What’s the point in the Park function of a automatic?

[Nickbrapp]

I was thinking today, manual cars have neutral, which most people use when they park, and the parking brake,

So why does an auto have park, neutral and parking brake?

You always see on tv especially in American programs they only use the transmission park, so why do we have both?

[Nickbrapp]

MDMA . said:

If you didn’t have park, you couldn’t take your keys out the ignition

But why do we have park

Why not leave an auto in neutral and use the parking brake the same as manual cars?

[Nickbrapp]

What happens if you put an auto into park when you’re driving along? My transit has a big clunky gear lever for the auto box and I feel it would cause me to crash but I still want to try it

[Nickbrapp]

Blippy said:

Can't speak for yours of course, but our Kia EV has a physical pawl on the reduction gear that engages when 'P' is selected and a special release button in case of flat 12V battery.

Indeed, the separate electronic parking brake doesn't even come on automatically. You can stick the car in 'P', turn it off and get out, and it will do the typical autobox 'wobble' back and forward if pushed.

In their wisdom they also decided to make it engage 'P' as soon as you open the door - a ridiculous feature if you ever happen to open the door to help line up whilst parking, as the car will bring itself to an unsympathetic grinding halt. Can't be good for the gearbox.

That’s my only gripe with electronic handbrakes, every car I’ve driven with one it will come off automatically when you pull away, but only certain models will put it on when you turn off the engine, which surely thru should all just do, my old Audi did it, my Citroen now does it, but my old insgina and my sisters focus didn’t,. A couple of times when I had my insgina I had got out and it would start to roll away.

Such an annoying thing when it’s no doubt a tiny bit of programming.

Great in the current car, turn engine off, gearbox goes into park and parking brake comes on. Walk away and it locks