learner driver automatic?

jeannieblue

delain wrote: »

yes they are. I quit manual for auto, and the only reason i did not get another micra was the space issue

Good info there then for the OP if they want a small auto!

delain

jeannieblue wrote: »

Good info there then for the OP if they want a small auto!

Not as good as it could have been... unfortunately my experience of small cars mostly involves spending hours strapping grumbly small people into seats.:o

My nan has a W plate peugeot 306 auto and it drives really well, and is quite reliable.

jeannieblue

delain wrote: »

Not as good as it could have been... unfortunately my experience of small cars mostly involves spending hours strapping grumbly small people into seats.:o

My nan has a W plate peugeot 306 auto and it drives really well, and is quite reliable.

But its a French car.....

delain

jeannieblue wrote: »

But its a French car.....

The only reason i didn't add 'suprising seeing as its french' was so as not to offend anyone french

jeannieblue

delain wrote: »

The only reason i didn't add 'suprising seeing as its french' was so as not to offend anyone french

I think we are mostly British on here ... (I nearly said English and that would've upset Goldiespanners big time ) :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

goldspanners

jeannieblue wrote: »

I think we are mostly British on here ... (I nearly said English and that would've upset Goldiespanners big time ) :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

it wouldnt upset me, i already know how ignorant you can be :p:p

Shoshannah

I ran an automatic for 4 years, before it was stolen over Easter.

I found that it was excellent on fuel over long distances, but could get quite thirsty around town. It was a 2.0i DOHC Sierra Sapphire, so other makes and models may be different. I replaced it with a 1.8 CVH Sierra Sapphire with a manual box, which is about the same fuelwise on long journeys but better around town. It is also quicker despite the slightly smaller engine, especially despite being a CVH. :rotfl:

I love driving so it was great to get the manual back, I love it. The only thing I miss about the auto is how nice it was in traffic queues, especially uphill. I could say something about how it is harder to eat sandwiches with a manual but one shouldn't be eating sandwiches while driving anyway. :rotfl:

What is worrying me is the fact that a few people on here seem to be treating the automatic car as a quicker and easier way to pass your test. OK, so you don't have to learn to handle the gears/clutch (which usually rapidly becomes second nature as most manual drivers will attest), but driving an automatic won't make you any better at reading the road any more quickly.

Please be aware that you can still bodge a driving test very easily on mirrors, hazard awareness, signalling etc etc etc etc etc etc and that automatics are not the 'easy route' to a quick pass.

OP - many others on here have advised at least trying a manual car before committing to the automatic. I think that even if you choose to take the auto test, having a few tries in a manual if you can arrange it is a good idea, just to see if you can handle the gears more easily than you think. I only say this because:
a) the size of car you are looking at does restrict the choice of autos, as you have found.
b) although you can of course take a manual test in future if you ever change your mind, this will be an extra expense and hassle.

Otherwise, just go for it. You may need to aim slightly bigger to find a decent fully automatic car but I wouldn't avoid automatics because they are thirstier or more expensive to repair. Every little niggle I had on my automatic car was completely unrelated to the gearbox and with proper maintenance any car should last a long time.

I am not sure what age of car you are looking at; if you are very worried about repair costs you could buy an older model and you may be able to join something like an owners club, obtaining cheaper parts through them. I was never overly worried about the gearbox on my auto going to pot because I know several people who always have some good second-hand boxes available through my owners club, who I'm sure would even fit one for me if I asked them nicely and bought them a few beers.

Good luck with it all.