Driving an automatic car - why use neutral? | Ask Honest John

Driving an automatic car - why use neutral?

You mention the advantage of the Mercedes auto box is that the shifter can be moved from neutral to drive without pressing the brake pedal.
I have covered well over 250,000 miles in a number of automatics and never ever used neutral. Do you suggest using neutral when stopped as I thought the advantage of an automatic was that there would be no need to move the shifter?

Asked on 14 May 2013 by Geoff Palmer

Answered by Honest John

Putting it in N when you are stopped in traffic means you can get your foot off the brake and stop blinding the driver behind with your brake lights. It's simply being considerate.

Tags: automatics feedback driving

Similar questions

Dazzle from the dashboard?

How can I overcome windscreen dazzle from the centre of the dashboard when the sun is shining on it?

Surface with a smile

I have just spent a week touring in West Wales. My travels included all types of surfaces: motorways, lanes, mountains, villages and towns. In over 600 miles I found one pothole. In general, all types...

Gears without tears

We followed your advice and went to the Automatic Gearbox Centre in Luton. Despite giving them a very tight timescale, and them having to urgently obtain a part from Sweden, they completed the work satisfactorily...