Automatic Car?

[astral276]

I almost ended up in Iceland ( the shop not the country ) it almost took off.

...but you are Cornish - which may explain that.

[pastime]

Hi All,
Thank you for this info, it's really helpful.
Hoping that if I'm not struggling to change gears and possibly stalling, I won't panic so much.
Was thinking to take a couple of lessons before buying anything - I take it driving school have Autos, would they still be dual control to prevent accidents?
And Mel, what do you mean: 'No,no' - are you still suppose to use one foot for brake and accelerator and not use the left foot at all?

[hurryb4itsgone]

Hi All,
Thank you for this info, it's really helpful.
Hoping that if I'm not struggling to change gears and possibly stalling, I won't panic so much.
Was thinking to take a couple of lessons before buying anything - I take it driving school have Autos, would they still be dual control to prevent accidents?
And Mel, what do you mean: 'No,no' - are you still suppose to use one foot for brake and accelerator and not use the left foot at all?

YES! Using both feet can create a situation where you have one foot on brake and one on accelerator at the same time ... not a good thing.

[mrsandman]

YES! Using both feet can create a situation where you have one foot on brake and one on accelerator at the same time ... not a good thing.

I have changed and love my Automatic. I feel very confident and it's easier without the clutch

[bluebedouin]

Being an ex hgv driver & having to double declutch to change gear plays havoc on the knee joint.I remember back in the eighties driving across London in stop start traffic.By the time I'd reached my destination my left knee was killing me.
My Bedford cf was automatic & I'm also a member of the ecar club & they are automatics too.I drive my daughter's car occasionally which is manual.Much prefer the auto,especially as I get older & my joints get worse!

[buttons-and-bows]

...but you are Cornish - which may explain that.

No I'm not, I am a Lancashire lass

[astral276]

No I'm not, I am a Lancashire lass

Sorry, mixed you up with someone else. I blame senility.

[buttons-and-bows]

It's as good an excuse as any i find

[astral276]

Was thinking to take a couple of lessons before buying anything - I take it driving school have Autos, would they still be dual control to prevent accidents?

Most schools will have access to an automatic vehicle; search 'automatic tuition' and see what comes up locally. Don't know about dual controls, but I would expect so.

Hurry answered about not using the left foot on the brake. In addition to that, using the right foot for accelerator and brake keeps the instinctive muscle memory alive should you ever drive a manual box in the future.

[Posbear]

I've been using autos for over 20 years, perfect for me with my dodgy left knee.
I had one bad experience though, I let a friend try my car so that he could experience the smoothness.
All went well till he tried to change gear by stamping his foot down on the non-existant clutch pedal and pressed the brake pedal instead! Now that was an emergency stop!
I gave my last auto (a Honda Civic) to one of my sons when I stopped driving back in 2013, he sold it in March this year at 150,000 miles to buy a Skoda Oktavia...with automatic transmission, one of my other sons has a Ford Focus Estate with an auto box.

So my sons and I recommend them!