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Then don't drive in shyte weather conditions. I don't.

Of course, if you have a decent auto that gives a choice of gears as against R,N,D or P then it is simple to select a gear to stay in, if you want to. Mercs give this option.

RoddersUK wrote:

> Of course, if you have a decent auto that gives a choice of
> gears as against R,N,D or P then it is simple to select a gear
> to stay in, if you want to. Mercs give this option.

My last car (Subaru Impreza) gave me the ability to select the highest gear it could change up to, but I think every automatic since 1962 has had that. My car before that was a Honda Prelude which had a sequential box and that was better but still had me pining for a manual on many occasions.

I never quite feel as if I'm in control of an automatic.

Robches wrote:

> I never quite feel as if I'm in control of an automatic.


I doubt that you are such a good driver that you are ever fully in control of a manual, either!!!

It's one of the myths perpetrated by many owners of manual cars... "oooh you're more in control than in an automatic!!!" What a load of bollocks. A good rally driver will be. A good racing driver will be. Someone who has taken and passed advanced driving courses (and I don't mean IAM) will be. But the average driver??? No way!

If you can't control an automatic so as to feel as in control as if you were driving a manual, it's because you don't know how to drive properly (and passing a driving test to get a UK licence doesn't count as "knowing how to drive properly" Unfortunately ADIs teach pupils to pass a test, not actual roadcraft, just as school teachers teach kids to pass exams and not for the sake of learning for itself)

Maybe your inability to drive properly is the reason why you think guns are no more dangerous than cars!!!! Time to hand in your driving licence and get a chauffeur, perhaps?

Bob Singleton wrote:

(snip)
> If you can't control an automatic so as to feel as in control
> as if you were driving a manual, it's because you don't know
> how to drive properly (and passing a driving test to get a UK
> licence doesn't count as "knowing how to drive properly"
> Unfortunately ADIs teach pupils to pass a test, not actual
> roadcraft, just as school teachers teach kids to pass exams and
> not for the sake of learning for itself)
(snip)

The main problem with an automatic for me is that lifting your foot off the accelerator gives virtually no engine braking effect. In stop/start traffic you have to keep braking and I find it tiring. The only way around this would be to stay so far back from the car in front that other drivers would simply fill up the space and you'd still have the same problem.

There are also some particularly bad automatics which 'hunt' for the right gear in certain situations. I can't see how any driver could possibly overcome these shortcomings with skill - which just shows what a bad driver I am! Thank you for pointing this out.

Deano! wrote:


>
> The main problem with an automatic for me is that lifting your
> foot off the accelerator gives virtually no engine braking
> effect. In stop/start traffic you have to keep braking and I
> find it tiring.

[snip]


Ask any ADI and they will tell you that the brakes and not the engine should be used for slowing down (the exception being when descending a steep hill, when the engine may be used to control speed with additional help from the brakes). I therefore contend that my original summation that you may be a poor driver stands unchallenged.

Bob Singleton wrote:

> Robches wrote:
>
> > I never quite feel as if I'm in control of an automatic.
>
>
> I doubt that you are such a good driver that you are ever fully
> in control of a manual, either!!!
>



How would you know? No need to be snarky, are your piles playing up again?

If you don't feel in control then don't drive !!

Spot on Bob !