Advice needed: buying smallish auto car

I like my Jazz. Quite a lot of space in a small box. Top rating on reliability from Which?

You might consider going for a larger car, if it doesn't do many miles - especially used. As they are usually far better value. And likely with a better auto box.

Tend to agree, especially if you are not too bothered about fuel costs, or do not have space constraints. Can't get a Jag down my narrow shared drive, unfortunately. Used to have CX estates, 4.6 metres long but narrower than the Jazz.

As I said in earlier posts, an auto box can catch you out when least expected, then cause a lot of damage to nearby parked cars.

Good solid footwear is essential, as the brake is the only control at slow speed. That was a hint about some kind of women's shoes...

Only if you are a dreadful driver.

If you wear unsuitable footwear, foot slipping off the clutch can do plenty damage too.

Most autos these days won't even let you engage drive without your foot on the brake.

Some people are. And I hate to say that some of those chose automatics. Make sure that the right foot is not on the accelerator when it should be on the brake... And Make sure the brake pedal is positive, i.e. not getting to the floor. There are many reports of mishaps with automatics; you don't think about it for day-to-day driving when everything is normal.

Check out Honest Johns website. He likes the Jazz but not one of the two types of auto box fitted on some older cars.

Get used to using your left foot on the brake.

Only on an auto?

Often a case of a bad workman blaming his tools.

Still struggling with that. It is hard to change but I can understand the benefits.

Indeed. Not quite sure what he means by that.

I think there is an element of "bad workman blaming his poorly designed tools", i.e. there is an element of blame on both sides.

Given that folk DO clearly select the wrong gear in autos I've never understood why the reverse isn't on some sort of dogleg or at least involve a movement in a different plane to the other gears.

Tim

Left foot braking in an auto is well worth developing, especially if you need to reverse park on a hill. Helps in heavy traffic too, it becomes absolutely normal after a short while and you will use it all the time.

The problem with the many reported cases of Audi 5000 in the US was that brake and accelerator pedals were close together, but Audi changed the design.

It is quite easy to be smug as nothing untowards may happen for many years. But if thing goes pearshape, then you only have miliseconds to think. Good to anticipate instant action, e.g. hitting the selector to N.

If you have the sort of auto that creeps in gear, using your left foot to control that is very similar to using the clutch on a manual.

Me neither. ;-)

Wouldn't make any difference. Plenty have managed to be in the wrong gear when starting off in a manual too. Lack of concentration.

Yes. And I've never found it a problem when changing back to a manual. It might be if you had two otherwise identical cars, one manual one auto. ;-)

I've no experience of that particular car. But because it had a design flaw doesn't mean all have.

If the car starts running away, you stop it with the brakes. They are always far more powerful than the engine. The sad thing is many handbrakes are pathetic these days. As that was the way you controlled the car on a hill start etc with a manual (where it could run away). But most don't seem to use them in the same sort of way on an auto - hence left foot braking being the obvious answer.

Plus, of course, the 60 minutes programme was rigged.

Had forgotten that. And where all the stupid interlocks forced on us by various misinformed pressure groups had come from.

Since driving my very first auto some 50 years ago I've always applied the brakes before selecting drive or reverse. It is so obvious that those that don't shouldn't be allowed to drive.

I once had a scare, but long time ago. I reverse out of my drive in a narrow close, there is usually big van parked opposite. Then there was a sudden surge in R, never happened before or since. I was almost paralysed with fear, expecting something major... As I regained mind control, I quickly pushed it into N. It was just miliseconds to react.

My 5008 has automatic handbrake. I got so used to not having to touch anything that when I drive the wifes car I just jump out and forget to apply the hand brake.

That was the thing that shocked me about my neighbour, he has had auto cars all the time I have known him (35 years) and was a professional lorry driver and chauffeur.

When he got his latest car he asked me to look at it because he had to press the manual unlock button near the selector before he could get out of park. This needed both hands in the middle (difficult when you are elderly) I eventually realised (as it seemed OK to me) that he was failing to press the brake before moving the selector and was relying on the handbrake to hold the car still. I was amazed.