Safe Speed Forums

Auto's are great, depending on the car/engine/transmition/fuel. Safe, it depends on the car, but in most cases, safer than stalling a manual pulling out of a junction.

Useless in a diesel - kick down takes you out of the low torque band, you end up revving too high.

Useless in FWD - kick down causes understeer as said before

However, with a nice amount of torque throughout the rev range from a big petrol engine, rear wheel drive then its great! I'm lucky enough to have access to an Omega Elite V6 which suits the auto perfectly, a Chevy C1500 pick up truck (V8 and tuned) which suits the auto perfectly and an MX5 which does and doesn't if you know what I mean, a manual would be better in that car, but its still good as an auto. Don't think I'm an auto-aholic as my 200SX (the only one on the list which is actually my car) is a manual and I wouldn't have that car any other way.

_________________
www.clubrwd.com - For all things rear wheel drive

Never been a fan of auto's, don't really know why - just never taken to them. My mate had a Merc C-Class Auto which I drove occasionally but didn't like one bit. Perhaps I'm just odd in that I like the control of a manual and find driving more enjoyable that way. Occasionally though in heavy traffic it would be nice I guess as my cars got a very fine biting point and its a bit of a pain to keep revving it ever so slightly. Manual diesels are good in town though, plenty of pull low down so can often just use the clutch in heavy traffic.

Some Buses have this as well with the handbrake being put On. But no good If you want to change back to 'D' after you changed to a gear. You'll have to stop,Put Hand brake & footbrake on On a Busy main road?

_________________
RoADA Member -GOLD 2008
If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.

None of these issues are any where near as dangerous as stalling a manual car in a dangerous position. I think most autos are designed really well, you if you knock it down into 1st/2nd/3rd, you can flick up into Drive or Overdrive without pressing the button on the shifter, but you CANNOT do this into reverse.

I really can't see how you can accidently do anything wrong in an Auto, the worst I've done is pulled into a car park in 2nd thinking I was in Drive, and instead of going into Reverse, I accidently put it into Neutral so I look a tit when I press the throttle to reverse.

_________________
www.clubrwd.com - For all things rear wheel drive

you can put your foot on the 'clutch' if you're not thinking...

A chap I used to know many years ago managed to stuff it into Park at 90mph. He thought he was driving a manual and tried to downshift from 4th (top in those days) to 3rd. The damage was extensive, but I can't remember the list.

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Ahh yes the imaginary clutch! Yes I have done that ! Because I nearly always drive manuals my mind is telling me it's going to stall. I find it unnatural to stop with out pressing the clutch.

Ahhh, yes, I can see what people mean about "the imaginary pedal" or shifting down into 3rd at high speed, but then you could do that downshift in a manual too! I suppose its because I can jump into a LHD or RHD car, auto or manual without even thinking about it because of the variety of vehicles I get to drive, the more cars/vans you drive, the easier the transition is between different types.

_________________
www.clubrwd.com - For all things rear wheel drive

I think that the biggest problem with autos is that people going from manual to auto, attempt to brake with their left foot. Of course if you're not used to braking with the left foot you tend to brake harder.

I have recently seen an automatic car which has 3 pedals. The one to the left (which is slightly more to the left than usual) is the handbrake!

(there's a seperate lever to pull to release it)

The first time I drove an automatic I almost broke my foot trying to get the clutch down when stopping...

_________________
Andrew.

Was it a Citroen XM by any chance? The manual car does this and has 4 pedals, also the handbrake applies to the front wheels, not the rear.

'twas a Hyundai XG30.

_________________
Andrew.

American cars have this kind of "handbrake" or more commonly known as "parking brake". My Dad's Chevy C1500 Truck has this as does his Pontiac Trans-Am, I've never had a problem because they're so far left of the brake, it would be difficult to confuse them tbh, I certainly never have confused them and if I did, I doubt I'd still be allowed to drive the truck, LOL!

_________________
www.clubrwd.com - For all things rear wheel drive

I take it you always fill er up after borrowing it DaveyBoy

Not usually, I basically did most of the conversion work on it to make it UK road legal, and I service it for him, and clean it, and polish it and chauffer him around in my less economical 200SX quite regularly. I give him a tenner or a score now and again, but I'm not filling it up, its a 25 gallon tank!!!!!!

_________________
www.clubrwd.com - For all things rear wheel drive

I once flicked my gear lever from "D" to "3", while slowing for a tight corner. Then as I went to accelerate out of the corner, I found myself losing speed while the engine bounced off the rev limiter.

Turns out I'd flicked the lever forward to "N" rather than back to "3". I'm just glad nobody was watching.

I've learned from that mistake - Now I just leave the stick in "D" and let the auto do its thing.

Autos, no problem. Wouldn't buy one out of choice. Interestingly I went ona drive to survive course a few years ago and apparently autos tend to be rear ended less at lights.

Apparently this was due to the fact that you have to keep the footbrake deployed and hence the brake lights.

My mother wrote one of in the drive when I was a kid! It was a mk1 3.0 granada coupe. Beautiful car, until she mangled the doors in the gatepost and my uncle's allegro!!

my pet hate is the c class merc with the stupid foot operated handbrake. Confuses the hell out of me every time, just can't come to terms with it!

you don't have to and it does cause more wear - you should put it into neutral but nobody bothers.
It would also seem that it's only the English who have the strange idea that you should take your foot off the brake when stopped so I'm not sure if your stat holds in other countries.

I do thank you very much.

Probably because we do a lot more stop start than in other countries and the right foot gets hurty (trying to stick to a constant 70 doesn't help either)

Can be dazzling at night as well, I prefer it when people take their foot off the brake. Also, I read it can also damage you discs doing this, especially if you have been braking hard/repeatedly. Apparently the heat generated is not allowed to escape with the pad being in contact with the disc and all the heat sinks in, presumably resulting in warping. Not 100% convinced, it is perhaps just 'in theory'?