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Even after driving manual for 30 years, my personal experiences are that an auto box is better under slippery conditions. When starting from a standstill under difficult conditions (uphill, and/or deep snow) I find it harder to not get wheelspin with a manual box, even if I'm starting in second. My AW71 engages that little bit smoother than I manage with a clutch. Also, if I have been spinning, and need to rock the car back and forth to get the wheels up from the slippery hole I made, I find that the auto box is better for this. R-D-R-D is easier than R-clutch-1-clutch-R-clutch-1.
The one thing I am uncertain of, after my two winters experience with the auto, is what happens if I drive aggressively into a corner, the rear breaks loose and I step off the gas. With a manual I would just press the clutch and counter-steer. Done it countless times, it's a reflex. What happens with an auto? The engine's braking power has at least in theory the potential to lock the wheels if the road is slippery, but I feel that my box is so smooth that there is no real danger. I could be wrong though, one more reason to drive carefully.
Erling.
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My 240 Page
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