Is D Gear the Forward Gear?
3 Answers
D gear is the forward gear. When the gear lever of an automatic transmission vehicle is placed in D gear, the vehicle will automatically shift gears based on throttle opening and speed data. Precautions for shifting gears in an automatic transmission vehicle are: 1. Start the vehicle in P or N gear, remove the gear lever from P gear while stepping on the brake, turn on the power, step on the brake, shift to N gear, and after ignition, shift to D gear to move forward; 2. Do not shift to N gear for coasting while driving; 3. When switching between N, D, and L gears, there is no need to press the shift button. Shift from L gear to lower restricted gears by pressing the shift button, and shift from lower to higher gears without pressing the shift button; 4. After driving, turn off the engine and shift to P gear before removing the key.
D gear is indeed the drive gear, which I use multiple times every day when driving. After shifting the transmission into D gear, power is transmitted to the drive wheels, and stepping on the accelerator makes the car move forward. My driving habit is to keep it in D gear while braking at red lights, but if the traffic jam lasts more than half a minute, I still shift to N gear to give the transmission a break. Extra caution is needed when parking, as some cars have gear positions closely adjacent to R gear, making it easy to misoperate if shifted too quickly. Nowadays, most new cars display the current gear on the dashboard, so a quick glance can confirm whether it's in D gear.
Yes, I usually rely on the D (Drive) gear when driving. With an automatic transmission, once you shift into this gear, you just need to focus on pressing the accelerator and brake, which is very convenient. However, the characteristics of the D gear vary among different car models. I've driven CVT-equipped cars where the power delivery is exceptionally smooth, whereas with traditional AT transmissions, you can feel slight jerks during gear shifts. When going down steep garage ramps, I switch to manual mode and lock in a lower gear because relying solely on the D gear can cause frequent gear shifts during deceleration. Experienced drivers often recommend shifting to N (Neutral) during long waits at traffic lights, as keeping the car in D gear keeps the transmission under tension.
