My BIL owner retuns home today , but before He departed I possibly posed him all of the above questions , and a few more besides.
As ever Seeing + Doing is believing , so He demonstrated the car as I tried to catch Him & the EGS out .
but , since He is a Well Experienced , Competent and mechanically Sypathetic driver , that can often be difficult
I don't have the hanbook to hand , but have read it once and would recommend reading 20 + times , especially about the EGS. before the vehicle is accused of malfunction .
This is not an exhaustive account of what the Car is capable of , more like
my limited experience of it , this C4 Pic is far cleverer and much sharper than me .....
Full Auto Mode :-
The gearchange if left to it's own devices *appears to change slowly compared to a manual or some T.Q auto's ( but certainly not all ) , and lurches a little between changes IF you maintain a fixed throttle .
You very quickly learn to " feel " when the box is about to upchange and backing off the gas pedal a smidgeon produces somewhat quicker and smoother change with no lurching .
* It is still on a par with my manual Synergie latency wise .
Manual Mode :-
The flappy paddles can be usefully employed to produce a
very rapid lurchless change , again backing the gas off slightly as you click the paddles .
You can make it Hold any gear you wish , for as long as you wish on both up & down shifts ( very useful) . but it will go to the rev limiter if you so desire not to change .
It also sorts itself out when slowing / stopping and will then proceed in the correct gear
i.e if you come to stop in 6th , it sorts out the right gear to pull away again , usually 1st.
In either mode there is little or no clutch slip , it's better than me on a good day with a manual ( bear in mind my Syn' is still on her original clutch)
Given the engines power/torque from seemingly no - revs , regardless of what figures are quoted on paper ? it can - and will take off like a Scalded Cat unless a more genteel press of the Loud pedal is employed
This can alarm the boy - racers at the traffic light G.P , by the time they stop scratching their nadgers and cruching through their knackered synchro's , the Cit. is well down the lane , by now 3rd gear having changed up on flappies - quicker than they can burst a Zit or get out of 2nd.
Where
my Inexperience lets me down is :-
When at a halt the handbrake will deploy itself in certain circumstances ( depending on how the car is set up in the Menu)
please read handbook ! I don't have it here.
Regardless of this , if you hold the car on the footbrake - when released the vehicle remains static for a couple of seconds BUT can then freely roll until either the Loud pedal is depressed or the brake - again . My old grey matter still " thinks" cos' there ain't a clutch pedal , that there is some ATF sloshing round - providing some hold . there is NOT
This leads
me into a panic - two pedal - both feet squaredance when parking !
The vehicles owner suffers no such issues since - He has read the gubbings in the book , and took heed of it ! but probably more importantly - Experience.
" Familiararity breeds contempt " sayeth some wise old sage , and a bit of forethought is req'd with this box - for me at any rate . Again No probs for the owner.
...................................................................................
Slightly Digressing .
Many, Many moons ago - I was road testing a 911 - Sportomatic . whilst idling at the traffic lights I had my foot off the gas , and hand resting on the gearknob . Lots of you will be in front of me and grinning by now ?
Green to Go - I pushed the stick into first , gave it some juice and - Nothing ? I sat blipping the gas ( flat sixes rev mega - rapidly ) watching the revs go up and down but still no drive ?
I then took my hand Off the gear knob ( forgetting the internal microswitch which operated a servo to disconnect the clutch )
F%$&^%$^£(*&%$ ing ell'
it were off like Barks's Bull , it pinned me to the seat back and crapping myself I narrowly avoided an accident, putting it mildly . Not Cool .
For those fortunate well heeled owners who survived early seventies 911's , I bet they would give their eye - teeth to own one again !
Looking to replace our Xsara Pic with a C4 GP next year - there are lots ex motability going through the auction at £3k < retail. Some are in the state citroenmad describes though... 
). Its a 138HP HDi Exclusive on a 07 plate. It seemed unwieldy initially, but it's easy to reverse park with the sensors.
