How to Drive an Automatic Car
Step by step guide
Once only popular with elderly drivers and those unable to drive a manual car, automatic cars are now commonplace.
Not only are they easier (and more relaxing) to drive than a manual, in some cases they can be better on fuel and can cost less to maintain.
If you haven’t driven an automatic car before, however, it can be all too easy to get behind the wheel and be totally perplexed by the lack of a clutch pedal and the array of options provided by the shifter.
Before you start
Most automatic gearboxes will let you select between
‘P’ (for park),
‘R’ (reverse),
‘N’ (neutral),
‘D’ (drive).
Park should only be used when you’re stopped and getting out of the car. This ‘locks’ the transmission, preventing it from rolling away (but you still need to apply the handbrake when parked as well).
Reverse does as it says – acts the same as a reverse gear in a manual, and should be selected when you want to drive backwards.
Neutral is the same as knocking a manual gearbox out of gear. It shouldn’t be selected when moving – this is known as coasting – but can be used (along with the handbrake) if you’re stopped for a short period of time.
Drive will select gears automatically and allow the car to move forwards.
Some automatic gearboxes will also give you the option to select first or second gear.
This will help in situations where you want to use the gearbox to keep your speed down – such as driving down a steep hill.
Having this option also helps to keep the revs down and stop the wheels from spinning when pulling away in certain situations.
For instance when moving off in snowy or icy conditions it is sometimes advisable to pull away in second gear to stop the wheels from slipping if it is particularly snowy – some automatics also have a dedicated ‘winter mode’ that takes care of this.
The fact that a lever or selector takes the place of a gearstick in an automatic means that there are only 2 pedals: the accelerator and the brake. No clutch pedal to be found here.
Be careful not to instinctively press down on the brake pedal the way you would the clutch pedal in a manual! This will lead to an impromptu emergency stop.
Although automatic gearboxes are generally very easy to use, the confusion comes when starting and stopping.
When you get into a car with an automatic gearbox, it should have been left in ‘park’.
Put your right foot on the left-hand pedal (the brake) and push down
Start the car by twisting the key or pressing start button
With your foot still on the brake, move the shifter to ‘D’ (if you want to drive forward) or ‘R’ (if you want to reverse)
Lift your foot off the brake, this will cause most automatic vehicles to ‘creep’ forwards
To gain speed, gently press your right foot down on the right pedal (the accelerator)
Once moving, the gearbox will select the correct gear for the situation and do all the hard work for you
As you reduce the speed, the automtic transmission will shift down in gears for you
When you’ve finished your journey, press down on the brake pedal until the car stops
While stationary, keep your foot on the brake and shift the lever to ‘P’
Apply the handbrake (either a lever or button usually next to the ger selector)
Then turn the ignition off
In the image above, you will notice two other letters on the gear shifter.
The ‘S’ stands for Sports Mode. This will often lower a car’s suspension, increase the level of sensitivity to the throttle, and increase the speed of the vehicle’s acceleration. The car will often stay in a gear longer to maximise the level of speed.
The ‘L’ refers to Low Mode. This will tell the car to remain in a lower gear for more power and less speed. This will help with towing and steep slopes.
Although any car which changes gears itself without the driver having to use a clutch pedal is generally considered to be an automatic, there are in fact a number of different types of automatic gearboxes.
Conventional automatic gearboxes
These use a ‘torque-converter’ to do the job of the clutch, and are more refined than other automatic ’boxes, but will use more fuel than manuals.
Luxury cars such as the Range Rover and Volvo XC90 stick with a conventional automatic transmission – using as many as nine gears.
Continuously variable transmissions (CVT)
CVTs are popular in hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius, as they do away with cogs in favour of a belt which acts as a single gear ratio.
As well as being more efficient and more reliable, they also make for a smoother drive as the car doesn’t have to skip between gears.
A downside is slower acceleration than other automatic gearboxes, and a loud, strained engine sound can occur if you attempt to make rapid progress.
Dual-clutch automatics
These types of gearboxes are similar to a conventional automatic gearbox, but two clutches (operated automatically) replace the torque converter.
They line up alternating gears, meaning the next ratio is prepared and allowing rapid gear changes.
They’re popular in VW Group cars – ranging from the DSG gearbox found in the Volkswagen Golf to the PDK used in Porsches.
Automated manual gearboxes
These aren’t as popular as they used to be, but are still used in cheaper cars such as the Skoda Citigo.
These act like a normal manual, but select gears automatically and operat the clutch by computer rather than using a pedal.
The downside of this is they can be a little jerky – just like a manual, there’s a small pause as the system works through gears.
Although automatic gearboxes traditionally have a reputation for being high maintenance, they are more reliable than they used to be.
They also reduce the chance of parts going wrong – for example, if your clutch control isn’t perfect, you won’t wear out the clutch in an automatic car.
As well as being easier to drive, in some cases automatic versions of cars can actually be more efficient than their manual counterparts.
They can be faster, too – many dual-clutch transmissions in particular can change gears quicker than humans can, shaving crucial tenths of a second off the 0-62mph time.
Automatic cars are, however, usually more expensive to buy, which will not help your cause if you’re a new driver already facing high insurance premiums.
No. If you have an automatic driving licence, you can only drive an automatic.
While it restricts the range of cars you can drive, some people find it easier to learn and subsequently pass their test in an automatic as it takes away a lot of the aspects of learning to drive some people struggle with, like clutch control and using the gears.
If, however, you have a manual licence, you can drive both manuals and automatics.