Manual or Automatic to learn to drive?

Kimberley

Thank you for all your advice guys. The reason I want to learn as quick as possible is because I want to move about 5 miles out from where I am now but keep my son in his school which means if I do swap he would have to travel via 2 buses to school on a 50 minute journey and I feel that will be too much for him.

elfen

Erm, I don't know if it'll help, but do you have any friends who'dbe prepared to help? Say, if you pay the extra to go on their insurance, would they let you do some driving with them inthe car? Say to go shopping, go out places etc. It'll give you more of a chance to learn than just with lessons alone. Also, if you know where you failed your first test on, you can ask your instructor if they can give you a bit more training in those areas (mine's currently speed and steering, cos I'm a bit over-enthusiastic) but hoepfully with a bit of work on it, it should help you more than going to an automatic where you may have the same problems

nearlyrich

My Golf Plus DSG has the capacity for the driver to choose the gear but no clutch, I am female but I have been driving for 25 years, all in manual vehicles except for the last 8 months in this car and a couple of years ago I had a Seat Altea DSG which I picked for it's tax efficiency. I drive 1000 miles most weeks and I suffer from arthritic knees so less gear changing helps me, I still drive DH's manual when I need to but I either drive along in first gear (duh) or when I get back in mine I try to change gear.

Quite a lot of the male high mileage drivers I know prefer automatic, it's good when you are in traffic just keeps going no messing around with the gears...

jeannieblue

This thread wouldn't exist on a site in another country! The Uk in particular is obsessed with manual cars! Makes me laugh as we spend most of the time on our bad roads, in traffic jams with left leg getting cramp whilst stuck on the clutch!

Forget the hire car abroad threat - pretty much anywhere you go have auto's as well as manual - especially the States :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

It is mainly men of a certain age that say that you have to drive manual to be able to drive properly! I know too many disabled drivers that have no choice in the matter, that lead really good lives, drive over here and abroad without any problem and they are good drivers! There is a guy that lost is leg in an accident many years ago, it hasn't hindered him in the slightest and drives rather fast cars!

OP - do what you want to do. And good luck!

terryya

When ever you read about drivers driving into shops/through peoples gardens/off multi-story car parks etc etc it is always someone driving an automatic!

jeannieblue

terryya wrote: »

When ever you read about drivers driving into shops/through peoples gardens/off multi-story car parks etc etc it is always someone driving an automatic!

And your point is exactly? How is that relevant to the OP? Can we have some statistics to back up your claim? ie manual driving accidents percentage against automatic driving accidents. Give us some facts so that the OP can decide as to whether they are likely to drive through a shop window because they have an automatic gear box in their car.

Kimberley

Lol no arguments on here please. I have decided on what i'm going to learn in and i've booked my first lesson next week so thank you all

jeannieblue

Kimberley wrote: »

Lol no arguments on here please. I have decided on what i'm going to learn in and i've booked my first lesson next week so thank you all

We love a debate on here!

Are you going to tell us what you have decided?

flyingscotno1

jeannieblue wrote: »

This thread wouldn't exist on a site in another country! The Uk in particular is obsessed with manual cars! Makes me laugh as we spend most of the time on our bad roads, in traffic jams with left leg getting cramp whilst stuck on the clutch!

Forget the hire car abroad threat - pretty much anywhere you go have auto's as well as manual - especially the States :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

It is mainly men of a certain age that say that you have to drive manual to be able to drive properly! I know too many disabled drivers that have no choice in the matter, that lead really good lives, drive over here and abroad without any problem and they are good drivers! There is a guy that lost is leg in an accident many years ago, it hasn't hindered him in the slightest and drives rather fast cars!

OP - do what you want to do. And good luck!

I'd disagree with that, Europe in particular has automatics just like the U.K but certainly is not greatly automatic orientated. I think autos are best if you are always in heavy traffic and congested cities. I'd have no hesitation in picking an auto if it suited and would love a DSG! It also goes without saying that for certain scenarios renting an auto car can prove harder than renting any car.

Automatics have their fair share but even in Paris the taxis I got were manual- despite hacking through Parisian traffic. Mind you the auto wouldn't have allowed him to rev the nuts off it!

European car markers also don't have a great range of automatics in ranges- particularly since the most suitable vehicles for automatics, small superminis and city cars are usually the hardest to find with an automatic option that is as affordable as a manual as if you do find one they are usually a poor gearbox or mated to an engine which is too high a capacity hurting fuel economy and emissions! VAG group is combating this with a semi-automatic DSG box that has 2 dry clutches and shifts brilliantly. It is getting fitted to a 1.4TSI 80hp Polo, which looks promising but it is a hefty premuim (circa £1K+). It is also appearing in Skoda and Seat ranges, but Skoda mated it to a 1.6 engine which really wasn't great.

The US is as you say a complete polar opposite, but then barely anybody apart from North Americans likes their cars and even the N. Americans aren't loving them- probably why Ford, Chrysler and GM went begging to the Senate! I think the US underestimates the value of the 'stick shift' but then again their roads are designed to be slow- lack of roundabouts and give way signs in favour of signals and stop signs.

I have to say I think that a manual will help in giving people a better understanding of car control and mechanics than an automatic. The fact you can get better fuel mileage and play with the shifting a bit, helps.

Obviously if you have no choice in the matter get an auto licence, but why specifically set out to limit your vehicle choice when you don't have to. Pass in a manual, get it done and drive autos for the rest of your life if you want!

jeannieblue

Agree Scotty that the DSG box is good. Re other small cars with 'so called auto boxes that aren't' - well they are rubbish, as we all know.

I'm not anti manual at all - I drive either. I just get so mad when people have a go at an OP when they say they want to learn to drive in an auto. Why not? They get really pushed and pressured by 'manual only' drivers on this forum that I can't help but stick up for them. I have never ever had a problem hiring an auto in europe or other countries (obviously not the States, it is standard there! Costs you more for a stick shift - if they have one!).

I drive auto mainly now, which is a blessing in my commute to work. Its a fully automatic, not a silly car. And I don't care that my road tax is more - I've given up worrying about being ripped off by the government!