Learning in an automatic to pass manual test

Soubrette

A bit different from the usual queries but I'm hoping I might get some good input here.

My daughter is at last old enough to learn to drive - we've booked up some lessons for her, she had her first one this week.

In the leaflet from the DVLA it says that people who practice in their parent's car and take lessons are the most successful at passing their test.

However, due to circumstances beyond my control (Canadian Husband) we have an automatic car. I want her to learn how to drive a manual car to give her flexibility when it comes to buying her own car so just taking the auto test isn't an option.

However, I feel that it would be confusing for her to take an hours lesson a week in a manual then practising in our automatic car for several hours a week (I may be biased as it will cost about £150pm to have her on the insurance :eek:)

The instructor agrees with me...but then he would wouldn't he

What do you think?

neilmcl

I'd agree with the instructer. Your daughter needs to get comfortable with clutch control and gears so much so that it becomes second-nature.

DaveF327

First thing to consider.. what does she plan to drive in the short term the moment she passes (whatever) test? Your auto? Or will she buy her own straight away?

If she will only have access to your auto, she may learn quicker (and save money) in an automatic and pass an auto test. This way, she will continue to gain experience and become more polished and confident on the roads after passing, then when the time comes for her to consider a manual, she will only need a lesson or two in controlling the clutch and gears and to take a manual test. With the road experience she will have already gained, this should be a doddle providing she has fully mastered the whole gear changing thing.

On the other hand, if she wants her own manual, continue the way you are (lessons in manual), but I recommend that she reaches a reasonably advanced level with her instructor before attempting private practice in your auto. Not only with the lack of clutch and gears feel strange for the first time (even for an experienced driver), but you won't have dual controls to stop her if she messes up at a busy junction.

Second thing to consider: how will she coping after the first ten lessons in the manual? Will she fairly good at controls and easily be concentrating on road procedure? Or will she have two left feet and jump and bump about with the clutch and gears?

If the former, introduce her to the auto controls fairly early on, but off road initially. You will still need insurance for using public places like supermarket car parks. If the latter, reconsider the first point above about her eventual choice of car and either switch to auto lessons or consolidate manual training first before practising privately.

property.advert

I had about8 lessons in a manual car, with no other practise and no prior experience, then a couple of hours before the test, then the test itself. Passed.

I would not confuse the learner and would suggest they only drive the manual car.

Oldernotwiser

Why can't she have lessons in an automatic, take her automatic test and then take her manual test later on if she needs to? That's what I did and it enabled me to get my licence at the age of 50 with only two months' lesson/practice. I then took and passed my manual test a couple of years later when I wanted to rent a car abroad.

emmell

I would keep her away from the auto if she wants to pass in a manual. My niece has just passed her test in an auto but the trouble we had finding her a decent £1000 auto that didn't cost a fortune to insure. Plenty of 'executive' type cars but not many small run abouts.
After weeks and weeks trawling the internet and auctions with no success, we eventually spotted one at the side of the road being sold privately. A little Suzuki Ignis in black, luckily she loved it (not much choice really), £900 fully comp, she's 28 not a teenager. With the choice she had for her money, I think she wished she'd stuck to the manual lessons.
If your daughter tries your auto she may not want to drive a manual anymore then you may have the same problem as we did with my niece.
ML.

Soubrette

Thanks everyone, I knew I'd get some good answers

Due to unfortunately circumstances of birth (all my fault ) my daughter is a summer baby so has one more year at school and is then hopefully off to university. She is planning to go somewhere miles aways.

I would guess that she would therefore have a small car if she is in a more rural uni or if she goes to somewhere central, not bother with a car, so she would only use ours in holidays, if at all. She may end up not driving at all until she leaves uni and gets a job, it's hard to say.

ONW, the main reason that I want her to learn in a manual is the same as emmell, it's much harder to find a runaround automatic and it cuts down on the choice you have (plus they seem a little more expensive and a little less fuel efficient). It also seems to me that it will be more flexible for her if she can drive both automatics and manuals (her dad has a manual car for example, although he won't add her to the insurance as he says it's too expensive )

However there is a small secondary reason :o There also seems to be a bit of scorn towards those of us that drive automatics, I think the assumption being that we are not as skilled as those that drive manuals - despite the fact that both my husband and myself can and have driven manuals, the general assumptions seems to be that you only drive an automatic if you are not good enough to pass a manual test.

Oldernotwiser

Soubrette wrote: »

However there is a small secondary reason :o There also seems to be a bit of scorn towards those of us that drive automatics, I think the assumption being that we are not as skilled as those that drive manuals - despite the fact that both my husband and myself can and have driven manuals, the general assumptions seems to be that you only drive an automatic if you are not good enough to pass a manual test.

Heaven knows why - I'm one of the few people who can say that she passed her test first time - twice!

devon27_2

Hi There I only drive an automatic and havent had any problems getting my last car it was only 3K and low miles with one lady owner. I could never work out the clutch or gears and am very happy to be able to get in my car and have my independance. Ok i can see the point where its limiting but I have never found it a problem.

Hope this helps?

Mark_Hewitt

The perception issue is largely due to the UK licencing structure where a manual licence lets you drive both but an auto licence only lets you drive autos. So it's often those who aren't very good at car control who have an auto licence. Of course there's nothing wrong with autos at all!

Personally I would let her learn manual control in the instructors car and practice in your car. Yes, in your car she won't be learning clutch control and gears but so what, there's much more to driving than that such as road positioning / speed, hazard perception etc etc. In fact it may be beneficial for her to learn roadcraft in an automatic so she's comfortable with reading the road before she tackles the same task with the addition of a clutch and gearstick!

But importantly I would fundamentally disagree about letting her sit an auto test. The temptation then is not to sit the manual test. Get the test done in a manual car - it's not that difficult after all! And then for the rest of her life she has the choice in car purchases, if she wants to buy autos then so be it.

Wig

Step 1. Choose an instructor you like

Step 2. Buy a wee car now, possibly trying to match the one the instructor is using. As you will be using the wee car the most until she passes her test, register it in your name and have her as a named driver. When she passes and goes to Uni you can transfer it into her name, all legal and above board. You might get an insurance discount if you have been a named driver on your partners insurance for a while.

Step 3. Take her out to practice in your wee car.

Autos are expensive to repair have to be molly coddled through their lives (you can't do things to an auto that you can do with a manual) and they are expensive on fuel consumption.