Accelerating in second gear is almost never good

You’ve probably heard someone say that accelerating in second gear is useful when it’s slippery, or if you want the first gear to wear less quickly. And while it can be done, it’s not very wise.

Everyone knows someone who knows a wonderful story where they saved themselves from a predicament by accelerating in second gear. This story no doubt contains as much truth as the maximum number of beers that person can drink without getting drunk. How we know that? Thanks to Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained who once again provides us with some useful information and additional explanations.

With a manual transmission, it’s never wise to pull up in second gear. That first gear is there for a reason. The only exception is when the driver is a lousy driver and can’t control his footing. Or when a conscious decision is made to add extra wear and tear.

For an automatic is slightly different. Since the clutch here works with fluid, there is no extra wear when starting in second gear and so this can be quietly chosen. In addition, some manufacturers even let the automatic choose this gear by itself when the car needs to accelerate on slippery surfaces.

Of course, there is more to both options, and there are also things like a dual clutch, or a manual transmission with a torque converter. But the best thing, then, is to just always accelerate gently in first gear.