@ solent60 Indeed Personally I used to hate driving automatics as i preferred a manual, but now i have accepted that I need an automatic.
Technology has come on leaps and bounds.
Seeing as auto’s are all you’ve ever driven. You been in a great position to see that 1st hand and sometimes it’s the combination with the engine or the software in these modern cars that can make it a good marriage or not imo.
Cvt’s are giving a good performance and economy right now, love it or hate it, the world we are living in now is changing. As we move towards Ev’s gears will not be needed at all. That imo will bring another set of issues at higher speeds and the new Id.3 from Vw will hit max speed at 16,000 rpm. with it’s Single-Speed Gearbox.
Is it going to sound like a spin cycle on a washing machine or an old milk float. Could not resist that one ha ha. Pretty much like driving a truck which top speed is limited via the gearbox, Not nice that. foot to the floor maxed out.
In the usa when there was the fuel crisis in the 1970’s Demand for big, fast, thirsty cars dried up as rising gas prices had many buyers looking at more affordable cars to run. At the same time, progressively tighter limits on tailpipe emissions forced automakers to detune engines via lowered compression ratios, fewer carburetors, more restrictive intakes, and other power-sapping measures and this is what is happening here in the Eu now. Stick another motor on it as well or add a dpf or now a Gasoline Particulate Filter (GPF) add blue etc etc. To meet the regulations and avoid fine. Ice only cars will get less and less attractive imo,to meet the new rules and to force us into ev’s. So i can see why a hybrid is the next best thing and i do see that tech getting better and better, before it’s banned too.