Canada - hiring manual car

parahandy

Going to Canada in October, and wil be hiring a car for part of the holiday. However, my wife has said she only wants us to hire a manual transmission car as she's never driven an automatic.

I have, and tried to tell her it will be fine. but she wants to investigate anyway.

I've had a quick lunch-break look on a few sites, and it looks like most are all automatics. Anyone know how much chance there is of finding a manual car?

susancs

Husband wanted the same when we went to Canada, but could not find any and tried all the hire companies. Had to hire an automatic in the end and it turned out to be no problem. We had similar concerns and had a practice driving a friends automatic before going, so just had to concentrate on driving on "the wrong side of the road" (he he) when we got there.

Another tip, hire or buy a sat nav when there-as there are long highways with no real land marks to help you get your bearings. We would not have got as much done in the time without the sat nav. We stayed with relatives who provided us with a sat nav, but I did notice they were quite reasonabale to buy-so cost both rental and buying.

sturll

parahandy wrote: »

Going to Canada in October, and wil be hiring a car for part of the holiday. However, my wife has said she only wants us to hire a manual transmission car as she's never driven an automatic.

I have, and tried to tell her it will be fine. but she wants to investigate anyway.

I've had a quick lunch-break look on a few sites, and it looks like most are all automatics. Anyone know how much chance there is of finding a manual car?

Only a woman would make such a request when an automatic is much better in most ways on the roads out there.


....................... Now ill run and hide

cazziebo

Even if you request one you might find that when you get there it won't be available. very rare in Canada.

the problem with automatics is that when you come back here you forget how to drive. Number of times I've stalled, or waited at green traffic lights for the car to start moving....

Driving is easy in Canada, long wide straight roads and easy to understand signs. My only fear is getting lost - it's a big country. (having said that, I could get lost in my own street!)

Tojo_Ralph

.....
If you haven't driven a manual on the "wrong side of the road" before, I'd seriously consider taking an automatic for the following reason ...........

It just might save your left hand from continually punching the drivers door.

Honestly, I am a manual person 100%, but when it comes to driving on the right hand side of the road with a left hand drive car, I always, always, take an Automatic vehicle because on strange roads, looking for exits, trying to remember which side of the road I should be on, etc, etc, my left hand acts out of instinct come gear change time and is always looking for the gearstick and it just ain't their, however the door is.

Maybe it's just me, but driving on the right is easy enough, it's just training my right hand to change gear that I find so damn difficult as the gear change is not a concious act, and don't forget the gears themselves are !!!! about face when you do eventually find the gearstick.

sturll

Tojo_Ralph wrote: »

.....
If you haven't driven a manual on the "wrong side of the road" before, I'd seriously consider taking an automatic for the following reasons.

1. It will save your left hand from continually punching the drivers door.

Honestly, I am a manual person, but when it comes to driving on the right side of the road with a left hand drive car, I always, always take an Automatic because on strange roads, looking for exits, trying to remember which side of the road I should be on, etc, etc, my left hand acts out of instinct come gear change and is always looking for the gearstick and it just ain't their, however the door is.

Maybe it's just me, but driving on the right is easy enough, it's just training my right hand to change gear that I find so damn difficult as the gear change is not a concious act, and don't forget the gears themselves are !!!! about face when you do eventually find the gearstick.

Just to add to those points beware there is no clutch. Be sure not to inadvertently depress the brake at the pressure you might the clutch. You could end up in serious trouble.

cazziebo

sturll wrote: »

Just to add to those points beware there is no clutch. Be sure not to inadvertently depress the brake at the pressure you might the clutch. You could end up in serious trouble.

Of course there's no clutch - it's an automatic.

Only a man would expect to have a clutch in an automatic car... :rotfl: :rotfl:

ailuro2

I've been to Canada twice, driven an automatic and it was a breeze, you just ask the person who is dealing with you to show you the controls. It's very very easy, even the second time when my hubby was allowed to drive too since he'd passed his test, he found it incredibly simple.

fwiw I'd use the extra money you save not renting a manual car to upgrade to a nice little Jeep - we treated ourselves both times and it's a joy to drive high up in an automatic car on beautiful wide roads.:D

trets77

tell your wife not to worry , driving a automatic is so easy you will wonder why you have been driving a manual all these years. just remember you often have to put your foot on the brake to select drive and reverse ect. best advice is just forget the foot that would have operated the clutch . as for driving on the other side of the road , simple way to remember is the driver should be in the center of the road , and passenger should be nearest the kerb.....simple

driving in USA and Canada is a breeze compared to the UK. l advise you get a large car too , big cars are the norm and you don't have to worry about squeezing through tight spaces like in the UK. i will never have anything but a 4X4 in north america