Semi-automatics are automatics. Back in the 1960s the NSU RO80 had a gear stick, but no clutch pedal (the clutch disengaged as the driver touched the gear lever) & these could be driven on an auto licence. Early automatic Minis also had a facility for changing gears in their automatic box. The Department of Transport (& the Ministry Of Transport before it) considered it was the skill required in using the clutch to change the gears & to do it smoothly that differentiated the methods of driving; semi automatic cars do not need this level of skill to be driven.

Oddly, my other classic is a Wartburg, which has a free-wheel fitted to the gearbox, so clutchless gear changes are possible, BUT you still need the clutch to move off from rest, so this requires a MANUAL licence.

I trust this makes things clear (but I can appreciate that it might not....)