I'm thinking of changing to an automatic car but never drove one. Is it easy to swap over.
Yes. It shouldnt be a problem. Just put the gear lever into D. Handbrake down and accelerate as usual.
Starting out you may want to bend your left knee so that your left foot is closer towards the seat. That will prevent you from trying to hit the clutch and accidentally hitting the brake pedal instead.
Yes simple.
My 86 year old uncle changed to one a few months ago and is delighted with it.
I have an automatic with 8 years and would never go back.
The mistake a lot of people seem to make when they first change over is use their left leg for the brake.
Keep your left leg away from the brake.
If you don't, it will become clear straightaway why you should.
Thanks for reply. So does brake act like a clutch as well as in when I press the brake it knocks it out of gear. Sorry for silly questions.
Funny you mention the handbrake, I’ve been driving automatic for about 15 years and the handbrake is completely redundant. Stick the car in park and walk away.
If you notice in the US they call it the “emergency brake”. I’ve never had a reason to use it.
As for the original question, it’s the easiest thing in the world.
the simple answer is that there are no gears. You brake or accelerate, that’s it.
There are many different types of automatic, from CVT to DSG and so on. But for the user it’s all the same. Accelerate or brake and steer. Thats all you do. What happens in the internals of the transmission is irrelevant to how you drive.
If you get an EV or hybrid the battery charges when you brake. Most EVs have a one pedal driving system where they start to brake once you lift off the accelerator. But tricky to get used to at first but it’s easy
No, the clutch is automatic, so you can just forget about it. You just accelerate and brake, and the car will change gears up and down automatically.
Only new thing is that when stopped and with drive selected, you need to keep your foot on the brake. If you take your foot off the brake, the car will start to slowly move forward. You'll forget you're even doing this after the first day or two.
It won't creep if you have the Autohold function (button that you press to engage it and it stays on until you deselecti t). That temporarily applies the brakes when you stop and releases as soon as you press the accelerator. No need to have your foot on the brake. I have it on my car and assume it's on others but maybe not.
A know it all friend tried to convince me to that you should be left foot braking.
In practise no. A bit of research , race drivers will use left foot braking for quicker responses
The cars aren't designed for left foot braking. Your left leg doesn't move. In any case, if you were to attempt some sort of rally raid style tick-tacking of the accelerator and brake, you'd damage the transmission pretty quickly.
Autos are the easiest thing in the World. Even in Ireland, something like 70% of new passenger cars are automatic or semi-automatic now. And manual gearboxes will disappear in all but the most fundamental sports cars by the end of the decade.
So get used to them either way.
No way should you be left foot breaking.
I drove a manual for over 30 years and last year changed to an automatic diesel Octavia. Honestly love it, don't know why I didn't make the change years ago. I would never go back to a manual now.
I don't why anyone drives manual anymore. Auto is so easy. Also - if abroad - auto is your best option.
best thing you’ll ever do. if you’re worried, book an hour with a local driving school that has an automatic car.
Spend the hour getting use to it. Then go buy yours.
From Manual to Automatic, it is extremely easy. One thing though - and I know you will try this - brake with your left foot. Try it, on empty road without passengers and properly belted up.
Once you get used to the automatic, it is much harder to switch back to manual.
Driving autos for 30 years.
I always do left foot braking. It comes naturally after a very short while. I find it allows a quicker response and finer control. Obviously, you must lift your right foot off the accelerator pedal when left foot braking.
Everyone driving an automatic car uses left foot braking when manoeuvring, parking, doing a 3-point turn etc.
I have never encountered a problem using left foot braking in those 30 years of driving auto. You have two feet after all!
Nothing at all to do with rallying. More vehicle control yes, and there really is no chance of damaging the transmission.
It's not for everyone though. It takes a bit of getting used to, and must be 'unlearned' if switching back to a manual (3 pedal) car. For that reason alone I normally do not recommend it blindly, without knowing the experience of the particular driver.
The main problems that drivers new to using an automatic gearbox are:
With left foot breaking, problem #1 above will never arise.
Problem #2 above is much less frequent anyway than #1, and also much less likely to happen if you brake with your left foot only.
Racing totally different scenario where your keeping your right on accelerator and dabbing brake with left to keep your speed up
Nobody on the road need to left foot brake, if you need that extra reaction time from right foot braking, you are driving too close to the car in front.
as said above, keep your left foot tucked for the first few days to stop imaginary clutching, then it'll be 2nd nature to you in no time, then down the road when you drive a manual again, remember to clutch :D, i am jumping into Manual, Autos, LHD, RHD cars every day, it doesnt even register to me anymore what i am in. you learn very quickly.
Enjoy the Auto, it makes city driving so much easier.
Driving a manual is what separates us from the Americans, and a jolly good thing too.😎
That's why its called automatic. The car does all that clutchwork for you.
You point the car in the correct direction and you go. The control of the accelerator is the "skill" to prevent the need for braking too much.
Its a doddle.
My mum switched in her 70's and got the hang of it on the same day. She wished she had switched many years previously
Driving autos for nearly 20 years myself and have NEVER used left foot braking :)
If manoeveuring at slow speeds in the examples you suggest, I just let the creep function do a lot of the work and I am someone who reverses into every spot.
But to answer the OP, yes automatics are a fantastic option (especially when paired to a decent gearbox and engine) that really should have been adopted here much quicker and sooner than they were. I would never go back and thankfully no need to these days - also my current car doesn't even come in a manual option.
Another vote for left-foot-braking here. I've been driving automatic stuff of various kinds for decades, some of which can ONLY be left-foot-braked: industrial loaders, dumpers, etc. Except for a small truck and some old tractors, everything I drive at the moment is an 'automatic' of some sort. Everything is braked with my left foot. It gives so much more fine control in tight/slow manoeuvres, and much smoother transitions when starting off from stopped, particularly on steep slopes. It's the best way to drive an automatic 4x4 off-roader too, in my opinion. You have to be more careful with DSG type transmissions of course, as they can get confused if you're clumsy with balancing the two pedals, but that's easily learned. Just on the handbrake: most automatic drivers rarely use it as it's so convenient to just shift in 'P' (Park), but you should use it a bit occasionally to keep it freed up and functional, otherwise it'll seize up or get sticky and will become an NCT failure.
I always use the handbrake too. It's just a button on my A7 below the shifter. In fact if I don't use it you get a weird "wobble" when you release the foot brake so my procedure is… back into spot (creep function doing the work mostly), foot brake to stop, engage parking brake, release foot brake.
Moving off is very easy. Foot brake applied, release handbrake, put it in D, let it creep forward and use accelerator when ready. In traffic the creep function will rapidly bring it to 5/7 kph (mated to a 3L diesel with plenty of torque) so much easier in those scenarios too.
As I told my wife who resisted driving my automatic for years (and now hates manuals)
You just drive with the one foot only, the right foot, forget about the left foot.
But its a breeze and so much easier than a manual, throw it in D and then one foot driving
Can't understand this left foot braking. I've been driving automatic for thirty years and they have improved beyond measure. Wonderful where you encounter lots of traffic lights and roundabouts. Most modern cars have an automatic "hand brake" which engages when you stop and disengages when you begin to move. Some have a button to disengage but no lever
Started driving in 1972, manual, of course, and then gear changes were a real skill depending on the car. Still occasionally drive a vintage car and it keeps me used to gear changes.
Very easy. After a couple of days you'll forget you ever drove manual.
One thing to note, in older automatics you have to press the brake to hold the car at a stop. If you release the brake, but don't press the accelerator, the car will creep forward. In newer auto's there's an 'auto hold' feature where you don't have to do this and to start moving again you just press on the accelerator slightly.
Absolutely correct and as simple as that. So much confusing and complicated answers being given to a very simple question. I presume that the OP is not going racing or rally driving, not driving tractors or earth moving vehicles, not driving four wheel drives or juggernaut trucks. Just in addition to the simplicity of the answer about I would suggest that someone who was unfortunate enough to loose their left leg or the power of their left leg could absolutely drive an automatic car safely and comfortably.
Drove a Ford Granada Automatic in the distant past - it was 'different'
Nowadays the DSG Automatics are amazing in that they allow you to concentrate more on driving than pedal and gear work.
It reminds me of the really old cars that you had to use (or could use) a cranking handle to start them - OK lots of people were sad to see them go because it was a good idea but it's no longer needed in 99.9% of situations.
If you (like me) get a temporary replacement car when your Automatic is in for service -
I drove up to the traffic lights and I was thinking - Why is it 'conking out' - DUH - forgot to press the clutch and take it out of gear.
Manual gearboxes are a thing of the past (fortunately or unfortunately) especially now with Electric Vehicles.
Put your left foot away - under the seat if necessary - one foot driving - right foot only !
Whilst left foot braking is a skill that you can learn, I wouldn't recommend it.
Most likely at some stage in the future you will be driving a manual car and if the habit of left foot braking has become ingrained you will find it very problematic.
Do you left foot brake when driving a manual?
No.
So why complicate matters learning a new skill? Tuck left foot under seat for first few days.
Simples.
Easiest change you'll ever make from manual to auto. So much less taxing to drive!
The 'problem' is when you hop back into a manual after driving an automatic for a long time. Its a bit like riding a bike, you dont forget, but the muscle memory is a bit rusty at first!
