Driving an Automatic

[brendy]

Sheesh all this love for autos.
Manual all my driving life with a Subaru Impreza wrx being my last until September, sold up and bought a bmw 530d msport auto. Its remapped etc so quite sprightly but the autobox kills any sportyness straight off. I don't see me owning it for too long and will probably go back to a Subaru again. Much prefer manual gears, surely I'm not alone?

 

[GreiginFife]

Sheesh all this love for autos.
Manual all my driving life with a Subaru Impreza wrx being my last until September, sold up and bought a bmw 530d msport auto. Its remapped etc so quite sprightly but the autobox kills any sportyness straight off. I don't see me owning it for too long and will probably go back to a Subaru again. Much prefer manual gears, surely I'm not alone?

Used to love manual after 18 years of exclusively driving them, then got an auto with paddles and was suitably impressed by the responsiveness with the double clutch system and the new 9 speed box in my C43 is outstanding, all the fun of manual with the paddles but quicker on the change.

 

[williamalex1]

The only time you might need to put it into neutral, is when some idiot [ the wife] managed to stall it
[ a Merc ] it wouldn't start in park, would only start when put into neutral :thup:.
PS you don't need your left leg :thup:
Stick it cruise control and try and stay awake

 

[The Evertonian]

I recently bought my first ever auto and after a couple of weeks I can safely say I won't be going back to manual in a hurry. I've spent the last twenty years messing about with a clutch and gear box, well not anymore, time to sit back and enjoy the ride! :thup:

 

[North Mimms]

Most autos that I have driven won't start unless you have your foot on brake when you turn on the ignition.
My friend's husband called out the AA when he couldn't get his new automatic to start!

 

[SaintHacker]

Sheesh all this love for autos.
Manual all my driving life with a Subaru Impreza wrx being my last until September, sold up and bought a bmw 530d msport auto. Its remapped etc so quite sprightly but the autobox kills any sportyness straight off. I don't see me owning it for too long and will probably go back to a Subaru again. Much prefer manual gears, surely I'm not alone?

If money was no object I'd have something with flappy paddles and a fun button. Overall I prefer a manual for driving however from a practicality and cost perspective my next work car will be an auto, and probably a petrol, I'm sick to bloody death of forking out upwards of £800 on clutches and dual mass flywheels every 100k or sometimes less!

 

[CliveW]

Automatic gearbox problem.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S3mzAzOl6o

 

[USER1999]

My daily commute into North London can be grim, hence my daily drive being auto. I also have a fun car, with flappy paddles etc. They are taking a bit of getting used to, so i am mainly using the sport option. I occasionally drive a manual, but really cant see the point.

As an aside, most of the people i have been driven by would be way better off with an auto, as they are never in the right gear, and their clutch control is awful.

 

[jim8flog]

Left foot braking-

If your car is not a true automatic but one of the automatic clutch/ electric gear change boxes left foot braking is ideal to stop the vehicle running backwards on hills and in stop/start traffic.

Having driven autos for over 30 years I got a shock first time I drove one as I was not prepared for it rolling backwards.

Ps I never used a handbrake when the vehicle was in park but my current car has an automatic handbrake so it now gets done for me.

 

[Piece]

Only issue I have with my autobox is the slightly slow response when you want to pull out of a junction quickly.

Both manual and autos have their advantage. But for sheer ease and laziness, auto for me.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

***Important safety tip***

Some auto boxes take a bit longer to 'spin up' from standstill than a manual box so until you get used to it don't try to quickly pull out in front of other traffic

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I think the hesitation thing is more to do with the style of auto. My VW van has a DSG box, and there is always a hesitation if you are heavier with the right peg. My wifes Singsong has an old school auto box, and that has no hesitation and just goes on demand

 

[Fish]

***Important safety tip***

Some auto boxes take a bit longer to 'spin up' from standstill than a manual box so until you get used to it don't try to quickly pull out in front of other traffic

I just press my sport button and flat foot it, have to make sure my head rest is positioned right though 😜

 

[rosecott]

I think the hesitation thing is more to do with the style of auto. My VW van has a DSG box, and there is always a hesitation if you are heavier with the right peg. My wifes Singsong has an old school auto box, and that has no hesitation and just goes on demand

I had a "late life crisis" a couple of months ago and bought a Skoda Superb estate with the 3.6 V6 engine with the DSG box. That engine compensates for the DSG hesitation. I've had autos before but, after this, there's no going back.

 

[GreiginFife]

Dont find any hesitation at all from mine. Smooth as the old course greens.
Flappy paddles with dynamics in sport mode and it goes off the mark like stuff off a shovel.

 

[williamalex1]

I had a "late life crisis" a couple of months ago and bought a Skoda Superb estate with the 3.6 V6 engine with the DSG box. That engine compensates for the DSG hesitation. I've had autos before but, after this, there's no going back.

No reverse ? lol

 

[rosecott]

No reverse ? lol

I'll miss your ready wit at Forest Pines but I'll miss your brandy more.

 

[williamalex1]

I'll miss your ready wit at Forest Pines but I'll miss your brandy more.

Not to mention my bottle of Malbec , I hope you all have a good time Jim :cheers:

 

[MarkE]

***Important safety tip***

Some auto boxes take a bit longer to 'spin up' from standstill than a manual box so until you get used to it don't try to quickly pull out in front of other traffic

Which is where left foot braking comes in. Hold brake then gas and off brake the same time, no delay. Otherwise there will always be a delay when moving your foot from brake to gas pedal.

 

[Smiffy]

Hopefully, all of these left foot brakers of automatics don't drive like this under normal road conditions.
I can understand it if holding on a hill or pulling out of a junction, but I have followed plenty of two footed auto drivers in the past who drive with their left foot lightly "resting" on the brake pedal.
Everytime they then go over a pothole or some other road defect their bloody brake lights come on.
That's okay every once in a while but it does get a bit wearing if you are following somebody who's brake lights keep coming on every 20 yards or so
:angry: