Drivers who are new to automatics

[T & P]

People who haven't done this often think it'll cause problems but it's surprisingly easy. Your brain figures it out very quickly and after a minute or two it's pretty much the same as you're used to. However, almost every time I hire a left hand drive car, at some point I'll find myself approaching the wrong side to get in, or trying to change gear with the wrong hand and punching the door.

Yes, over the years I have had two or three incidents, when in Spain for a short break, of incorporating onto a main street from a side road and going to the left side of the road. Immediately accompanied by ‘Er, WTF are you doing?’ by my passengers.

 

[MickiQ]

People who haven't done this often think it'll cause problems but it's surprisingly easy. Your brain figures it out very quickly and after a minute or two it's pretty much the same as you're used to. However, almost every time I hire a left hand drive car, at some point I'll find myself approaching the wrong side to get in, or trying to change gear with the wrong hand and punching the door.

On our honeymoon we went to Majorca and it was the first time I had been in a taxi abroad, I got in the left side and briefly wondered why the fuck there was a steering wheel on the passenger side before I realised. I got out feeling embarassed, the taxi driver had a look of horror on his face as if I had been planning to steal his taxi. The newly minted Mrs Q looked like she was about to swallow her tongue through trying to suppress a laugh.

 

[Spymaster]

Yes, over the years I have had two or three incidents, when in Spain for a short break, of incorporating onto a main street from a side road and going to the left side of the road. Immediately accompanied by ‘Er, WTF are you doing?’ by my passengers.

I turned out of a restaurant in Majorca, to see a car coming towards me flashing his lights. I asked Mrs Spy "what's this dickhead doing?" before realising that I was the dickhead.

 

[MickiQ]

I turned out of a restaurant in Majorca, to see a car coming towards me flashing his lights. I asked Mrs Spy "what's this dickhead doing?" before realising that I was the dickhead.

I did something similar in Florida (the only place I've driven abroad) coming out of the McDonald's on International Drive, I came out of the car park and tried to turn left rather than right without crossing the lanes. There was a shout of "Mick!!" from the front passenger seat and a chorus of "Dad!!" from the back seat, everyone's a critic when you're driving abroad even the 8 year old.

 

[Elpenor]

I drove out of the car hire place at Lyon airport on the left, fortunately my mate reminded me what I’d done wrong and it was only a service road, not a public highway.

He still reminds me to this day of this In my defence I’d been up all night having gone to a club (sober) then driven for 90 mins to Gatwick and got on a plane. My mate was hammered and spent the drive to Gatwick falling asleep into me on the M25.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Only time abroad has been driving U.K. car on dirt tracks, meet an oncoming car and I pull over to the left…

 

[Skim]

My new (to me) car is a true hybrid and therefore automatic. (Honda Jazz, fyi).

I know, I know. We need to move away from reliance on cars. But I’m a blue badge holder and cities are going to have to change a lot before I can give up my car without being housebound. So can we park (lol) that detail for now?

I’ve driven manuals all my life. So it’s taking a bit of getting used to putting my left leg out of the way and not reaching for the gear stick every time I think I’m going to need it. And going down hills is weird.

But this is a thread to journal my transition, and for your experiences if you have any.

I have also started driving an automatic for the first time, also a Honda Jazz. I LOVE IT. I feel like a minicab driver. Everything is so smooth and easy. I always said I’d never get an automatic because I enjoyed changing gear, but I’m an instant convert.

 

[A380]

I have also started driving an automatic for the first time, also a Honda Jazz. I LOVE IT. I feel like a minicab driver. Everything is so smooth and easy. I always said I’d never get an automatic because I enjoyed changing gear, but I’m an instant convert.

I hate driving a manual in stop go traffic. Auto/manual doesn’t make any difference on the motorway or dual carriageways. I thought I’d miss it on winding roads but TBF even in the mid life crisis mobile I hardly ever use the paddle shifters. ( And I can get the MX5 fix if I want).

 

[Ax^]

not had much experience with Automatics
borrowed one once whilst getting a clutch fitted , just an old focus so nothing interesting did not feel as fun to throw about the car i was getting fixed

one think now one mentioned about the focus was the "double accelerator kick" so if you hit the loud pedal twice in succession the car thinks you going to accelerate hard

not something you want to find out whilst trying to come out of a parking space with car in front of you

 

[Skim]

I hate driving a manual in stop go traffic. Auto/manual doesn’t make any difference on the motorway or dual carriageways. I thought I’d miss it on winding roads but TBF even in the mid life crisis mobile I hardly ever use the paddle shifters. ( And I can get the MX5 fix if I want).

An automatic has made a massive difference to driving in London. It’s never fun sitting in an hour of traffic just to get on the M4, but not having to constantly change gear is a relief.

Don’t know why I didn’t think of getting an automatic before. There was no plan to it: we’re just using my mother-in-law’s car as she’s in a care home now and doesn’t drive. If I buy/lease a car in the future, I won’t even think about getting a manual.

ETA: have just bothered to find out what the paddle shifters are

 

[WouldBe]

Getting used to “engine creep” rather than clutch control.

Only time I've driven an automatic, I'm not sure if it was setup wrong, but I literally had to stand on the brake to get the thing to actually stop.

 

[Idaho]

All this talk of "control" with a manual, it's bollocks. In a car you are accelerating, braking or coasting. Direction is managed with the steering wheel. Manually selecting gears gives the potential for less control and fucking something up.

I had big comfy autos for years and they were lovely. I've got a one litre petrol manual now and it's fine... But chasing gears is tedious when you know a machine can easily do that for you.

 

[Jennaonthebeach]

My new (to me) car is a true hybrid and therefore automatic. (Honda Jazz, fyi).

I know, I know. We need to move away from reliance on cars. But I’m a blue badge holder and cities are going to have to change a lot before I can give up my car without being housebound. So can we park (lol) that detail for now?

I’ve driven manuals all my life. So it’s taking a bit of getting used to putting my left leg out of the way and not reaching for the gear stick every time I think I’m going to need it. And going down hills is weird.

But this is a thread to journal my transition, and for your experiences if you have any.

I was given an automatic to drive last year. Had it for a few weeks. At first it was just like you said - I kept reaching for the gearstick and wouldn't let my left foot rest. But after a few weeks I did get used to it and in a way prefered it - made my job much easier. However, I keep insisting that the company give me manual cars when they can as I'm Worried about losing my driving by stick skills. There was all sorts of complicated stuff in that last automatic car i drove - a skoda - which allowed for more gears if you wanted them. I never even started on that learning curve.

 

[A380]

All this talk of "control" with a manual, it's bollocks. In a car you are accelerating, braking or coasting. Direction is managed with the steering wheel. Manually selecting gears gives the potential for less control and fucking something up.

I had big comfy autos for years and they were lovely. I've got a one litre petrol manual now and it's fine... But chasing gears is tedious when you know a machine can easily do that for you.

Indeed, I’m amazed that there are people ( ok men) who think they are better at picking a gear that the 14 people with PhDs in Munich who designed their car drive train and, nowadays its software. The kind of people who just know they are a ‘well above average driver’…

 

[T & P]

I hate driving a manual in stop go traffic. Auto/manual doesn’t make any difference on the motorway or dual carriageways. I thought I’d miss it on winding roads but TBF even in the mid life crisis mobile I hardly ever use the paddle shifters. ( And I can get the MX5 fix if I want).

Yeah, if one had to drive a manual every day in London nowadays, your left knee would be buggered before a year had passed.

When hiring a car on holiday I still tend to ask for a manual. More fun to drive, and they’ll be gone within the next 10-15 years so might as well enjoy them while they are still around.

 

[Riklet]

Dont leave the car in D when you stop, with just the foot on the brake. Not for longer than a few seconds. You should change the mode really to avoid putting strain on the transmission. Loads of people don't do this but loads of people are daft.

I wouldn't buy an automatic personally because they're less reliable and more expensive to repair than manual gearboxes. They also require servicing semi regularly. Plus they are less fun for ragging it let's be honest

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Aren't the upper end of leisure vehicles automatic? I've never owned a car although I can drive. If I ever accidentally became wealthy I'd like a Bentley. They're automatic, no?

 

[zedr]

I only ever drive automatics when using Zipcars round London. It’s a weird feeling being able to open a car with your phone and be driving in a few seconds after pressing the start button, but convenient when it works (sometimes it very much doesn’t work!). Have enjoyed how simple they can be to drive but once spent 20 minutes (and I guess about a fiver of my trip furiously looking for the Nissan Leaf’s version of a hand break which it turns out is some sneaky foot pedal. No idea what’s wrong with a bog standard hand break.

 

[Spymaster]

All this talk of "control" with a manual, it's bollocks. In a car you are accelerating, braking or coasting. Direction is managed with the steering wheel. Manually selecting gears gives the potential for less control and fucking something up.

I had big comfy autos for years and they were lovely. I've got a one litre petrol manual now and it's fine... But chasing gears is tedious when you know a machine can easily do that for you.

I think what people mean by “being more in control” is that they’re more involved with the drive. It can certainly be fun on clear winding roads to shift up and down manually but most other situations there’s no difference and in heavy traffic they can be positively irritating. Also, in an automatic you still have control over changedown and up, you just do it with your foot instead.

 

[Spymaster]

one think now one mentioned about the focus was the "double accelerator kick" so if you hit the loud pedal twice in succession the car thinks you going to accelerate hard

not something you want to find out whilst trying to come out of a parking space with car in front of you

I think you mean kickdown. On all automatics, if you push the accelerator to the floor from a high gear, it’ll drop a gear. Combined with the additional revs, that will accelerate the car in the same way as if you’d done it manually with a stick.

Not something you’re likely to find out about in a car park though!

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

And then we have full electric cars, just forward and reverse, hit the throttle and off it goes like a scalded cat

 

[skyscraper101]

I seriously don't understand why this country (this continent even) clings on to manual cars so much. Automatics are a well established technology, and are so much easier to drive. Why anyone would want to piss about with a gearstick and a clutch is beyond me.

 

[Spymaster]

Aren't the upper end of leisure vehicles automatic? I've never owned a car although I can drive. If I ever accidentally became wealthy I'd like a Bentley. They're automatic, no?

Yes, they are now. Most of us probably started driving in the 80s and 90s when automatic transmissions were nothing like as accomplished as they are now and their failings were more evident in powerful cars. That meant that sports cars, and "sport" versions of road cars, invariably had manual boxes fitted and even on regular cars, automatic transmissions were an expensive, and not hugely popular, option. As a result, automatic cars had the reputation of being 'old man' cars among young hooligans, most of whom are in their 50s and 60s now, so many have opinions based on a very different era. Modern automatic gearboxes are a million miles away from those old ones in terms of performance and reliability. Most Porsches, and all Ferraris, are automatics now, although most performance cars have toys (like flappy paddles) that let you override the box and play Michael Schumacher if you want to.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I seriously don't understand why this country (this continent even) clings on to manual cars so much. Automatics are a well established technology, and are so much easier to drive. Why anyone would want to piss about with a gearstick and a clutch is beyond me.

There's a whole lot of fantasy stuff that's been sold to people around driving in general I think. As if it's all about zooming around the open road releasing your inner Lewis Hamilton rather than shuffling around in blocked up traffic half the time. The manual thing is just part of that fantasy IMO.

 

[DownwardDog]

Dont leave the car in D when you stop, with just the foot on the brake. Not for longer than a few seconds. You should change the mode really to avoid putting strain on the transmission. Loads of people don't do this but loads of people are daft.

I wouldn't buy an automatic personally because they're less reliable and more expensive to repair than manual gearboxes. They also require servicing semi regularly. Plus they are less fun for ragging it let's be honest

Autos (whether torque converter or CVT) need less maintenance than manuals. You'd have to replace the fluid at about the same time as you'd have to do the clutch in manual - 100,000 miles-ish, but it's less work and cheaper than a clutch.

They can be hard to diagnose though. I bought my SL55 for crack money because it was stuck in reverse. The Mercedes dealer didn't want to know about it and just wanted rid. I spent months pissing around with it and was resigned to spending $$$ on a new 5G-TRONIC transmission when I noticed a cracked plastic housing on a cable connector - that fixed it.

 

[Chz]

Only time abroad has been driving U.K. car on dirt tracks, meet an oncoming car and I pull over to the left…

Oh yes, my first time renting a car in the UK after I moved here. Confused the fuck out of a few drivers up in Scotland because I'd pull into the nearest stop on a single track regardless of what side it was on. I mean, it was still safe, and I got out of their way well enough so they probably appreciated it. They probably see enough tourists to just say "fucking tourist" and move on.

I stand by my statement elsewhere - if it's not a sports car or a dedicated off-roader, you're better off with the autobox. But it's kind of irrelevant - once all new cars have to be hybrid or electric, stick shift will be rare as hen's teeth. Depending on whether "mild" hybrids will count as hybrids. I don't think there are any full hybrid vehicles that aren't automatics, but there are a bunch out there that just use a small-ish battery to boost acceleration and recover braking energy. They still offer manual gearboxes.

 

[Sasaferrato]

Watch out for the accidentally stamping on the brake with your left foot as if it was a clutch. This can be quite a shock. You learn what a real emergency stop feels like!

Been there done that. It was a long time ago, pre-seat belt days. Luckily my passenger had good reflexes.

 

[MickiQ]

Been there done that. It was a long time ago, pre-seat belt days. Luckily my passenger had good reflexes.

Giving your age away again there Sass, I'm pretty long in the tooth myself but I've always worn a belt. I started learning in in 1978 and whilst it didn't actually become compulsory until 1983, it had been mandatory to fit them for 10 years by then so my instructor insisted on me wearing one. No-one in my generation (I was 20 at the time) objected to wearing a belt but I had a surprisingly large number of friends who objected to being forced to wear a crash helmet on a bike.
Quite a few were convinced that pressure from the biking community would eventually force a change of mind and the 'freedom' would be restored. They were wrong of course.

 

[DownwardDog]

I don't think there are any full hybrid vehicles that aren't automatics

Honda CR-Z but they have been out of production since 2016. I had one as my daily for a while and it was a great car that I wish I had kept. It wasn't an SUV so nobody bought it.

 

[Sasaferrato]

I drove a friend's diesel Mercedes automatic from Oxford to Berlin, then back to Calais.

To quote the great Danny De Vito, I would sooner stick red hot needles in my eyes that repeat the journey.

It wasn't that it was short of power, it had a 3l engine, it was the hideous lag between putting your foot down and power arriving. It made overtaking on the motorway really dreadful. I had a 1600 petrol i30 at the time, floor it and it went quickly. It took me nearly the whole trip to get the 'gap' for overtaking right with the automatic.