"Driving" an automatic

[TiG]

I had the unfortunate situation to have an Automatic while my car was in for service, and i can't stress how much I hated the entire experience, it was god damn awful.

To start with I had to deprogram myself from hitting the break when i was coming to a t-junction etc. My left foot just couldn't stop it for the first couple of minutes. Wondering what the hell was going on and had to actually stop and think what was going on.

But even after i'd stopped that I found the whole situation completely boring, nothing to do, no pleasure in the drive at all.

It makes me think that I can do 1 of 2 things in a car, drive IT, or be a passenger, if half the car's functions are turned into driver aids (the way things are going), i'd rather have one of two things happen, I'd either prefer the car to drive completely, or not at all.

Am I the only one that found an automatic this horrid?,

TiG

[Howard]

I don't find them "horrid", I just don't enjoy them. The lack of control over what gear you're in, and the lack of engine braking etc. It depends on the car though, I'd quite happily drive a big V8 luxobarge auto, but not something small that requires more interaction that can't be substituted for torque

I don't follow what you're saying about not hitting the brake..? Or do you mean using your left foot?

When I've driven autos it's almost felt natural, probably because I know how do drive them I guess Right pedal goes, lift off to let it change up, stomp it to kick down etc, left pedal to slow.

[TiG]

Yes i was hitting the break with my left foot....

Don't ask...
TiG

[Howard]

Played many computer games with a two-pedal racing wheel?

That or your left foot is so used to clutching that it wanted something to do

[99Flake]

What car was it TiG? I just ask because Mercs, BMW's and Lexi all have wonderful autos and on the larger engined and larger sized models you wouldn't want a manual. In fact an old E39 5 series is nasty in manual.

[MrP]

bought an auto a couple of years ago and wouldnt bewithout one now.

for a daily commute an auto cant be beaten, but for driving enjoyment they do lack something.

as for having to re-program, i found then quite easy to just get in and drive, even if i did look for a clutch when slowing down a few times!

[Barakka]

Yes i was hitting the break with my left foot....

Don't ask...
TiG

I drove an auto for the first time in the US last month and I found I did that - took a few mins to figure out why my braking was so sharp - Doh !

For the driving we did (1500 miles in 4 days) the auto was superb - and cruise control was a godsend. True it takes some of the driving pleasure away, but there's not much driving pleasure to be had when the directions involve "right at the junction, Ok, now straight on for about 3 hours... 65mph"

For the UK though I can see the advantage for distance commuters in having the auto.

[Funkstar]

Yes i was hitting the break with my left foot....

Yep, i've done that. I always seemed to stop rather quickly with that method

The only time i've driven an auto was in California this summer. I think the fact i was in an SUV and driving on the other side of the road for the first time ever made meant I didn't find it too boring (although it was a crap car).

The automatic was great when we got stuck it traffic heading into Santa Cruz. No tedious shifting in and out of 1st and 2nd.

[Moby-Dick]

An auto for Day to day driving suits my just fine , but I've got a lazy V6 to power it.

its a godsend in traffic jams and low speed manouvering. But you have to nail your left foot to the footrest and leave it there.

[sleepyhead]

I first found driving an auto a horrid experience but that was more based on how I used to drive (ie a manual). Having driven an auto for some time and back to my manual, I can safely say I do find the drive on the auto is very pleasant now that I am used to it and great for busy towns (stop/starts). I do, however, miss the feeling of changing gears if I use an auto on some fun twisty roads.

Just to clarify, I do drive a manual however on occasion I do drive an auto.

[burble]

Brake, not break

Some cars and engines don't suit auto boxes, some do. I'm yet to drive a 4 pot with an auto box that didn't make me want to crash it but I've driven several 6 & 8 pot cars with auto boxes and it just felt right.

I always thought to myself that I'd always stick to manual but come tomorrow morning I'll have a Golf R32 with DSG. DSG didn't feel much like an auto when I drove it, sure I can stick it in D (or S) and let it do the work but it felt fantastic using the paddle shift so I stumped up the extra £1300 (or whatever it was) and ordered it with DSG.

[kalniel]

The first time I get to a junction in an auto I *always* do an emergency stop.. stupid clutch-that-turned-into-a-brake

Aside from that they're ok. Main pain is the unpredicatbility - seems like whenever I need to actually pull away quickly for instance overtaking or nipping into a gap when approaching a turning they actually do the oposite and slow down. Of course they're just doing kickdown, but it's blooming annoying to actually slow down when you most want to accelerate. Especially if it's a diesel and there's notthing to be gained by the kick down.

But.. if you can fool the car into staying in the gear you want they're fine.

[Howard]

YEah sometimes I WANT to floor it in the current gear, and no change down and watch the revs rise to past the peak power band

[kalniel]

*nods* In the end I found I developed an incredibly sensitive right foot when driving an auto. Forget clutch control, it's all about squeezing as much as you can out of the throttle before the computer thinks you want a kick-down.. then lightening the pressure to encourage an earlier gear change, before getting back on it.

More work than a manual

[Howard]

We had a Saab 95 Aero HOT hire car for work, the 265bhp one... That was an auto. No matter when you floored it, it still shot off like a rocket, in any gear, even at 80mph on the motorway it was violent

We also had an Auto Toyota Previa. That was gutless. It didn't acelerate. The revs just... "rose". that's the only way to describe it

[mycarsavw]

I thought the first line of the thread was going to be

"...is like operating a sewing machine"

I "changed gear" (slammed the shifter up into P thinking it was 3rd) in my first ever drive of an automatic. Flat spotted the tyres and broke the gearbox.

They have their place (traffic jams / motorway cruisers) but I wouldn't buy one just yet.