As a manual driver who only occassionally drives an auto, I always drive an auto with right foot only so as to avoid confusion when swapping back. I guess the other advantage of using the one foot is that there's no chance of accelerating and braking at the same time.

 

Special is right, only use the right foot!

 

Hi,

I just got a saab 900 3 speed automatic and some people tell me that i should drive it ONLY with my right foot and some say that it is more practical and better to use the left foot on the brake and the right foot on the accelerator. I find it better tu use both instead of one foot.

How do you drive a automatic? What is better and safer?

Would you use your left foot on the brake in a manual car?
So why change for an auto?

There's no difference in the brakes between the two, just that you don't have a clutch pedal.

 

ANY auto .. ONE foot ... ask yourself . IN a manual ... what foot do you brake with ?? Correct RIGHT , it doesnt make a lot of sense to have one foot working a brake , the other working the accelerator ... Unless of course you are in the carpark of parliament house doing burnouts ... THEN .. its acceptable :lol:

 

CVS types faster ...lol..

 

CVS types faster ...lol..

It's called a consensus opinion...

 

People who drive automagics w/ both feet make me crazy, they are easy to spot. Brake lights on as they drive off.

 

Go with what ever you feel more in control with. That being said I've always only used my right foot for braking and accelerating.

 

The only people I've known who do that happen to be horrible drivers as well. They think it gives them "more control" - I think it makes them more of a liability.

Don't be that guy on the highway that everyone backs away from because he's resting his left foot on the brake for ten miles :lol:

 

I'll use left foot to hold the car at a light while I open the throttle with the right for a quick take-off...

 

My grandma was a left foot braker....she usually had to get new brake pads every 5,000 miles or so from letting her foot ride on the brakes while driving

 

Left foot braking might be fine for performance driving on a closed course, but I don't think anyone under any circumstance should do it on the open road. In fact I think you would fail a driving test if you did it. In these parts anyway.

 

I'm ambidextrous for motor vehicles. Starting at age 15 I used left-hand shift motorcycles, right-hand shift motorcycles, and left and right hand drive manual and automatic cars.
Except in stopandgoandcreepandbeep traffic, I never use left foot braking.
If I were racing, and needed to keep revs and boost up.....

 

Yeah out here you will fail a driving exam if you brake with left foot. It is handy on a racing situation though, and of course if you want to pre-load the torque converter.

 

I use either foot, it would be too boring to rigidly use the "correct" foot.

As far as the drivers test goes - it should be based on ones attitude as well as his knowledge and abilities.
As it is now, the test has no credibility, one can easily pass the test(as I remember it) with great knowledge and parking skills; but can he change a flat, or properly maintain his vehicle, and can he merge at 70 mph on the expressway or drive on ice and snow ?????
The test should be administered by selected truck drivers.

 

Right foot, right foot, right foot, that is the only RIGHT way to drive. Some people do in fact believe that it is safer to drive with the left foot on the brake because they can brake faster, this is a myth, with many negative consiquences.

Remember, to brake you need to still take your foot off the gas. Practice this in your dirveway. Place left foot on the break, right foot on the gas. Practice pressing down on the left foot that you are holding (think you are holding, actually resting on) over the brake while lifting your right foot. Then place your left foot where it belongs, on the floor, and practice switching your right foot from the accelerator to the brake. Hummm... You will see that this is in fact noticably faster. Maybe this is so easy because the car was designed for you to do it this way.
Now the negatives. I have had this discussion with many people and I don't care what they say, you are pressing the brake while you drive. This reduces your MPG, brake life, fades the brakes so they won't work as well when you actually intend to press the pedal and fries your transmission. Your left foot will be tired, because you are holding it over the pedal the whole time you are driving, and... IT WILL TAKE LONGER TO STOP, NEGATING THE WHOLE ARGUMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
There are some exceptions, like when making a steep hill start from a stop, etc. If you start driving this car with your right foot only you will be starting a good habit.

 

There are some exceptions, like when making a steep hill start from a stop, etc.

Ummm, if you need two feet to do a hill-start with a two-pedal car, how you going to manage the clutch...?

Or, indeed, a foot parking brake pedal. Or both... <groans at memory of manual-box XM>

 

Depends - I learned left foot braking while trying to become a rally driver (I ended up being a rally-roller instead, but not due to left foot braking) - under low traction conditions I find left foot braking to work very well - as a driven wheel has greater traction than a coasting / braking on - now LFB isn't "hard on the brakes" and you do need to be careful not to ride the brakes, but I can LFB in with a manual or automatic - and have done so - when traction is scarce - it's a skill worth learning.

Much like counter-steering in low traction conditions, it gives you a better sense of control while sliding around.
To that end (learning) - do so where there's a lot of run-off area and don't try to teach yourself with other people in the car - during the "training" period your left foot can be a bit heavy - especially if it's used to shoving the clutch pedal in ....

 

Ummm, if you need two feet to do a hill-start with a two-pedal car, how you going to manage the clutch...?

Or, indeed, a foot parking brake pedal. Or both... <groans at memory of manual-box XM>

You just let out the clutch a bit :lol:

I've never had to do anything fancy to hill-start an automatic, even a truck with a loaded trailer :lol:

 

I'm ambidextrous for motor vehicles. Starting at age 15 I used left-hand shift motorcycles, right-hand shift motorcycles, and left and right hand drive manual and automatic cars.
Except in stopandgoandcreepandbeep traffic, I never use left foot braking.
If I were racing, and needed to keep revs and boost up.....

The only problem I had on bikes was on my track TZ250 which had rearsets and a reversed lever. First few laps on the darn thing every practice session it seemed I'd go from 3rd at about 9000 RPM into 2nd instead of 4th. Not a great way to inspect how if you've got the front tire heated up yet! :cheesy: Usually had it worked out by race time and thanks to that awesome Yamaha engineering I never blew the gearset.

Now why can't Yamaha make a car I ask??? Closest thing is the SHO. A car that clearly doesn't suck!

 

I feel kinda bad about the SHO. Just recently they were incredibly awesome. Great engine, good gearbox, and every other part is basically free at the junkyard. But now the stock of those old Taurii is drying up incredibly quick

 

Now why can't Yamaha make a car I ask??? Closest thing is the SHO.

Nah, closest thing was the 1.25 Fiesta from a few years back. Yam-built engine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Sigma_engine

Apparently, quite a decent lump - but it doesn't do mileage or age well.

A car that clearly doesn't suck!

Ummm, they put it in a Fiesta.

 

Google fun. Look at this piece of wooooot

That would be a (twin?) turbo SHO powered TR7

 

I still stand by the SHO powered mid-engined Ford Festiva from the early 90's. Called the "Shogun"? Jay Leno has one :lol:

 

Hmm... I could see using the left foot on the brake in an auto C900 considering you have to keep the accelerator mashed into the carpet at all times just to keep it moving! .. just kidding, but they are F-ing slow.

But seriously, use your right foot only unless you want to get rear ended because your brake lights didn't "come on" since you were riding them already.