Question: What is fine art of driving a automatic?

[The Stigenator]

The reason I ask. A friend of mine riding with me today said I dont know how to drive an automatic. Its true, I've driven stick all my life, except for the TSX. I dont want to drive the auto like a manual and ruin the tranny.

So the question is .. what is the fine art of driving an automatic?

 

[TehMac]

uhh...hrmm....is your friend trying to compensate for his lack of skill?

I've driven both autos and sticks and I'll say it is much harder to drive a stick decently than an auto. It's a torque converter most the time anyway, what's the issue?

 

[DeviousTrap]

It's hard to really drive an auto incorrectly. Are you taking your foot off the gas in between shifts like you would with a stick?

 

[The Stigenator]

Well I was thinking about it tonight when I took my dads car to work (I am at work putting in late hours). His car is stick and I find I downshift when I come to a light even if its a distance away, that way not hitting the brakes.
On the auto i would coast until the end and then brake. Instead of lightly riding the brakes (never good).

As you know I did go through a set of rear brake pads on my car. So that got me thinking.

 

[jlee]

I'm at a loss here.

 

[The Stigenator]

Originally posted by: DeviousTrap
It's hard to really drive an auto incorrectly. Are you taking your foot off the gas in between shifts like you would with a stick?

LoL I have done that a few times and hit the paddle shifter.. habits die hard.

 

[herm0016]

After you drive an auto for a while you can anticipate every shift and use the throttle to control the pressure in the valve body to make it up or down shift when you want it to. Not sure if that's what the guy is talking about, but i really don't think there is a wrong way to drive an auto, just ways you can control it more.

 

[MotF Bane]

There is no fine art to driving an automatic. You'll get to recognize impending shifts, but that doesn't change much. Accelerator goes down, the end.

Disclaimer - I drive an automatic, and only ever have.

 

[helpme]

Fine art of driving an automatic:

Brake torque launches!!!!

 

[angry hampster]

Originally posted by: helpme
Fine art of driving an automatic:

Brake torque launches!!!!

This with a 13-ton bus is hilarious. Those fuckers will beat damn near anything off the line if the turbo is spooled at launch.

 

[thomsbrain]

Pretty sure this thread is a joke...

 

[compman25]

Originally posted by: angry hampster

Originally posted by: helpme
Fine art of driving an automatic:

Brake torque launches!!!!

This with a 13-ton bus is hilarious. Those fuckers will beat damn near anything off the line if the turbo is spooled at launch.

I drove for Laidlaw in 91. They WON'T beat anything off the line, even when trying to powerbrake with it. I know. I tried. Multiple times. Destroyed two diesel engines, one a Cat, the other a GM. I was unimpressed, so I quit.

 

[Gillbot]

Press the go pedal?

 

[StageLeft]

Friend sounds like a used douche rag. There is no fine art to driving an automatic. You press the gas, you speed up. You let up, you slow down. It's that simple.

 

[Mursilis]

Did you ever drive the go-karts at an amusement park? It's like that.

 

[JDub02]

push the skinny pedal to go
push the wide pedal to stop
turn the round thing to steer

what's so hard?

 

[DivideBYZero]

Fine art? LMAO!

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Having driven both sticks and autos... there's no fine art. It's just a little different feeling.

 

[SSSnail]

No fine art in driving an automatic, but there is a fine art in driving steptronics, however.

 

[AdamK47]

The art of driving an automatic is done digitally rather than in analog. When you press the gas you press it all the way to the floor. When you press the brake you press it all the way to the floor. When turning you need to jerk the streering wheel as quickly and liberally as possible. Merging is done in a quick jolt rather than a lazy meandering into the other lane.

 

[dud]

I drive both transmissions on a daily basis. The "fine art" of driving an automatic is your ability to not fall asleep (while driving said automatic).

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: JDub02
push the skinny pedal to go
push the wide pedal to stop
turn the round thing to steer

what's so hard?

that is almost sig worthy

 

[ViviTheMage]

yeah, no...your friend is being a dbag probably.

 

[slugg]

Originally posted by: dud
I drive both transmissions on a daily basis. The "fine art" of driving an automatic is your ability to not fall asleep (while driving said automatic).

I drive only automatic. I agree with this statement.

 

[joesmoke]

theres no "fine art" but ive seen people who worked against the transmission in ways that would wear it harder than normal drivers.