Is Aygo Manual Tricky For A New Driver To Pull Away In?

[AlanTR]

I agree with the last post - the Aygo is an easy car to drive. I have never experienced any of the problems previously discussed.

I back my car out of the drive onto the road (housing estate cul-de-sac, not main road by the way) - stop, engage first gear and take off with just enough revs, on a cold engine - no problems, never stalled. What's the big deal? Never crunched gears when engaging first, reverse or any other gear for that matter.

Yes, I am an old guy (post red flag era!) and I did learn to drive on cars with truly dreadful gearboxes with long wobbly gear levers. The modern cars are easy to drive - people just need to learn how to drive properly!! No doubt there will now be a storm of protest, but then it is fun winding people up....

[johnp]

Hello Colin and Alan,

When I learnt to drive we did not have any synchro on 1st so we had to stop to select first gear.

In my training as a PSV driver we also had to DD on every gear and sequentially change. We were taught this method as we had single system vacuum braking which was not very efficient. Then came synchro on all gears and we kept the same procedure and In effect we used the gears to assist braking and to slow down.

This all changed when brakes improved and junctions were turned from Halt signs and Slow signs to GIVE WAY signs and synchro was available on first.

We did not need to stop. In fact new drivers were taught not to stop but to 'creep and peep'.

This enabled the whole transport to continue moving.

With the present training to be towards Eco or Green driving, we now do not sequentially change down gears except on motor cycles.

So drivers are taught to select 1st BEFORE stopping (to avoid stopping) and selecting 1st from 5th or whatever gear is appropriate. Block Changing.

Speed is now controlled by brakes and not gears under the system on approaching junctions being based on - Mirror. Signal, Position, Speed,(Brake) GEAR,(as appropriate) Look, Assess, Decide, Progress.

It has changed from 54321 brake and stop. Many cars still do not have synchro on reverse, so you are right they need to stop to prevent the crunch, but it depends on the box as to whether it will crunch.

Not sure if this is what you were referring to, but in present driving 1st is mostly selected before stopping. It is on the examiners marking sheet. If you get the speed correct the changes should be very smooth.

[dwilson]

All this talk in many threads over time of the Aygo crunching gears between 1 & 2 and selecting reverse makes me cross! ....'most' modern cars gearboxes are SO goddamn forgiving to the modern (young) drivers! ..... ...just treat the Aygo like a lady and gently persuade her to gently change gear and you will not encounter an issue ........eg; when moving forward, if you actually bring the car to a 'stop' before trying to slam it into reverse it will never 'crunch' and likewise, why on earth would anyone be trying to select 1st from 2nd without coming to a halt first? ......Aygo's have a sweet gearbox if only we know how to actually drive!! ;-)

I don't recall any mention on this thread of crunching gears

[Colin J.S]

All this talk in many threads over time of the Aygo crunching gears between 1 & 2 and selecting reverse makes me cross! ....'most' modern cars gearboxes are SO goddamn forgiving to the modern (young) drivers! ..... ...just treat the Aygo like a lady and gently persuade her to gently change gear and you will not encounter an issue ........eg; when moving forward, if you actually bring the car to a 'stop' before trying to slam it into reverse it will never 'crunch' and likewise, why on earth would anyone be trying to select 1st from 2nd without coming to a halt first? ......Aygo's have a sweet gearbox if only we know how to actually drive!! ;-)

I don't recall any mention on this thread of crunching gears

Well, technically you are right sir, I'm sorry if you seem to have taken offence to my contribution. The way I see it, is that my comments are fairly on topic and the replies generated from it are very useful information ;-)

[dwilson]

Just to give an update. My son has had several lesson with an instructor, or driving coach as he calls himself, first in the instructor's dual control Focus and then in my Aygo. As a consequence my son is now able to drive my Aygo well although I think he would prefer a more torquey car !