Automatic car help! I can’t do it!

[ghostyslovesheets]

I feel like such a twat but my hire care it a bloody automatic and I can’t even reverse it of the drive!
always driven with gears - not even sure how to control this thing. Take foot of break it shoots backwards- break and it stops. How do I reverse slowly?
holy hell I have to do a 200 mile trip tomorrow - considering hiring a car with gears!

can anyone talk me through it like a 5 year old?

im 56 and have no problem driving a normal car

I hate, hate, Hate! driving an automatic. It’s like all your control is taken away.

Definitely check whether there’s a bit to rest your left foot and keep it out of the way.

Give yourself some time to get used to it on a quiet road. I promise once you're used to it you wont won't want to go back to manual, especially when driving around busy areas where you have to change geara lot.

I've had an automatic for over a year now and my left foot still wants to press the clutch and my left arm sometimes tries to change gear. Muscle memory is strong!

Thanks all - ex husband came and showed me the basics - I was trying to do the whole balancing the break/ac thing and didn’t realise I didn’t need to touch the acceleration at all really.
going to drive round the block a bit!

I can drive but I like holding the clutch and ‘rocking the cradle’ on hill starts, engine breaking etc so I need to not use my left side! It’s new but I’ll get it.

It’s far, far easier to drive an automatic. It’s like driving a go-cart. You just need to get used to it. Do NOT involve your left foot, ever.

I’ve had manuals all my life but my husband’s last 2 or 3 have been automatic. I find it easy to switch between the 2, but if he drives mine, he keeps stalling it at junctions.

We share a car and DH wanted electric as our house already had a charger. Electric cars are automatic. I've driven it twice in 16 months and not at all for over a year. I'm absolutely terrified of it. Gears make sense and give control. An automatic feels totally out of control. I'm glad OP posted because people don't understand if you've only ever driven a manual that it's so different.

I tuck my foot under - almost under the seat but yes you do have to use Only your right foot

yeah just pretend your left foot is broken. it'll come to you, don't stress!

If you drive a manual the way most people do, left foot for the clutch only, right foot for the accelerator and brake pedals, in an automatic you don’t use your left foot at all and there should be a footrest over on the left for it to stay on. Some (men) do preach left-foot braking in automatics, but no… don’t.

Just do not cluch and break. No clutch = 2 feet on the break & end up doing an emergency stop 😂
You will get used to it.
My company car was a manual & my own car an automatic, when I jumped in my own car at the end of shift I'd be either stamping in a manual or doing emergency stops.
You will get used to it

I swap between an auto and a manual all the time. It really isn’t difficult to drive an automatic and it shouldn’t feel “out of control”. It is exactly the same controlling the accelerator and brake as it would be in a manual. The only difference is you don’t have to change gear and it’s impossible to stall (bonus!). They might “creep” a little bit when you put them in to drive, but they won’t accelerate out of control oif their own accord, unless you are pressing the accelerator. The main problem I have swapping between the two is forgetting to change down at junctions in the manual 😆

U shouldn’t have accepted it. U can’t drive it therefore ur not safe on the road with it.

I'd always driven a manual and for many years had a small Ford through the JLR management car plan. Then the reciprocal arrangement through the two companies ended and I had to have a JLR vehicle, the smallest being an Evoque. DH tried to persuade me to have an automatic but I insisted on a manual. I struggled to get it in reverse and ended up straining the base of my thumb! Ended up swapping the Evoque for DH's automatic EPace.
Took me a while to get to grips with the reverse logic of bringing the gear selector back to drive and moving it forwards for reverse and also braking firmly to initiate hold (for the handbrake) but wouldn't want to go back to a manual now.

Most of us had only driven a manual before switching to an automatic, I’d wager! I drove manual for 20 years before switching to an automatic and found automatic so much easier. I wouldn’t go back now.

reversing it shouldn’t be any different to reversing a manual car really. It shouldn’t “shoot” anywhere in either reverse or drive. If it does you need to take your foot off the accelerator and press the brake!

Driving an automatic is easy, I’ve never known anyone struggle with it.

This, my car isn’t electric but I drove a manual for 27 years before I got an automatic, I’d also never go back to manual.

Aren't they the norm now? All the memes call stick shift cars anti-theft devices.
In fact, surely no electric cars are fully manual? Even on Autotrader, which has a lot of old cars, the majority are automatic.
You'll probably get used to it quite quickly. When I use manuals now, it's like when I tried to use my old flipfone-I actually find it hard, so hopefully you'll be ok soon.

I drove an automatic for 20 years and now drive a manual. I like gears! My partner often switches his automatic to manual mode too as he prefers choosing when to change gear. In heavy traffic however, automatics are easier.

I'd driven them years back without issue but about 3 years ago was looking for a new car. Hated automatic, couldn't get into it, took it straight back to the garage! Bought a normal car. I am dreading the day when all cars are automatic, like Mini are doing.

Good luck OP!

Oh god this is the last thing I need to see! I’m about to learn to drive in an automatic 😅

Keep your left foot well out of the way (on the little strap/ledge thingy). Ease your foot off the break slowly.
I was petrified when I got an auto, I now love it. I have a Campervan which is manual and I can easily switch between the 2.

This is silly!!
we got an automatic last year and I drove it from the first day. It’s easier than a manual.
i also switch between our manual and automatic car throughout the week.
It does make me question some people’s driving skills…

Go to an empty supermarket car park and practice there. I hate automatics, but when we’re in the US, have no choice. Our last rental there was this humongous Jeep Chrysler. I always give myself a few bunny hops around the lot, before I get going.

this lol, automatics are so easy, come on OP!

Ignore this thread (sorry OP) Automatics are SO much easier than manuals to drive