Hey Lucy is my first car thats an Auto and its a 3 speed auto so how do i use the 1st and 2nd gear versus just putting it in drive...I'm sorry I dont know this stuff :-[

Brandon,

You should always have it in drive (D). You would use 1st or 2nd on hills or in the mountains when you need more torque to the wheels. I guess you could shift from 1st to 2nd to Drive, but that would defeat the purpose of an automatic. It's just the way companies describe their transmissions. You should feel slight shifts when you are in Drive denoting the shifting of the transmission automatically. Unless you really jump on it, then you can really feel the shifting!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok thanks man, that clears it up I've only driven a manual before.

Think of it like a manual, when in 2nd gear in a manual and costing down a hill, the compression of the engine is going to limit your speed as opposed to if you shifted into 3rd gear. In reality, you can do this in the Automatic as well, shifting into a lower gear will have the same effect - but the brakes are usually just as good.

Like stated before, its mainly just to get you up those steep hills - when going up a steep hill and you feel that the car is losing power, or seems to be working harder than normal, shift into a lower gear and you will hear the change - and definitly feel more torque.

Hope this helps,
Brad