In times where people talk about self-driving cars, it is not so easy to explain what an automatic car is. What does the term stand for? Does it drive itself? Does it automatically turn on the heating when it’s cold outside? Let’s take a look!
An automatic car simply explained
Less misleading (but also more cumbersome) would be the designation “car with automatic gearbox”. This means that it is a vehicle that changes gears automatically when you drive forward. Since this takes the shifting out of your hands, there is no clutch pedal. What for?
Accordingly, the gear lever looks different on such cars. Instead of numbered gears, we find designations such as “D” or “P”. These are abbreviations for “Drive” or “Parking”. The most common position is D, which means “Drive”. Once you have moved the lever to this position, all you have to do is accelerate and brake. “Parking” is used when you park the car. In the past, there were models that simply started to drive when you put D in and took your foot off the brake. Here the “Parking” setting was helpful because it wanted to prevent the car from rolling through the intersection at a red light. Another lever position is “R”. It stands for reverse gear.
All this may sound complicated or even daunting at first glance. In fact, you get used to it very quickly.
Advantages of automatic cars
Probably the most important argument is safety. Many people report that it is much easier for you to concentrate on the road when you don’t have to shift gears all the time. Another plus point is comfort. It’s simply fun when you don’t have to do any work with the pedals except for accelerating and braking. In addition, your right hand no longer has to regularly reach for the gearstick lever. It is not surprising that automatic transmissions were in everyday use in the USA for a long time before they became more widespread in Europe. People who often have to drive two hours to get to the neighbouring town quickly appreciate the comfort of an automatic transmission. In short: self-shifting cars increase driving safety, comfort and are easy on the right arm and the legs (no more clutching with the feet).
Disadvantages of automatic cars
Of course, all these points are of little value if you are one of those people who simply enjoy shifting gears yourself. Where one person is happy when the car does the work for him, another misses the “direct control over the gearbox”. Here we are in the world of personal sensitivities, which each person must determine for himself. However, we should take this opportunity to clear up a few rumours about this type of car:
One often-heard criticism is that automatic transmissions are less sporty. A claim that was true for a long time. Earlier models often reacted rather sluggishly. This quickly led to rev holes and the acceleration fun was over. In the meantime, the technology has reached such a high level that the automatic transmissions in sports cars often do better than a human driver (of course, if you are a Formula 1 professional, this may be different).
Here’s what you need to watch out for when making the switch
People are creatures of habit, which makes the changeover much easier. In fact, many of our clients report that after a very short time they feel they have always “done it this way”. Before this point comes, however, we have to get rid of a few old habits. First and foremost, this includes the “clutch foot”. An automatic car has only two pedals: accelerator and brake. If you want to step on the clutch out of habit, your foot will either go nowhere or catch the brake. Our tip: Give your left foot a rest when driving. Preferably to the left of the pedals so that it can’t “step on” out of habit. Some people get into an automatic car and get on from the first moment. Others need a little longer. However, after 3 – 4 days at the latest, the changeover should be complete and you will experience a whole new way of comfortable driving.
The future of the automatic car
For a long time, cars with automatic gearboxes were considered exotic. One found this type of shifting in US cars and high-priced German limousines. Then came a point when affordable cars also offered the automatic as an option. In the more recent past, it has become much more widespread. From high-priced sports cars to everyday cars, it seems that automatics are displacing the conventional way of changing gears. From there, it is probably a good time to familiarise yourself with it. Between you and me, it’s not that hard, and once you get used to it, you often don’t want to return. Understandable: after all, we live in a time when cars automatically maintain distances, brake on their own and (in the medium future) get their passers-by from A to B. This happens without anyone using a steering wheel. This happens without anyone having to touch a steering wheel. Let’s rejoice in the progress and enjoy the pleasure of driving!
Your Hüsser & Palkoska AG
