Have you switched from a manual car to an automatic? Do you like it?

[LindorDoubleChoc]

Asking because I drive a large, heavy clutch, quite old manual estate car. It's hard on my knees and ankles. The clutch doesn't engage until almost fully up and it's a big clunky car, quite difficult to park.

I have a new job which requires me to drive the company car. It's an automatic Golf, only a couple of years old. It's like a whole new driving experience! Although I have some experience of driving automatics on holiday, every car I've owned in the UK has been manual. So it's taken some adapting. It feels like if I literally brush my foot over the brake pedal we go into an emergency stop! I can't seem to set off smoothly either - lots of kangaroo jumps - the car speeds away from me as if I have no control and I'm terrified of smashing into cars parked just infront of me as I set off.

But once on the road and cruising around - it's lovely! I'm always driving in a slow urban environment so constantly stopping and starting and not having to go up and down through the gears all the time is something I could get used to.

Remind me again - what are the disadvantages of automatic cars?

I resisted for years (felt like it wouldn't feel like proper driving!) but was suffering with sciatica really bad so switched.
And I love it!

We had an automatic for about a year. It got written off after someone rear-ended DH and we went back to a manual. The automatic was OK but I never got used to it and to not doing as much. Just felt far less satisfying.

I drove automatics for about 10 years. They were great when the children were little as I always had a hand free to pass things back to them or whatever was needed when they were small and in the back etc... but now that they are older I have deliberately gone back to a manual. I missed actually driving as opposed to just steering something around. I want my children to at least learn how to drive a manual so that they aren't stuck, so will keep a manual until they are through the driving lessons stage then see how I feel.

This. Where I grew up, and where most of my family still lives is hilly and can get a lot of snow in winter. Automatics are a hindrance there and that's partly why I drive a manual (and partly because I love driving and actually enjoy driving manuals). You have a lot more control over a manual when doing tricky manoeuvres (see above mentioned snowy hills).

Automatics are very hard on the brakes so their brake pads need replacing more often (not an issue, just something to be aware of).

Yes. But sometimes the technology doesn't work as well as a real driver. For example, I don't use the "auto" setting on my headlights because they don't dip from full beam as quickly as I do.

Neither do I use the auto setting on my windscreen wipers because they sometimes go faster than I want them to.

I was once hit by a car which failed to stop when I did. The driver told me he had seen me brake but assumed his car would stop and it didn't. We were only going about 10 miles an hour and no harm was done but I thought then how foolish it was to rely on the car rather than use your own judgement.

On the other hand the new (to me) technology that I am very much enjoying is the heated steering wheel!

I much prefer it. My left knee gets arthritis now so not having to use the clutch helps especially because I drive around 4 hours a day or more.

We changed to one about 8 months ago, as we do a lot of stop-start urban driving. It’s a joy! I was very reticent at first as my Mum was always very disparaging about Mrs Bloggs across the road who had only passed her driving test for driving an automatic, automatic drivers were definitely not real drivers in her book! However that was in 1990 and I’m finally over it 😀.

I've had automatics now for 16 years and love them. Would never go back. I do a lot of city driving so constantly changing gears is a pain. All electric cars will be automatic so that's what we all will be driving soon enough.

Love my automatic would never drive anything else, don't know why they make manuals anymore.

I learned on a manual but never actually drove anything but automatics. I wouldn't want to switch.

I'd never go back to a manual. My A Class is as smooth as silk.

Yes I did switch purely because that happened to be what was available at the time we needed a bigger car.

It was okay but I wasn’t massively enamoured with it, when we changed cars I was happy to go back to manual.

Love my automatic hybrid. Especially when you want to pull away fast!

automatic 100000%.
you will be a convert. There’s literally no reason to drive a manual and you’ll never buy another one after an automatic! Less ti think about and it’s basically like driving a lovely, comfortable, smooth, go kart.

This is hilarious
An automatic has nothing to do with brakes! You definitely still need to break and use your reactions 😝

Same! I switched at the start of this year & so easy & effortless. Not sure why I stuck with manual so long.

Love it. I fact, I haven't driven a manual for over 20 years.

My last 4 automatics have allowed me to manually change gear either by the gearstick or via steering wheel paddles so I can have as much control as a manual if I want.

We had automatics when we lived in the US around 1990 -they were the norm and we thought using the gears in the opposite hand might be hard, they were ok but we weren't enamoured.

So we got manuals again on return to the U.K. but now we've got Toyota Corolla hybrids - the technology has moved on in all sorts of ways, their automatic transmission is a completely different thing!

The only thing is I feel like I'm forgetting to do something because it's too easy.

Automatics are very hard on the brakes so their brake pads need replacing more often

Not in hybrids, far less wear because of regenerative braking.

I’ve been driving an automatic for about 10 years, I’d never go back to manual. I don’t know why anyone would!

Most automatics now are actually semi automatic meaning if you need to change gear manually eg going down a long hill you can manually select gears and use engine breaking to reduce wear on breaks.

It's interesting reading this thread from the perspective of someone who learned in an automatic and will never have reason to drive a manual. Manuals only make up about 3% of new car sales in Australia and are mostly commercial or utility vehicles. I doubt I'd have got my license at all if I'd had to learn in a manual! 😄

Haha I did the same. I had to ring dp mid journey to ask for help and he was going what the hell is going on as I emergency kangaroo stopped all the way down the road and you could hear the contents of the truck slamming forwards in the truck bed. 🤣 bloody hilarious now I look back. No idea how we didn’t crash but then I was rolling around with hazards on and must have looked entirely insane!

Dh loves all cars, he had an automatic for ages and encouraged me to get a hybrid automatic. I found it easy to adjust. But I had to make a point of getting in and deliberately tucking my left foot hard under the seat initially to stop it keep springing out! Now I love it.