Drivers’ willingness to use vehicle automation depends on their evaluation of its instrumental and non-instrumental properties. Instrumental properties refer to the usability, utility, etc., of the automation. Non-instrumental properties include emotions, visual aesthetics, etc. This paper presents a study in which we investigated whether drivers’ use of vehicle automation in real traffic changes their evaluation of the automation’s non-/instrumental properties. In a field study, thirty-eight participants completed a one-hour drive including rural roads and highways. Their user experience evaluations concerning vehicle automation were assessed before and after the drive. The results revealed that driver ratings of the instrumental qualities of the vehicle were higher after using it in real traffic compared to their expectations. No effects were found for non-instrumental qualities. However, driver ratings of usability, status, and positive emotions constantly predicted their intention to use the automated vehicle. Implications for automation design are discussed.