Automatic driving has advantages over the normal manual transmission. These include lower average fuel consumption and more relaxed driving. When you are faced with choosing a new car, the question you would rather choose the classic manual transmission. Because you don’t have to use the clutch. Automatic driving lessons in Coventry, on the highway at a constant speed, this may not be that important. But in traffic jams or in stop-and-go traffic in the city, driving an automatic car is much more comfortable. From a purely mechanical point of view, you don’t have to worry about anything other than the accelerator, brakes and steering wheel.
Because new automatic transmissions are constantly being improved and fuel consumption is reduced, the purchasing behavior of car buyers is changing. More than half of all new cars produced in 2022 were equipped with an automated transmission. In addition to large SUVs and long sedans, there are already small cars with automatic transmissions. Driving an automatic car used to be rarer, as manual gear shifting is still considered standard. Things are completely different in the other countries, where driving automatic cars is seen as normal.
How do you drive an automatic?
Driving an automatic is easy to learn. If you have only driven manually before, it is important to first familiarize yourself with the other gearshift. As with the manual transmission, the selector lever is usually located centrally. Different letters can be read on this.
If you want to drive forward, select D level. As soon as you take your foot off the brake, the car starts rolling. Now all you have to do is accelerate – the transmission switches to the appropriate gear automatically. Because there is no need to engage and disengage the clutch when driving automatically, there is no clutch pedal in the footwell. The left foot remains relaxed throughout the car journey.
What does “M” mean in an automatic car?
In newer vehicles, in addition to the PNDR circuit, there is also an “M mode” – the manual mode. In this you can determine the respective forward gear and then shift up or down independently. This works either by tapping the gearshift lever forwards or backwards or using shift paddles that are installed on the steering wheel. M mode is suitable when you have to drive carefully, example in snow on a mountain.
Driving automatic: summary explanation
Familiarize yourself with PRND gear shifting
Press the brake pedal
Start automatic car
Set the automatic gearshift to the desired position
Take your foot off the brake pedal and accelerate
Optional: Set M mode to switch manually
Advantages and disadvantages of driving an automatic
Automatic car or gearshift – both have advantages and disadvantages. Basically, an automated transmission always. The automatic gearshift automatically determines the correct gear using sensors and software. The transmission also handles engaging and disengaging the clutch as well as shifting gears. This means that when driving automatically you always move in the appropriate speed range. This drastically reduces fuel consumption in modern systems. This is particularly noticeable in the city, where many starting maneuvers increase the fuel consumption of a manual car.
Automatic transmission systems
Previous automatic transmission systems had a reputation for being boring and not very lively to drive. It also applied: If you switch gears by hand, you use less. Both of these claims have a kernel of truth. In the past, automatic transmissions were not so sophisticated. Automatic driving lessons The sensors were less precise and the switching processes were therefore not perfectly adapted. The result was high speed and slow response. It’s completely different in today’s models. Modern dual clutch transmissions and torque converter automatic systems usually select the appropriate gear in milliseconds. However, the disadvantage of automatic cars is still the price. The surcharge compared to a manual switch is at least 1,000 pounds.