Automatic

jhegarty

I am looking to rent in a car in the states next month.

It will naturally be an automatic , so I guess I am back to learning to drive !

So how hard is it for someone with 10 years driving "proper" cars to pick it up ?

peanuthead

The hardest thing is that you will be braking with your left foot, ie: your clutch foot.

So until you get used to that, you will be jamming on every time you try to slow down, haha!! Its our instant reaction to go heavier with our left foot, and its hard to get out of that habit. its funny because you're so not expecting it, so you almost jump out of your seat!!

Also, they tend to not have the same capacity for overtaking in my opinion. You can't really speed up that quickly. Or maybe that was just us!


Nothing to do with the car being auto, but it is going to be soooo strange making turns onto what seems to be the wrong side of the road too!!

Senna

Dont break with you left foot, unless you plan on never going back to a manual car again. Its dangerous because you are used to using your right foot and even if you do get used to left foot braking, once your back in a manual you could very easlily jump on the clutch, when you really mean to brake, that could be nasty.

Just drive it the same as a manual only your left foot does nothing. I found it quite easy to move to an auto, i dont think most people will have any problem after a few minutes of driving to get used to it.

peanuthead

Senna wrote: »

Dont break with you left foot, unless you plan on never going back to a manual car again. Its dangerous because you are used to using your right foot and even if you do get used to left foot braking, once your back in a manual you could very easlily jump on the clutch, when you really mean to brake, that could be nasty.

Just drive it the same as a manual only your left foot does nothing. I found it quite easy to move to an auto, i dont think most people will have any problem after a few minutes of driving to get used to it.

Em... okay after reading this I feel pretty stupid about not thinking of this myself - yes this would have been alot easier!!

Ha, if I ever go back i'll be sure to do this instead

Permabear

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TwoShedsJackson

jhegarty wrote: »

I am looking to rent in a car in the states next month.

It will naturally be an automatic , so I guess I am back to learning to drive !

So how hard is it for someone with 10 years driving "proper" cars to pick it up ?

It is possible (though not easy) to rent a manual there, if you really wanted to you could probably find one. If you can drive a manual you will have no problem at all driving an automatic, as said above, use your right foot to accelerate and brake, left foot does nothing.

Beware some differences in the RotR over there, apart from driving on the right, don't pass a school bus on either side of the road when it's stopped, you can turn right on a red light unless there's a sign prohibiting it, undertaking is legal on multilane roads, if you come to a junction without lights you go in the order you arrived at the junction if there are other cars there etc.

There's a bit more so do a bit of research. If you do get pulled over by the cops, keep your hands on the wheel as they come up to you and DO NOT reach into the glovebox for licence, papers or anything else, they can be jumpy and may assume you're going for a weapon there :eek:

Personally I loved driving in the States, enjoy

**Timbuk2**

Manuals are more common in the States that I thought. I was over there visiting my cousins and I expected them to have an automatic, because I thought everyone does, but they had a manual and said quite a number of people drive manuals that they know.

I've also driven an automatic car before - it's not hard to get used to at all. But I prefer manuals because

• they're a lot more fun
• you feel in control of your car, whereas in an automatic you feel like you don't have full control, especially when overtaking etc.
• they are apparently more fuel effecient than automatics (I don't know whether this is true, but it's what I've heard).

But to answer your question, you should have no problem driving an automatic after being used to a manual. As for driving on the opposite side of the road - after an hour or so it won't seem strange and you'll be used to it. Roundabouts will seem very odd at first (although I think these are few and far between in America).

Permabear

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Mackman

You wont have a problem with automatic OP, it just feels a bit weird at first cause your left foot is doin nothing, but you'll get used to that.

Personally i rather manual's, i feel automatics are for lazy drivers and auto's are boring!!
For overtaking, some cars have a overdrive button, if you click it it will cut out the top gear, essentially dropping a gear giving faster acceleration

Richie15

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

• they are apparently more fuel effecient than automatics (I don't know whether this is true, but it's what I've heard).

In general they are, for two reasons. Firstly the automatic gearbox is heavier and takes extra energy to work, and also it's not as efficient at delivering the power from the engine to the wheels because it changes so often and it doesn't know what the driving conditions are. An experienced driver is usually better at selecting the right gear, although of course not everyone does that properly. Was getting a lift the other day and the poor car was crying out in pain, she was around the roundabout before she moved into second!