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).

Just bought my First automatic, DHs car is an automatic and I wouldn't drive it even though we have had it for over a year.
Now three months in I am never, ever, ever, going back. It's like driving a dogem car, and no roll back on hills. It is brilliant.

It is also the first car I have had with reversing cameras. I bloody love that too.

I really hope driverless cars are normal road vehicles in my lifetime but until then my next got to haves are all round cameras and self parking.

I've bought an automatic after 35+ years of driving including annual trips to southern France and towing.

DH drives 40,000 miles annually for his job and I encouraged him to get an automatic for his last company car but he didn't listen to me and has b*tched about driving in traffic and wishes he'd got auto last time (I've never said, "I told you so" 😉 at nearly every opportunity). His car is up for renewal soon and he was looking at manuals again. I put him straight 😆.

We used my car last year to drive from Kent to Plymouth. It was such a doddle, especially as there was quite heavy traffic in patches.

I'd never go back. As OP have said, just plant your left foot on the rest, turn on the engine, off you go. One thing I did have to adapt to is using the 'creep' when I occasionally have to park on the gravel part of our drive and also when parking is tight.

*PP (autocorrect 🧐)

You’ll get used to it after a week or two. Just take it to a car park and have a few days practice getting a feel for it, I love automatics big go carts you just turn on and drive

Well I made it to work! 45 minute drive, I was so nervous being out on my own in it! It feels so heavy compared to my old car but I'm less nervous now I've done the journey on my own.

Thanks everyone for all your helpful advice and input, my DH told me to take my left shoe off funnily enough as a PP suggested.

I then proceeded to get out of the car at Co-Op with one shoe on 😂 I'll get there!

Well done wishes 😀

I swapped from manual to auto, took me a week or 2 to get used to it and now I feel out of sorts of I have to drive a manual.

Just to add, I transitioned from a manual to an automatic only a few weeks ago and I am already used to it. It does take a bit, so maybe see about going out for a few drives on a Sunday or something, when there is less traffic. It will allow you time to get used to it, although for me I found the bit that took me the longest was the indicators and wipers were on the opposite sides of the steering wheel compared to my old car.

It's sooooo much easier especially hill starts etc. Dont worry give it a week

We have a manual hire car at the moment. I do prefer it, even though it has a terrible clutch. Haven’t done a hill start yet though! So nice to have a handbrake, our stupid automatic doesn’t have one so you have to sit with your foot on the brake dazzling the person behind with the eye level brake lights. Our last automatic had an automatic handbrake which was great once you got used to it. I don’t see the logic of no handbrake.

So nice to have a handbrake, our stupid automatic doesn’t have one so you have to sit with your foot on the brake dazzling the person behind with the eye level brake lights.
I've been putting it into park at lights. I do vaguely remember reading on here somewhere that you aren't meant to do that in an automatic but I have no idea why. I hate sitting on the footbrake at long lights.

@DappledThings

So nice to have a handbrake, our stupid automatic doesn’t have one so you have to sit with your foot on the brake dazzling the person behind with the eye level brake lights. I've been putting it into park at lights. I do vaguely remember reading on here somewhere that you aren't meant to do that in an automatic but I have no idea why. I hate sitting on the footbrake at long lights.

Does it have neutral? If so I’d use that rather than park at lights

@Chemenger

We have a manual hire car at the moment. I do prefer it, even though it has a terrible clutch. Haven’t done a hill start yet though! So nice to have a handbrake, our stupid automatic doesn’t have one so you have to sit with your foot on the brake dazzling the person behind with the eye level brake lights. Our last automatic had an automatic handbrake which was great once you got used to it. I don’t see the logic of no handbrake.

My automatic has a proper handbrake thankfully! I hate the button ones, my husband’s car (manual) has one. I’ve never had one with no handbrake at all.

Does it have neutral? If so I’d use that rather than park at lights
It does. Does neutral stop it moving? Even on a hill?

@DappledThings

Does it have neutral? If so I’d use that rather than park at lights It does. Does neutral stop it moving? Even on a hill?

It will roll in neutral, so you'll need to keep your foot on the brake pedal or use the handbrake.

Yeah it’s like putting it in neutral in a manual I think? I though you were only meant to use P when actually parking. That said I don’t really know the actual difference between neutral and park!!

It will roll in neutral, so you'll need to keep your foot on the brake pedal or use the handbrake.
That's what I assumed. So using neutral instead of park really doesn't make sense as someone was suggesting!

I have a manual license but love my automatic. You’ll be fine in a few days.

We switched from manual to automatic when I was about 45. The first few days I was nervous but I would never go back to manual now. Auto is so easy. We live in a very hilly area and I've never experienced any difficulty with the auto.

I do agree with @RufustheBadgeringReindeer's mate though. I love my automatic but it feels very lazy.

I always use neutral at lights, not park. To go from drive to park you have to push through reverse and I always thought it would scare someone behind me if the reverse lights flashed on. Never had a problem in neutral, I must use either the foot brake or handbrake as it never rolls.