Even though they are a lot rarer in the UK than in other countries, there are still a number of vehicles that use automatic gears rather than the more popular manual version.
However, it is perhaps fair to say that not everybody actually understands what is meant by the term and are just aware that it means you do not have to do the gear changing, but is that all that it means?
Basically, it means that the car has an automatic transmission and is able to change the gear ratios in accordance with the way that the car is being driven.
It then allows the driver to focus on the driving part whilst the transmission makes sure that the engine is not being put under any undue stress by being in the wrong gear.
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How it works
In an automatic, the engine itself is connected to something called a torque converter and this allows the engine of the car to still rotate even when the wheels of the vehicle are standing still.
Within the gearbox, there are two gears with two further gear carriers spinning around them and this all happens around a central gear ring.
The way it then works is rather simple. The different components are able to rotate and by changing the components that are rotating at any given time it allows the car to achieve different gear ratios in the same way as you do when driving a manual version. In other words, the car is able to select the correct gears through simple mechanics.
An automatic will produce a smooth driving experience as there is not the same jolt that is often produced by somebody being rather too clunky with changing gears in a manual car.
The way that they work is rather brilliant and a lot easier than you perhaps realised and it is also easy to see why more cars are now switching to this mode of driving in the UK, so perhaps you are best to get used to it.
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