bobalobs Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 Have been away for a number of weeks and only just read the Caravan Club magazine for October and in particular the comments of George Hinton on the Fiat Comfort-Matic fitted to the Murvi Morocco. Having for months seen postings from owners of 3 ltre Comfort-Matics stating how wonderful they are and dealers trying to pursuade me that it is the only power train to buy, I am surprised that there has been no response, as far as I can see, from such people, to comments "...so we juddered to a halt. I had to abandon my manouevre and start again more brutally." and "...this led us to the conclusion that it is a gear box to buy only if you are forced to have an automatic." As his criticism is of the gear box in automatic mode, it cannot be blamed on driver error. Is the lack of postings on this site an acceptance of his comments? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 I would think that not everyone on the forum are CC members, so a lot will not know of the article, but Andy would. Any comment Andy?Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 I haven't read the article yet (I will do so tonight!) but if this is genuinely the case then it appears that the 3 litre auto is not free from the dreaded juddergate and bears out what I said a few months ago when I got shot down in flames by some who didn't want to consider it was even a miniscule possibility. I still hope I was wrong, but unfortunately suspect I was not .... :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 See http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=21111&posts=19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jocie Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 All I can say is that my Comfortmatic reverses better than any previous motorhome I have had (Mercedes 208D Eldiss, Hymer 544 on fiat 2.5D, Hymer 544 on Fiat 2.8TD ) although I have only done 4500 miles in it so far, but this has included regular reversing up a long not too steep slope to my back garden parking, and regular reversing up quite high at times concrete kerbs to make it fit parking bays. I can only suggest that the bad experience quoted is the result of a correctable fault with this individual van hopefully !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarnacleBob Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 Having covered 8500 miles over the last 2 seasons on all types of roads, I do not recognise the Comfort matic gearbox reviewed in the CC magazine which I have only just read. I can only say that on my vehicle the Comfort matic has performed above my expectations so far. It changes gear very smoothly - probably more smoothly than me with a manual gearbox - and deals with hills and levellers very easily. There would appear to be some problems with the gearbox reveiwed in the CC article. Perhaps some adjustments are required. A high cost extra? Yes. Would I choose again on a new vehicle? Definitly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porky Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 BarnacleBob - 2010-10-17 10:21 AM I can only say that on my vehicle the Comfort matic has performed above my expectations so far. It changes gear very smoothly - probably more smoothly than me with a manual gearbox - and deals with hills and levellers very easily. There would appear to be some problems with the gearbox reveiwed in the CC article. Perhaps some adjustments are required. A high cost extra? Yes. Would I choose again on a new vehicle? Definitly. Couldn't agree more. A brilliant piece of kit which has taken me through France and around Spain in all conditions forward and reverse. So I do not recognise the comments at all. Would I buy another, most definately YES. Roy Fuller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhorsf Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 I have not read the article did the tester ask the converter to comment on the gearbox?Did they get it looked at by a dealer ? if not why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 bobalobs - 2010-10-16 9:48 PM ..........As his criticism is of the gear box in automatic mode, it cannot be blamed on driver error. Is the lack of postings on this site an acceptance of his comments? Not at all Bobalobs............I posted on the other thread when it was raised to praise the Comfortmatic but can also add that our new (yet to arrive) van has also been specified with the Comfortmatic. I'm sure George will get more opportunities to try this extremely good piece of kit. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euroserv Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 I have not read this review but from what has been said here I can only suggest that it has been driven by two pillocks. The first that delivered a defective vehicle for evaluation and the second that drove it without seeking remedial action. My guess is that this example has a faulty dual mass flywheel, and it should have been repaired by the Fiat dealer as soon as it was noticed. DMF's are a problem in all makes of vehicles and have a high rate of early issues, always fixed under warranty. In my experience with comfort-matic there is only one way that you can wrong-foot the transmission and that is when you are coming to a standstill at a junction and then hoof it because you see an oportunity to press on. It will understandably be caught between first and second gears for a moment and will hesitate for no more than a second then jolt as it engages and launches you away rapidly in first gear because the hesitation was met with excessive accelerator input from you. That's it. No problems to report at all apart from this, and it's not the machine's fault; it's mine. I find it utterly fascinating that the magazine journo's are quite happy to criticise something like this without finding out what is wrong, and yet when the judder thing was in full swing did not make any controversial comments at all. Try one yourself, and don't believe all you read in the press. There is nothing that even comes close to this made by anyone else. That said; no vehicle is immune to teething problems, and nobody would have any issue with taking a new car to the dealer to have it sorted out, I reckon about 20% of our Fiats and our customer's Fords and Mercs have to go back for remedial work within the first 2 months after delivery. It should be better than that but it just isn't. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhorsf Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 As usual straight to the point Nick I keep telling people drive one and make up your own mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Going slightly off the main topic.. and having never driven a "modern" auto box,this is probably going to be a daft question :$ ..do they have any sort of "traction aids" which help when pulling away...? ..only I reacall my old 80s vintage,Opel Manta auto,being next to useless on slippery surfaces(ice,damp grass etc)..as it wouldn't give you the option of holding it in second,when pulling away) I'm assuming that they're far more sophisticated nowadays.. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Our friend's Mercedes E320 Auto stops in the garge is there is snow or ice on the ground. It is hopeless in these conditions. Having said that, he has an uphill drive to negotiate out of his property. But we had a Honda Civic Sport with auto box was a few years ago & I never had any problems. So as previous post, it's worthwhile researching & test driving before buying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euroserv Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Hello, Ours have the ESP option which includes Traction control. In my previous auto's I have found it best to switch this off, and press the 'winter' button which allows you to move away in second gear otherwise you did not move at all! In the Fiat comfort-matic I drove on deep snow and compacted snow/ice with the ASR (traction control) left switched on and it was brilliant. With a full load and no load on board it exceeded my expectations even though it was shifting up and down as it liked, and did not like to be manually put in 2nd or 3rd. I was very concerned when driving up a hill on compacted (polished!) ice that the car in front that was struggling and weaving from side to side and eventually stopped would put me in a difficult situation but even though I stopped briefly and waited for him to get out of the way, I was able to start-off again with very little drama. I also found myself having to reverse up a slope on compacted snow with no drama at all. As normal, gentle applicationas of throttle will be the safest option. My van had almost brand new tyres inflated to the normal 68psi which should have been too high for those conditions. I came away from the experience very impressed. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 pepe63 - 2010-10-19 10:57 AM Going slightly off the main topic.. and having never driven a "modern" auto box,this is probably going to be a daft question :$ ..do they have any sort of "traction aids" which help when pulling away...? ..only I reacall my old 80s vintage,Opel Manta auto,being next to useless on slippery surfaces(ice,damp grass etc)..as it wouldn't give you the option of holding it in second,when pulling away) I'm assuming that they're far more sophisticated nowadays.. ;-) They certainly are more sophisticted. Whether it is auto or manual make,s little differance to traction, it is down to drivers ability, type of tyres and vehicles weight distribution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euroserv Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 True enough Rupert, but I used to have a Vauxhall Omega 2.5 Auto and shown a slighgt slope and a dusting of snow, even with winter mode engaged and traction control off it was going nowhere no matter how gentle you were with the throttle. The comfort-matic has an effective traction control system and is subtle enough to respond to the lightest throttle adjustments. That is perfect in my book. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Thanks for those replies. ..well the 3ltr auto Fiat may well be an option for the future then.. (..after thorough test drives of cause.... ;-) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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