Why do you drive an automatic (unless you don't)?

[cfg83]

Angelus359 -

Originally Posted by Angelus359

I drive an automatic mostly because I have a bad knee and ankle (on both legs actually, the gas peddle is slightly painful). Driving a manual is physically painful for me. Also I bought used, and this was the best deal I could find. Used cars are expensive chicagoland, for nearly new. I bought still under warranty.

Sorry to hear that. What would happen if your right leg was the bum knee? Would you learn to drive with your left leg? I think that would be like driving a UK stickshift for me.

CarloSW2

[RobertSmalls]

When I had to drive a slushbox-equipped fleet car, I drove switchfoot to alleviate the boredom. It's amazing how much worse the fine motor control in my left ankle was. The biggest problem is where to put your right leg.

I heard on NPR that GM used to sell pedal relocation kits for Saturns for people with bum right legs. If they don't make one for your car, that's what DIY is for.

Angelus: May I recommend an auxiliary hand-throttle?

[Piwoslaw]

I drove an automatic only once. I had to tie my left foot to the seat to keep it from workin'

[tumnasgt]

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

I drove an automatic only once. I had to tie my left foot to the seat to keep it from workin'

First time I drove an auto (which was only 5 months ago), I was fine as I was thinking about it. Now that I use both cars regularly, if I have only driven one for a while and change, I'll make stupid mistakes like hitting the brake in an attempt to use the clutch, or forgetting that you have to press the clutch when you come to a stop.

Out of curiosity, roughly how many cars have you driven? The idea of being somewhere where autos aren't commonplace is crazy (in a good way) as someone who has relatively few peers that have learned to drive a manual.

[Piwoslaw]

Originally Posted by tumnasgt

Out of curiosity, roughly how many cars have you driven? The idea of being somewhere where autos aren't commonplace is crazy (in a good way) as someone who has relatively few peers that have learned to drive a manual.

Let's see, in Europe: Škoda Felicia, Opel Corsa, Peugeot 206, Peugeot 307 (not counting one-timers), all manuals. In the US: Mazda 626 and Honda Civic, both manual, plus a rental automatic (can't remember make).

If you just want to get in and go, then an auto is good, but if you want any control over what is going on, then a manual (or extended hypermiling schooling) is a must. Some people believe that in Europe driving students should first learn to drive an automatic, since it's easier, and then learn to shift when they get their own car. My opinion is that using a stick shift should be taught from the beginning, before it's too late.

[tumnasgt]

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

Some people believe that in Europe driving students should first learn to drive an automatic, since it's easier, and then learn to shift when they get their own car. My opinion is that using a stick shift should be taught from the beginning, before it's too late.

I agree with the learning in a manual first. For one thing, you can't go 50km/h straight away, you have to learn how things work first. Before I drove on a road with traffic, I'd already had a few hours practice with starting, stopping, turning, reversing etc. The way lots of younger people drive on the road (and fail at parking), it is obvious they learned to drive by just getting in and going for it.

In Europe is it normal to go to a driving school before you can drive on the roads, or can you learn with your parents/other adult?

[user removed]

Cars I have driven would number in the thousands.

DeTomaso Pantera
Jag XKE
59 Corvette
Every Nissan imaginable
several VWs
Owned 6 Plymouth Valiants
1937 Ford
Alfa Romeo 73 GTV
72 BMW 2002
Rebuilt around 200 salvage vehicles and drove every one of them at least 1000 miles.
2X59 Austin Healey Sprites
67 383 Formula S Barracuda
340 Duster the day after it was sold new in 1970.
Every Chrysler muscle car from 1966 to 1973
Sectioned and channeled 49 Plymouth businessman's coupe on a Nissan truck frame with a 240Z engine
98 MB 230 SLK
Toyota truck, Corolla, and a Scion XB.
66 Chevy Van, the first vehicle I rebuilt in 1973.
ETC,etc,etc.

One of the reasons I like to drive automatics is my thumb joints are just about worn out, along with a lot of other joints that were subjected to a lot of stress over the last 60 years.

Sometimes even typing can be uncomfortable, and on occasion painful.

Plus a bunch of different motorcycles.

Work on vehicles for a living for 30 years and drive them for pleasure for 44 years and you loose count of the miles and number, over 700k miles possibly much more.

regards
Mech

[rbrowning]

I drive an auto by choice because working the clutch irritated my lower back and the Dr. suggested getting away from the clutch.

[tumnasgt]

I'm thinking that I should have split "prefer auto" into two, one for medical reasons and one for other reasons.

[IsaacCarlson]

I drive the truck (manual) when I can and my wife drives the car (auto).
I wish I could get a manual in the car. It is nuts having to stick with an auto.
The 4T60E tranny won't let me do the lockup conversion from what I have been told. I wish it would.