Automatic v Manual?

WellKnownSid

facade said:

Iceweasel said:

Grumpy_chap said:

badmemory said:

Thanks for the info everyone.  The next question I need to ask myself is if at my age it is a good idea to change the kind of car I am driving.  I have been driving manual for 60 years now & don't need to think about what my hands & feet are doing.  Guess I will need to stick with manual for now.  But give me a year & I could well be ready for the next new challenge.

Driving an auto is less to do than driving a manual so not really a challenge.

You are so very wrong if you really think that.

However, if you meant that as a joke,  then ha ha very funny, I like it.

I'm not going to unlearn over 40 years of driving with two feet at my age........

Confused!  What exactly do you use your left foot for then?

Iceweasel

facade said:

Iceweasel said:

Grumpy_chap said:

badmemory said:

Thanks for the info everyone.  The next question I need to ask myself is if at my age it is a good idea to change the kind of car I am driving.  I have been driving manual for 60 years now & don't need to think about what my hands & feet are doing.  Guess I will need to stick with manual for now.  But give me a year & I could well be ready for the next new challenge.

Driving an auto is less to do than driving a manual so not really a challenge.

You are so very wrong if you really think that.

However, if you meant that as a joke,  then ha ha very funny, I like it.

I've been driving autos (and manuals) for over 40 years, and there is less to do in an auto- kind of the point of having one!

I just select D and never mess with the gears again until I stop, or have to change direction.

The only time I've ever messed with the gears when going forwards was in my old RangeRover, when I put it in 1 to go down a slope that I wouldn't have tried to walk down myself!

However, driving with two feet has stored dozens of fault codes in my Citroen, as Citroen think it is impossible to press the brake with the accelerator still pressed, so there has to be a fault with the switches in the pedals!

I'm not going to unlearn over 40 years of driving with two feet at my age........

It's because you don't, in your words "mess with the gears" that there is less for you to do.

I must agree that if one selects D and do nothing else then you have chosen to have far less to do - and if that is how you want an auto to perform then that's great.

Some of us are far more involved in the driving experience than others and make use of the considerable extra control and choice of gears that a modern auto brings.

That is why most performance cars no longer offer a manual - because the driver can choose to be much more involved than just move a gear lever and operate the clutch.

In heavy 'stop-go' traffic I leave the auto-box to do it's own thing, but for the rest of the time it is me, the driver, who makes the decisions.

facade

WellKnownSid said:

facade said:

Iceweasel said:

Grumpy_chap said:

badmemory said:

Thanks for the info everyone.  The next question I need to ask myself is if at my age it is a good idea to change the kind of car I am driving.  I have been driving manual for 60 years now & don't need to think about what my hands & feet are doing.  Guess I will need to stick with manual for now.  But give me a year & I could well be ready for the next new challenge.

Driving an auto is less to do than driving a manual so not really a challenge.

You are so very wrong if you really think that.

However, if you meant that as a joke,  then ha ha very funny, I like it.

I'm not going to unlearn over 40 years of driving with two feet at my age........

Confused!  What exactly do you use your left foot for then?

The brake.

Right foot = go, left foot = stop.

Sometimes, at low speed it is possible to brake before fully releasing the accelerator. Citroens don't like that...

When I drive a manual there is no problem with transitioning to left foot= clutch, right foot = brake.

In an emergency, like if a Nun playing a  piano with a basket full of kittens on top fell out of the sky and landed right in front of me, I might conceivably react to use both feet on the brake, auto or manual, but the ABS would sort that out.

Years ago I had a Vectra auto, with this eco idea that the 'box dropped into neutral when stationary with a foot on the brake. (In the designers mind, it could engage gear in the time it takes to release the brake and move your foot over to the accelerator) As I start off by mashing my right foot down as I lift my left up there would be an almighty "clang" as it engaged first at about  3000rpm. (None of this throttle servo nonsense, there was a cable throttle on those).

The solution was to hold it on the handbrake, but Vauxhall handbrakes were never very good at staying on.

Nothing ever broke though...

jeffuk

I was taught never to use my left foot in an auto.

Iceweasel

jeffuk said:

I was taught never to use my left foot in an auto.

Why was that?

jeffuk

Iceweasel said:

jeffuk said:

I was taught never to use my left foot in an auto.

Why was that?

No idea, perhaps there is no reason to accelerate and brake at the same time.

400ixl

jeffuk said:

I was taught never to use my left foot in an auto.

Because the majority of people ride the pedal which causes overheating and potential brake fade. Do it properly and not an issue, but many won't so they discourage it.

Its also not really needed 99% of the time in noirmal driving.

jeffuk

I have not got the use of my left leg so have never had to use anything other than my right foot, never had a problem.

Iceweasel

I would imagine that few people who start off by "mashing their right foot down" are likely to find a modern auto to their liking.
Unless they are in 'Jeremy Clarkson' mode and enjoy launch control with the inevitable high maintainance/ repair costs that come with such harsh treatment.

Grumpy_chap

Iceweasel said:

Grumpy_chap said:

Driving an auto is less to do than driving a manual so not really a challenge.

You are so very wrong if you really think that.

However, if you meant that as a joke,  then ha ha very funny, I like it.

Well, I drove manuals for a very long time.  It so happens that we now have an auto.

Let's consider taking a break on the journey and then setting off to travel at 70 mph on the motorway.
(Leaving out all the looking, indicating, etc for brevity as these elements are unchanged between manual and auto.)

Manual car:

• Start engine
• Press left pedal
• Move stick
• Press right pedal while lifting the left pedal and clicking the handbrake to push down
• Press right pedal so speed picks up
• Once speed has picked up a bit, press left pedal, lift off right pedal
• Move stick
• Press the right pedal while lifting the left pedal
• Repeat last 4 actions another 3 or 4 time until speed has achieved desired 70 mph
• Feather right pedal to maintain appropriate speed at or around 70 mph, taking into account other traffic and gradient of the road

Auto car:

• Start engine
• Press right pedal while clicking the handbrake to push down
• Press right pedal so speed picks up until speed has achieved desired 70 mph
• Feather right pedal to maintain appropriate speed at or around 70 mph, taking into account other traffic and gradient of the road

Seems like a lot less to do in the auto.

Even in the example you gave later of a "clutchless" manual, there is still more to do in the manual than the auto.