Have you bought an automatic car after driving a manual?

[MyCatTibby]

Can you tell me you experience of driving an automatic car after driving a manual car? I’ve driven a manual for 32 years and am thinking of buying an automatic. I’ve no qualms at all driving an automatic but I’ve only literally driven one a couple of times. I’ll be buying it on PCP over 4 years and I’m probably being silly but I’m worried I’ll be rusty after four years if I go back to manual then.

I drive both Automatic in Saudi and my manual in the UK. I do need to remind myself to use the clutch when I'm home. Automatic is easier to drive in the crazy traffic of KSA

We switched from a manual petrol car to an automatic electric car last year. Our new car is so easy to drive! It is so nice not to have to think about changing gear when I want to nip out of a junction, or when going uphill. And talking of going uphill, I think it's probably an electric car thing rather than an automatic car thing, (I have never driven an automatic car before) but it is so fantastic to be able to accelerate uphill rather than to have to worry about when to change down a gear so you're not losing too much power, and not to worry about having to get a bit of a run up to the hill. We have a couple of long steep hills where we live and it is really great just to be able to go up them easily rather than getting stuck behind a smelly lorry because we don't have enough power to pass it.

Its just personal preference, but both are easy, things like going from manual to an electric handbrake are harder to get used to. Personally I prefer manual, so I only had our auto for about nine months.

Apart from the occasional courtesy car, I haven't driven a manual in over 30 years and would never go back to one.

When I have had to drive a manual, I picked it all up again after about an hour or so.

I switched to an automatic electric car last year after 20 years driving manuals. Our other family car is still manual, so I switch back and forth fairly frequently. I never forget to change gear in the manual, but have occasionally gone to put my left foot on the "clutch" in the electric when approaching a roundabout. But overall, very easy!

Yes I have, recently switched 6 months ago. Was wary but i'd never go back to manual now. Although still subconsciously find myself reaching for the non existent gear stick

Yes ! First auto was 12 yrs ago. Just changed the car to another Auto.

We have a second car that is manual , deliberately so , so DCs learnt to drive in that and use that as their run around.

When eventually DCs have bought their own cars our second d car will also be an auto !

Love them !

I have to admit, though another advantage of having the automatic was I was able to go back to driving much sooner than I could've with a manual when I completely smashed up my shoulder ball and cuff in 1000 pieces had to have an entire new ball and cuff!!

Due to another health issue, I can't actually drive at the moment anyway so I can just keep procrastinating🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

'The big iPad thing' I would assume is in new manual (if you can find one) the same as it's in automatics, it's sat now it's entertainment. It's information about the car parking sensors.

I don't really like them. I preferred it when they were built in lower down and not so huge especially being short they can be a right pain in the backside, but can't see why they'd be in automatics and not manuals cars??

Thanks for all your replies everyone! I was quite wary of changing to automatic but your replies have reassured me.

It’ll take about 3 days tops to get used to it. I would never go back to a manual car now.

We had one of each for a while. I didn't have any problems swapping from manual to auto depending on which car it was.
When I swapped my car, I went for an automatic. Some manufacturers are only doing automatic now as electrics apparently only do automatic. You might not have a choice about swapping back!

DH and I have both had automatics now for about 7 years, would never buy a manual again. On long motorway journeys, you just set the cruise control and steer - absolute game changer.

I swap between a Tesla, a manual diesel van and a petrol car usually several times a day. It's easy! If you've been driving that long then manual cars come as second nature I think. I don't have a clear cut preference for either manual or auto though, I enjoy both for different reasons.

All automatics here and no one would go back to manual. Only time is hiring a car abroad as it's usually significantly more expensive to hire an automatic and there's less availability.

I don't take my eyes off the road to change gear.

Love my auto and is my 2nd one, so much easier to drive in traffic

Would never go back

Well you're wrong regardless.

Your post is tripe.

People (m and f) all over the world drive automatics, and not because they "can't manage gears". In fact, manuals are regarded as preposterous 'boy racer' vehicles in some societies, with some justification.

Passed my test in 1999 at 17 and drove manual cars exclusively until I bought my current car in 2015. It’s an Audi S3 Saloon. It has a tiptronic gearbox which means I can drive it as a manual but I love having an automatic and if I were to change my car, I’d stick with an automatic all the way.

As someone who for years used to do a weekly drive from Cheshire to London (and sometimes Basingstoke) my left leg/foot would have loved the rest an automatic gives you vs the constant clutch dipping when crawling along in stop/start traffic jams on the M42….

I learned to drive at 17 in a manual. DDad got an automotive when I was about 20. DH got an auto when I was about 35. I stilll had a manual car until I last changed car 5 years ago. Also generally always had automatics when renting overseas from early-30s onwards.

I had to drive a manual car a couple of months ago and it was hard remembering how to.

My DDad's tip was to "take your left leg, throw it over your shoulder, and forget about it". Makes sense to me 🤣

And it was both my DDad and my DH which changed first in life partnerships - DM and I both changed to auto significantly later on.

I do like having the ability in my current car to use manual for very bad weather (or to get out of a muddy field when camping), but I've hardly used that function otherwise.

Absolutely love driving an automatic, after 40 years of changing gear, it's a god send

I've been driving a very long time and always a manual.

I wanted an electric car and bought one last week. Obviously it's an automatic. I'm terrified of it. I'm having vivid nightmares that I can't control it. I've only driven it twice and honestly don't know if I can again.

What do you mean? Don't you have just as much control over the car whether manual or automatic? I drive both and apart from automatic requiring less work from me to do the same things and it being a bit less responsive (initially) when accelerating - I don't see how you have less control 🤷‍♀️

If the car is electric it might feel too sporty - in both our EVs you can dial down the responsiveness - I did this initially - but now I like being able to accelerate out of danger.