breakaleg Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Hi All, I am contemplating changing vans this year and want an automatic box, I was holding out for the new nine speed box or even the six speed on the ford if I can find a van that I like. There are a few vans in stock unregistered 2019 and 2020 models with comfortmatic boxes fitted but not the nine speed. Can anyone who drives a comfortmatic give me there view on how good or bad they are please or do you think it better to wait and order one with the new box. Many thanks Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 A recent thread that may be of interest https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Awful-confortmatic-gearbox/55659/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 I think what you should do is test drive the vehicle before buying, and try to get it to a hilly area. But, having said that, people with the three litre engine seem to have been more satisfied with the Comfortmatic than those with the lower powered variants. The gearbox is slow to change down on uphill stretches, to the extent that the vehicle loses speed while the engine labours. Difficult on busy uphill stretches of dual carriageway where the trucks begin to catch up. This can to some extent be compensated for by using the hill climbing mode, when the box holds on to the lower gears for longer, but I never noticed that this mode induced it to change down earlier, just to recover its lost speed better once the required downshift was made. It is possible to induce a downshift by "nudging" the gear lever for a downshift in anticipation of a hill, but my experience was that it often then promptly changed back up again! On winding uphill roads, where one pulls up straights and then slows for the next bend, backing off the power frequently induced an upshift at the very moment one needed a downshift for power through the bend! It would then get into a complete tizz, responding slowly to the throttle demand for power and the need to change down, losing speed, and than having to change down again before being able to pull away. Best remedy? As soon as you find yourself on a road of that type, put in manual - and tell it what it is going to do next! OTOH, it would often make very slick upshifts once over the brow of the hill, and appropriate downshifts approaching downhill bends as braking was applied. Also it handled steep uphill junctions well, with no struggles and no drama. Pulling away from road junctions or into roundabouts was initially smooth and prompt, following which there would be a somewhat heart-stopping pause while the oncoming traffic came on, and the box debated whether or not to go to second! It was, at times, possible to move forward with light throttle, which seemed to induce a quicker upshift, and then apply throttle to pull away, but too much throttle at that point would induce it to change back to first, nearly stopping in the process. Other drivers did not always appreciate this! Best, if traffic was moderate and flowing quickly, was to go to manual mode, but even then the 1 to 2 upshift was far slower than would normally be achieved with a manual. On more or less level ground, with light traffic, it was fine, changing up and down as required smoothly and appropriately. But then, a manual is hardly a fag under those conditions. Similarly to its uphill performance, kick-down was sluggish, so vans being what they are, any opportunity to overtake slower moving vehicles such as trucks required selection of manual mode. Having six gears, the selection of the "right" gear for the manoeuvre was a bit tricky if one was to avoid needing to snatch the next gear up half way through, as the box was almost invariably slower to shift than a manual when under power. So, my take was that it was and expensive option, with potentially high repair costs if it went wrong, that did not repay its costs in driving pleasure. I spent a lot of time swearing at it, mostly for not changing gear when I thought appropriate, and occasionally chuckling when it made an unexpected change at exactly the right moment (though almost never a downshift!). Our van was 3.5 tonnes MAM, on a 150PS 2.3 litre Ducato base, 2013 vintage. My impression overall was that the gearbox set up was better suited to the three litre, which produces higher torque at lower revs, and that the box programming was not well suited to the 150PS 2.3 litre engine power and torque curves. I think the extra bottom end "grunt" of the larger engine probably plastered over the cracks. The current versions are all, basically, "chipped" 2.3 litres, offered at 120PS, 140PS, 160PS and 180PS. I don't think the lowest powered versions were ever offered with the Comfortmatic, and I've no idea how well the gearbox controls integrate with the three more powerful versions. FWIW, I think I'd go for the newer box, which is not a robotised manual, but would want a good test drive to be confident its driving characteristics suited me. After all, changing gear on a manual box (except for those with mobility restrictions who have little choice), is hardly a major fag, and at least you know which gear you'll use next, and which you're now in! Simples! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocs Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Having had four different MHs, all with sprintshift (Merc) or Comfortmatic (Fiat) I am a fan. They do have certain characteristics that need getting acclimatised to but, once mastered, they are a relaxing drive. Having said that, I’m sure a full autobox would be even better. So, it’s a case of a good Comfortmatic now or a better autobox later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted July 23, 2020 Share Posted July 23, 2020 Hi Petert, I think Brian has hit the nail on the head with his description of the comformatic tranny. After five & a half years , 76,000 kms approx I am used to it's quirky nature and find it effortless to drive. Brian's comments re slow change on up hill sections seems to be more applicable when using cruise control. It relies on the torque rather than change to a lower gear. Again as I am used to that characteristic I knock it down a gear manually, that solves the problem. I am considering updating from my AT Tracker FB (150hp) to a new something but have decided to wait until the new fully auto Ducato arrives here before I make a decision. My Ducato has been trouble free with only one minor warranty issue. Certainly would consider a new one but with the new auto box. In your case if the dealer stock is priced at an attractive level I would suggest seriously considering a comformatic. Personally I would not consider buying a manual anything. cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaleg Posted July 23, 2020 Author Share Posted July 23, 2020 Thanks everyone, Brian that clearly explains the difference, I will have a test drive but I have driven a van with auto clutch (click and go) for over 14 years (on two vans) and it certainly not as good as an auto, in fact dangerous in some circumstances. I am thinking that I may be better off waiting for a while even if I order a van for next year. off this morning for a couple of days to see what's available. Many thanks everyone. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 23, 2020 Share Posted July 23, 2020 It’s perhaps stating the obvious, but the “9Speed” automaic transmission is currently only available on Ducatos that have 140, 160 or 180 Euro 6d-Temp motors. https://www.fiatcamper.com/en/news/latest-2019 So any Ducato with a ComfortMatic transmission will be an ‘old’ model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.