Advice on driivng automatic for first time please

[ifonly4]

I'm driving an automatic for first time today after driving a manual for 40+ years. Can I just check my understanding is correct please?

Foot on brake and press ignition. Do I need to be in neutral or is drive ok at that point?

D is obviously drive, R is reverse, P goes on alongside handbrake when stopping and leaving car. Would I use P at any other time?

If engine cuts out when I stop briefly, do I need to change out of drive?

If I'm stop/start on say motorway in say a traffic jam and put handbrake on, do I need to put into neutral or is drive ok so I can just pull away?

You will never go back!
yes foot on break to start, car will always be in park/neutral when you do that.

You may find handbrake is automatic, I only need to use P when parking but if stopped at traffic lights a hard press on the brake holds the car so no need to come out of drive.

If engine cuts out when stopped no need to change out of drive, it will just restart when you press the accelerator. I don’t think other than starting I have ever put the car in neutral.

P is for parking as pp said. Don’t think I’ve ever or rarely used neutral!

It’s been so long since I used a manual (20 years ago!) and honestly I never looked back. 3 point turns I found tricky in a manual are easier in an automatic. Like my mum says “it’s like driving a bumper car!” 😅. It’s almost similar to a manual as you have drive, park etc but it’s far, far simpler as you don’t have to keep going up and down gears!

Foot on brake and press ignition. Do I need to be in neutral or is drive ok at that point?
It will be in P when it starts, put it in D or R as appropriate then car will start to move as you ease off the brake.

D is obviously drive, R is reverse, P goes on alongside handbrake when stopping and leaving car. Would I use P at any other time?
Exactly this. P is for parking.

If engine cuts out when I stop briefly, do I need to change out of drive?
Like auto stop start? Stay in D. It will start itself when you ease your foot off the brake or when it senses the traffic in front moving depending on how techy the car is.

If I'm stop/start on say motorway in say a traffic jam and put handbrake on, do I need to put into neutral or is drive ok so I can just pull away?
If it’s stop start I would keep it in drive and just use the brake, the car will hold itself. If it stops for a while and you fancy giving your foot a break then use park. I’ve never used N in 10 years of driving autos- think it’s for towing if you break down? The car may not have a handbrake, if it does I’d only use it when parking not when stopped in traffic.

When I drive an auto after being in a manual for a while I tuck my left leg behind my right so when I brake I don’t get flung out of the windscreen. You don’t need your left leg to do anything at all. It took me a couple of drives but it’s honestly so much easier.

Take your shoe off

N if you go through a car wash apparently

what make and model have you got? I presume its push button start? Just lift your foot gently off the brake to let the car start rolling forward, and when you need to brake, you'll probably need to be a bit gentler on it.

As you said. In my car I only need to use p when I park. I press my break paddle longer and it holds. On my dashboard something highlights green to say it’s on hold.

I only changed to an automatic a year ago. I used to try and grab a gear stick and ended up hittinv anyone in the passenger seat out of habit.

tuck your left leg away as your left foot will just automatically go to the clutch that’s not there.

took me a while to get used to it. But I love it and no going back. So easy and nice to drive.

I still go back into my manual with a sigh of relief. I don't feel in control of DH's auto, and my left side feels twitchy, redundant and unbalanced. I feel more mentally engaged with a manual.

I can do it. I just haven't got past the weirded out and mistrust phase in 8 years

Thank you. I was actually thinking about taking my left shoe off the first couple of drives, as I don't think I'd be tempted to try and touch any of the pedals without.

I changed to automatic and now hate driving my husbands manual.

The one drawback I mentioned to DS, is it creeps forward if you take your foot off the brake if it hasnt got hold turned on. So watch out for that.

You may also have an e-pedal function? I rarely use the brake unless it's a hard stop. When you take your foot off the accelerator it slows as if braking (brake lights come on) but you do need to use the brake for it to stop dead.

So most of my driving consists of one pedal. And to confuse matters even more, mine has B mode alongside D mode 😂 When you lift your foot off the accelerator, it increases regenerative braking. It slows the car down more aggressively by using the electric motor to capture energy and turn it into electricity! I don't think I could drive a manual now!

Just use your right foot!

D to go forward.
R to go backwards.
N if you are stopping for some time like to pick someone up.
P if you are going to turn the engine off for some time like parking.

Use your right foot only.

That's it. I do D to drive/R to reverse and P automatically happens when I turn the car off anyway. I never do anything in traffic or at traffic lights with the handbrake, just leave it be.

You will never go back!
Oh I dont know. I use my sons automatic regularly and also the works car but I love driving a manual.

Really really really tuck your left foot under your right. The muscle memory of slamming the clutch if you brake hard is really dangerous if you slam your left foot on that large brake pedal they fit to automatics. I've done it, also my partner did it and got rear-ended. You forget after a while but the muscle memory is still there!

The creeping forward unless you have the brake pedal pressed can catch you out too - both forward and reverse.

Finally: the hire car I recently used had a footbrake instead of a handbrake. I kept forgetting to put it on and take it off. 'Park' uses the gearbox so the car didn't roll away.

Same; just the other day I wondered why my car even had a Neutral lol, never used it! Love driving auto and would never go back to manual if I could avoid it. Just put your foot down and off you go. I drive an electric fiat500 and it's amazing.

Why not? I always drive barefoot, I even took my driving test barefoot, it was back in the days of Scholl sandals with a wooden sole and no feeling so I had to remove them.

Tuck your left leg up towards the underside of the driving seat out of the way so you won’t be tempted to use it!

Pretend you’ve got no left leg and enjoy

We have a new car that is a hybrid. I just told myself that I had chewing gum stuck to my left shoe and stuck that foot to floor/slope which worked for me. But old habits die hard - a quick bit of sudden braking and the left foot comes up for the clutch!! 😅

Keep your left foot tucked behind your right leg or you'll instinctively slam the brakes when slowing down.

If it's a new car it will likely have an brake. Set the auto hold on and leave the car in drive at lights.

Tuck your left leg well out the way. If you need to stop quickly the manual mentality may override and you’ll slam the brake down looking for the imaginary clutch.

@Claretmum

"most of my driving consists of one pedal. And to confuse matters even more, mine has B mode alongside D mode 😂 When you lift your foot off the accelerator, it increases regenerative braking. It slows the car down more aggressively by using the electric motor to capture energy and turn it into electricity!"

OMG. I have a B mode (and an invisible handbrake.) I've often wondered what B mode was for. Never used it. (Toyota Mild Hybrid Automatic.) So does this mean you 'drive' in B mode? Should everyone?

(Good luck, OP. Automatics are great.)

They are SO easy to drive.

But glue your left foot to the floor so you don't get tempted to stamp on the brake thinking it's the clutch

Otherwise, dead easy.