Husband bought automatic car and I'm nervous help!

[wishes1111]

Hi everyone

My husband has bought an automatic car, I'm very grateful, mine has broke completely after 7 years of having it (its 10 years old).

However, I've never driven an automatic before, I took it for a drive last night with him and I just cannot see me getting used to it 🤦🏻‍♀️ has anyone swapped from a manual to auto and can reassure me because now I feel like I've gone back to being an 18 year old nervous driver!

The automatic gearstick isn't there it's on the lever on the side of the steering wheel (in my old car it was the windscreen wipers).

Of course you’ll get used to it. You got used to driving in the first place, didn’t you? Just practise.

I think you'll be surprised how quickly you get used to itive not used a paddle before though I know from my automatic you don't really need to touch anything until doing a manouver like parking or reversing.
The rest of the time the car just does it for you.
:)

You won't need to touch the "gearstick" in an automatic. Put it into drive, and off you go. Leave it alone until you park.

I've always had a manual but we've had automatics as hire cars, especially in North America. You do get used to it, just needs practice.

Get him to drive you to an empty car park then spend 20 minutes or so practising there, you will soon get used to it

We have our first ever automatic now, in our mid 40s and we've both got very used to it. We'd actually not go back to a manual now. I'm sure you'll get used to it in time

You will get used to it very quickly. I switch between cars at work.

It will become 2nd nature soon. Keep getting in the car and driving.

You will be fine. Its actually easier when you get used to it. I had never driven one until I got one as a courtesy car while mine was in the garage. I didn't want to give it back the following week

There’s not much to get used to. You put it in D and go. Much easier than changing gears.

We've recently gone the other way & that's a much harder transition to make, I kept forgetting to put it in first 🤣

Driving an automatic is a doddle, just remember to keep your foot on the brake unless you're in park

The is less to do than in a manual. You only have to touch the selector lever when you set off, reverse or park. Just pull your left leg back against the seat until you get used to it.

I was the same op, handbrake is a foot pedal!
Got used to it very quickly and loved it within a month.
Much easier on hill starts.

I just went through this a couple of weeks ago.

I have adapted fairly quickly. It still feels a bit silly and a bit like I'm not doing it properly but it's OK. I still reach for the gear stick at a lot of junctions and then just end up waving my left hand in the air a bit to try and shake off the feeling of needing to use it!

The creep forward when you aren't pressing the accelerator is a bit freaky and I don't like it but trying to find it useful.

Ours is a hybrid and what I do like is how fast it accelerates! But overall I prefer our other car, a manual. Or proper car as I still think of it

I'd never drive a manual now. Automatics are amazing!

Keep your left foot pressed firmly on the left side and don't move it. You'll get used to it quickly, muscle memory is a gift

(Having said that, on mine I can switch into manual mode - are you sure you can't on yours too if you prefer that?)

What's to get used to? You just don't have to shift gears anymore. Everything else is exactly the same, aside from minor differences of location of certain features due to the manufacturer. You'll be fine. Just relax and drive, you'll be used to it in no time.

I got an automatic 7 months ago and I love it. So much easier than a manual!

There’s nothing to get used to. Stick it in drive and go! You barely need to touch the gear selector. Only really when you’re reversing or parking.

I hate automatics, currently our only car is an auto. You do get used to it but I still don’t like it. It is the way of the future, electric cars will all be automatics. Many people seem to prefer them for some reason. After about six months I still get that “I don’t know what I’m doing” feeling when I first start driving the auto but by the time I get to the end of the drive it’s fine.

I had an automatic hire car for a few weeks and went from hating it to not wanting to give it back in days.
It always takes a while to get used to stuff being the wrong way round. Give it a bit of time.

If my 72 year old Dad can get used to his automatic in 5 mins then you'll have no trouble!
Just drive it around a car park. It's easy and you won't want to go back.

She has driven it, it’s in the OP.

You soon get used to it. Forget about the gear stick. It isn't really needed while you are driving. I don't have a gear stick at all, just a flat knob which is rotated.

My dad had an automatic back in the 90s and apart from bringing my left foot down on the extra-wide brake pedal a couple of times (sudden emergency stop experience) it was easy to get used to.

I have an automatic now and it’s so much easier in heavy traffic: none of that constant clutch and gear stuff. You just lift your foot off the brake, roll forward six inches, depress the brake, and repeat.

I’d driven manuals for years and always thought that an automatic car wasn’t proper driving. Then I hurt my knee quite badly and changing gear was agony so I bought an automatic. Now I love it, like driving a very nippy bumper car.

It should be fine. I lived in the US for a couple of years, having automatics meant there was less to thing about and adjust to in a left hand drive car

We have just moved and there are some things I love about the automatic but the thing I really struggle with is parallel parking as I haven’t got the very fine control I have in a manual to creep along. Luckily DH says the same or I’d think I was going mad. The acceleration is too sensitive.

Top tip! Tuck your left leg underneath you to prevent unexpected braking for the first few days.