Manual or Automatic to learn to drive?

Kimberley

Well I had my first lesson in an Automatic and OMG it is sooooooo easy

No gear changing, just drive, steer and brake. Super. The instructor has told me to put in for my Theory now and once I have passed that then to book the test because of the huge waiting list but i'm so happy with an auto, I wish I had done it ages ago now. He said I have good steering control so won't take long hopefully.

Quentin

You can get cheap lessons on driving automatics if you have a fairground near you. Go on the dodgems and ask the friendly young man who comes round for the money to talk you through the controls.

Kimberley

At my age driving an automatic suits me fine. If I were much younger then yes i'd go manual but I just couldn't find my feet with it.

Paradigm

Kimberley wrote: »

Well I had my first lesson in an Automatic and OMG it is sooooooo easy

No gear changing, just drive, steer and brake. Super. The instructor has told me to put in for my Theory now and once I have passed that then to book the test because of the huge waiting list but i'm so happy with an auto, I wish I had done it ages ago now. He said I have good steering control so won't take long hopefully.

Excellent

As long as you're happy that's all that counts. Like I said, I love autos, for driving in town they're the best thing since some guy decided to cut a loaf into many equal slices

Fridge2

jaydeeuk1 wrote: »

Unless there is a medical condition, then I don't understand why people would want to pass a test in an automatic. Clutch control is just a small part of driving, if you can't manage that confidently then you shouldn't be on the road.

Idiotic statement.

I passed my test approximately 15 years ago in an automatic. I tried and tried to learn the manual, but it just wouldn't "click" for me.

Since then, I've driven safely with no accidents caused by me in all these years, all over Britain and many times abroad as well. I've never had a problem obtaining an automatic, but then I earn a good salary and can afford it....

I've never understood why some people get so "precious" about driving. cars are designed so that a 17 year old girl can drive them. There is nothing macho or clever about them.

Still think I shouldn't be on the road?

Kimberley

Remember me? lol well last Friday I passed my Theory test and will be booking my driving test on Tuesday. Apparently it's a 13 week waiting list.

[Deleted User]

For anyone thinking about learning in an automatic, make sure the car you learn in is a proper automatic. Not one of these rubbish easytronic systems! :cool:

bosseyed

theesel1994 wrote: »

I may drive in an automatic but I'm probably a lot safer than most people that drive as I don't have the arrogance that will be the cause of most accidents.

I don't see the correlation between driving an automatic and lower driver arrogance - down to the individual surely, regardless of what flavour car they're driving.

And to those who say they took a lesson or two in a manual and it didn't 'click' or whatever - I'd say thats probably normal? People who can instantly get the co-ordination for clutch, gears, steering and everything else that you need to do whilst driving on the first attempt have got to be few and far between. Personally, I was utterly chronic in a manual car for my first few lessons, but practice as they say makes perfect.

Vaguely on topic, I will say that even though I've been driving manual cars for 12 years, it only took 2 weeks driving an auto jeep thing in America for me to get completely used to no clutch - getting back in the manual car afterwards felt completely odd.

gaz_jones

I know I'm joining this topic late, but thought I'd throw my 2 cents in.

I was lucky enough to have a car before I passed my test. It was an automatic mini mayfair. It was very easy to drive because it was so small, and being auto it was just like a go kart.

I always drove my mini round with my parents sitting beside me. I also had an hour lesson each week with a driving instructor in a manual car.

I passed my test very quickly, and in my opinion that is because I got used to driving throughout the week in the mini. Because I wasn't having to worry about smooth gear changes etc..., I could focus all my effort on other road users, right positioning on the road, manouvers etc...

I wanted to take an auto test so that I could be driving my car whilst learning to drive a manual. Luckily I got a serious on my auto test which meant an instant fail. The next test was my manual and I passed with flying colours. I'm no so thankful I just took my manual because I know I wouldn't have got round to taking my manual test for ages.