Brotality Posted 20, January 2016 Report Share Posted 20, January 2016 WOAAH!!! It's like I used to drive a tank!!! Even though the Clio has firmer suspension (sport), it feels much nicer on the road. I honestly don't know what kind of magic Renault used when they built it. Seats are the next things that are new to me. Never had bucket seats before. It pretty much feels like I'm driving a spaceship. The gearbox is taking sometime to get used to (any tips?), I figured out that it doesn't like to crawl. Start stop traffic today was horrendous, I thought I was about to get rear ended quite a few times. The pedals on the Clio are also taking sometime to get used to. Brakes are incredibly soft (I needed to stand on the Ford brakes) and the Gas pedal seems to have a bit of a dead zone, 1-2 cm where nothing happens. Is this normal? Quite happy with the car, but still feel a bit scared every time i get in because I know I don't have 100% control over the car yet. Thanks for reading! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apple3337 Posted 20, January 2016 Report Share Posted 20, January 2016 (edited) Congrats on finally getting a decent car Enjoy. Edited 20, January 2016 by apple3337 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris043 Posted 20, January 2016 Report Share Posted 20, January 2016 The pedals on the Clio are also taking sometime to get used to. Brakes are incredibly soft (I needed to stand on the Ford brakes) and the Gas pedal seems to have a bit of a dead zone, 1-2 cm where nothing happens. Is this normal? Quite happy with the car, but still feel a bit scared every time i get in because I know I don't have 100% control over the car yet. Thanks for reading! Yeah....you will find the gas pedal has some hesitation in traffic & you probably will never really get used to it. Put it down to turbo lag + the peculiar reactions of the twin clutch gearbox. These things just do not want to go slow but that is just part of their great personality. Get it out on the open road in 'sport' mode in either manual or auto guise and 'give it the beans' & you will appreciate what the car is meant for.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenus Posted 20, January 2016 Report Share Posted 20, January 2016 WOAAH!!! It's like I used to drive a tank!!! Even though the Clio has firmer suspension (sport), it feels much nicer on the road. I honestly don't know what kind of magic Renault used when they built it. Seats are the next things that are new to me. Never had bucket seats before. It pretty much feels like I'm driving a spaceship. The gearbox is taking sometime to get used to (any tips?), I figured out that it doesn't like to crawl. Start stop traffic today was horrendous, I thought I was about to get rear ended quite a few times. The pedals on the Clio are also taking sometime to get used to. Brakes are incredibly soft (I needed to stand on the Ford brakes) and the Gas pedal seems to have a bit of a dead zone, 1-2 cm where nothing happens. Is this normal? Quite happy with the car, but still feel a bit scared every time i get in because I know I don't have 100% control over the car yet. Thanks for reading! Give it some time you might be able to work with the gearbox a little bit better. You have to remember not to treat it like a traditional torque converter auto (obviously because it isn't). It won't creep as nice as your old falcon did, but that's because the creep is something somebody has programmed into it and not really a natural function of any of the driveline components. I found when I first got the car it was easier to drive it in "race mode" as it turns off the 'creep', so that the car would only move when you put your foot on the throttle, but be weary if you are on a hill as the car -will- roll back if you are too slow to get on the gas. I came from a manual car though so your mileage could vary, bit using it in this mode did help me get used to how the car behaves alot. I try not to let the car creep in any mode now as it generally ends in frustration and a gearbox full of nopes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBH58 Posted 21, January 2016 Report Share Posted 21, January 2016 (edited) One of the issues with Dual Clutches is that you have to think "this is not an auto". You need to drive them with "manual sensibilities". Creeping and hill holding (even for a short time) like you'd do with a torque converter auto are likely to be deleterious to the clutch life. After recently driving a BMW 228i, fitted with ZF's excellent 8-speed (proper) automatic, I can't help but wonder if it isn't a better approach to clutch pedal less shifting for most people. It seems to be capable of doing everything you'd want from an auto (including syrupy smoothness), whilst just about matching every dual-clutcher I've driven for responsiveness when you want to use the paddles. I'd have it in preference to any Dual Clutch system I've driven so far. (I'd still have a manual in preference to all of them of course). Edited 21, January 2016 by RBH58 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie28 Posted 21, January 2016 Report Share Posted 21, January 2016 The 8 speed ZF in the new BMW's is fantastic, definitely the best self shifting transmission I've driven, works for both the diesels and petrol as well which is impressive. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brotality Posted 21, January 2016 Author Report Share Posted 21, January 2016 Thanks for the suggestions guys. 'Give it the beans' really reminds me why I bought this car. A few drives since my first post and I am much more 'in sync' with the car. I get what she is trying to do. A bit more practice and I'll see if I can change the gearbox behavior a little bit with the gas pedal (slight gradual pressing to hold a gear, lift off to up shift, etc...) I think this where the car gets it's most negative feedback from. It is not something that you can jump in and start perfecting right away. Maybe why ZF gearboxes are getting more attention. I like what was said here that this car has character. She almost feel alive at times. I quite enjoy that. There was never a relationship without issues to be worked through, it makes the total bigger than the sum of its parts. It help us grow and understand. It is like she is saying, "I'm not easy, but I will be fun if you are willing to put in the effort, do you have what it takes?" I know that after a short while, this car will be my best friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R182 Posted 21, January 2016 Report Share Posted 21, January 2016 Wow, what a story... all those years wasted on a Falcon! Sent from my D5833 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No152 Posted 21, January 2016 Report Share Posted 21, January 2016 Started with a bush pig but ended up with a princess. Great story... Persist and you will love her I'm sure. Nice choice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris043 Posted 21, January 2016 Report Share Posted 21, January 2016 It's certainly true that that these cars have their own 'character'. My previous every day car was a Toyota Aurion which was very smooth, quiet and had plenty of power. I wanted a smaller car that the wife could negotiate easier in shopping centre parking etc. and that also had some 'oomf' like the 200kw Aurion to keep me happy. When I first drove the Clio my first thoughts were that it was a cranky little beast with a crazy gearbox compared to the smooth torque converter box in the Aurion. It is certainly different....it is noisier under power and can be bit vague at slow speeds but when you get used to it and learn to predict it's 'character traits' it can be a lot of fun...... I am still trying to teach the wife to 'feather' the accelerator more as she says she is either going nowhere or taking off at breakneck speed..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vish Posted 21, January 2016 Report Share Posted 21, January 2016 The key to crawling with the EDC is to let off the brakes, allow it to start moving then gently roll on the throttle if needed. You either need to be on or off the brakes - if you try to hold it and gradually release to crawl like you would with a conventional torque converter, it'll have a fit 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No152 Posted 22, January 2016 Report Share Posted 22, January 2016 I am still trying to teach the wife to 'feather' the accelerator more as she says she is either going nowhere or taking off at breakneck speed..... That's my SMBO regardless of the car she's in... She loves her Clio BTW... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBH58 Posted 22, January 2016 Report Share Posted 22, January 2016 The key to crawling with the EDC is to let off the brakes, allow it to start moving then gently roll on the throttle if needed. You either need to be on or off the brakes - if you try to hold it and gradually release to crawl like you would with a conventional torque converter, it'll have a fit Exactly....you have to kinda drive them like you would a manual. Do that and they'll last longer and drive smoother. People coming from torque converter autos often don't get it at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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