# T5 Auto or not.



## Nigaly (May 20, 2006)

Anybody any idea of the difference in mpg a auto makes on T5 130bhp in real life driving? I know in days of old auto`s were a lot thirstier but nowadays with lock up on auto`s does it really make as much difference as VW says?


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

Hi,

As far as I know the auto box on the T5 is one of the old torque converter 'real' automatics. Beautiful to drive but a bit thirsty.

The recent spate of 'pretend' automatics which are mostly sort of bolt on automatic clutches are lighter, cheaper to produce and lighter on fuel but can be a bit jolty to drive. They are getting better but I personally still prefer the old sort.

I'm obviously built for comfort, not economy :lol: 

SDA


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## buttons (Dec 19, 2005)

Hi Nigaly 
I now drive a manual T5 on a 174bhp. I did have a 130bhp auto T5 for a few months prior to this one. As far as mpg goes on paper not a great deal of difference , maybe a couple of mpg less with the auto, however, it will depend on the type of driving you intend to do. 
The auto is a lovely gearbox and feels very swift from a standing start. you tend to use this more often than not. Your mpg will suffer accordingly. The auto also revs higher at motorway speeds giving less mpg at 70mpg. 

The manual is my choice for a number of reasons. 

You can have cruse control. 
At 70mpg it is only ticking over 2000 rpm this is the top of the torque curve and makes it very economical for motorway driving. In cruse control at 70mph mine averages 40+mpg. 
The auto is a lovely drive around town but mpg does suffer. 
I just had a peak at my trip computer and over the last 1460 miles mine has averaged 39.9mpg. that is with some mixed driving.
Let me know if you want any more info
Buttons


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## Nigaly (May 20, 2006)

Thanks for the info , I think that the manual sounds the better option with the price of fuel at the moment(and for the foreseeable future!).Especially as my right foot can be a bit heavy at times and I do a fair bit of stop start driving.


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## 115912 (Aug 24, 2008)

We recently bought a 1995 Carthago Abakus 2.5 petrol auto which the German owner left in Shetland. We only paid £3600 for the one owner vehicle but I was expecting horrendous fuel consumption. Just come back after doing 4500km in Europe and it seems better than the 1.9 t25 we have been using for the past 4 years. The auto box and the powerful engine with cruise control is a joy to drive. My first experience of VW autos have been good although its probably a rare engine for obvious reasons.


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## Bethune (Apr 21, 2008)

We have a T5 174Hp LHD Auto Multivan (Caravelle) that we bought new in Germany because of the extra toys available on the continental version (like cruise control, colour Sat Nav and a nicer dashboard-VW Caravelle buyers in the UK are short changed!!)). We have done 89K miles in the four years and have averaged 35mpg (on mainly long trips I have to say). The mpg does reduce quite significantly over 70mph though. The bad news is that we needed a new gearbox at 85K, I suspect due to a long trip with the front wheels being out of balance. Despite this a very comfortable and safe (the visibility from the enhanced height) vehicle.


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## buttons (Dec 19, 2005)

Bethune said:


> We have a T5 174Hp LHD Auto Multivan (Caravelle) that we bought new in Germany because of the extra toys available on the continental version (like cruise control, colour Sat Nav and a nicer dashboard-VW Caravelle buyers in the UK are short changed!!)). We have done 89K miles in the four years and have averaged 35mpg (on mainly long trips I have to say). The mpg does reduce quite significantly over 70mph though. The bad news is that we needed a new gearbox at 85K, I suspect due to a long trip with the front wheels being out of balance. Despite this a very comfortable and safe (the visibility from the enhanced height) vehicle.


Hi Bethune, I have a 174 bhp manual, similar driving habits has given an average of 39mpg over the last 10k miles. This is probably a fair comparison between the auto and manual boxes. I use cruise whenever possible normally 70 mph on motorways. With the type of driving that I do, I would find it very difficult to average only 35mpg. 
With regard to the UK model, most options are now available here apart from the LHD dash. Like you I do think that they are a great vehicle to drive with plenty of power in reserve.


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## oldun (Nov 10, 2005)

I have a 2013 140 bhp campervan with auto gearbox and it does not have a torque converter. The gearbox is very similar to many auto boxes on upmarket German cars.

It has effectively two gear boxes with two clutches. One box handles gears 1, 3, 5 and 7 and the other gears 2, 4,6 and reverse.

When accelerating away in gear one the other box selects gear two so the gear change can be almost instantaneous.

There are no significant differences between the manual and auto gearboxes in the way power is transferred to the front wheels.

If the box is set up to select the "best gear" then it should be as efficient as the manual.


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

buttons said:


> The manual is my choice for a number of reasons.
> 
> You can have cruse control.


Our auto VW has 'cruise' control.....???

MPGabout the same as previous manuals...


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

I see you have started to reply to a thread from 2008.. !!!!!

I guess a lot changes in 5 years.... Good to hear about the new auto boxes as I may consider a T5 van soon...


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## Teafortwo (Oct 13, 2013)

I am thinking of getting a T4 or T5 , interesting to get an idea of mpg.
are we talking diesel or petrol here, and is there a big difference between the two? cheers.


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## rod_vw (May 10, 2005)

It's not an auto but I do have a Feb 2011 T5 for sale http://1946vw.co.uk/sales/index.htm

Rod


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## Teafortwo (Oct 13, 2013)

rod_vw said:


> It's not an auto but I do have a Feb 2011 T5 for sale
> 
> Rod


Hi Rod, I'm not keen on an automatic anyway. Yours looks a very nice van. 
I can't do much about it at the moment as I am about a month or two away from being in a position to buy. 
Thanks anyway.
Roy


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