driving help

cprtknight4

Not sure if this is on the right board or not, but here goes -

I would love to learn how to drive, so that my little family can go out for day trips, visit family more etc. But my problem is I tried few years ago and gave up, but wondered which is better to learn in a manual or automatic?

Am I cheating by learning in an automatic?? As it is suppost to be easier to drive. My main concern is that I couldnt get the jist of changing gear, got myself all muddled. Do you reckon this would be different this time (age, instructor, wanting to do it, etc)

Thoughts would be much appreciated.

Sagz_2

I think if you are going to learn then you may as well do it properly, learing in an automatic will just limit you once you pass your test - IMO.

Good luck x

Tropez

I have an automatic-only licence and don't really care whether anyone thinks it is cheating or not. No car I have ever wanted has been unavailable in an automatic and while getting a used car may sometimes be a little more difficult it isn't such a big deal.

I did originally take lessons in a manual and was doing fine but I had to stop before I was able to complete all my lessons and do my test due to an injury. When I came back to driving about a year or so later, I just took an automatic 3 week intensive course and had my licence shortly after. No regrets whatsoever about doing it that way.

LittleMrsThrifty

Have another go with a new instructor. Ask around for someone with recommendations and get someone you feel comfortable with. Try a manual first - you'll have much more flexibility regarding cars if you have a manual licence. Only if you really can't do it (keep telling yourself you can!) go for an auto.

Wanting to do it and believing you can is a big part of actually succeeding.

Good luck!

Melonade

I'm pretty much in the same position and know that if I learn to drive it'll make my life a lot easier.

I started lessons in an auto but failed my test first time and didn't try again for a few years. Started again in a manual and although I found the gears easier than I expected I gave up as soon as my instructor told me were the next lesson would be (tricky driving on and off a busy slip road) so cancelled and never tried again. I knew my problem was down to my nerves and actually taking my hand off the wheel for the gears whilst driving the route he wanted to take me.

When I start again it'll be auto all the way. I don't care what people think and my OH has promised if we can't afford 2 cars at the time I pass we'll share an auto (which is what he has atm)

I think you should give manual another try just to see and if it doesn't work out after a few lessons then just switch to auto. Passing your test is the important thing no matter which way you do it.

Good Luck what ever you choose and I hope your on the road real soon :T

cprtknight4

Thank you for your responses, I have asked red driving school for some prices as they do auto if I dont like the manual.

Will try again with manual driving as I feel it will give me more options re a car.

I have the motivation (I hope) as would love to be able to take my children and hubby of course on days out etc.

DUTR

cprtknight4 wrote: »

Not sure if this is on the right board or not, but here goes -

I would love to learn how to drive, so that my little family can go out for day trips, visit family more etc. But my problem is I tried few years ago and gave up, but wondered which is better to learn in a manual or automatic?

Am I cheating by learning in an automatic?? As it is suppost to be easier to drive. My main concern is that I couldnt get the jist of changing gear, got myself all muddled. Do you reckon this would be different this time (age, instructor, wanting to do it, etc)

Thoughts would be much appreciated.

The answer is it is better to pass your test in a manula car, as you have many more options open to you later on, who knows your job may require some driving a manual car.
Gear changing is only a small part of driving, and as many many people can drive manual gearbox cars, then there is no reason that you can't.

Nicki

I'd try a manual first and see if you can crack it too. There are bound to be occasions when you need to hire a car, even if it's only a courtesy car when yours has broken down/been in an accident, and even when you specify what you want they don't always get it right. So if you can drive both legally, even if you always choose an automatic out of preference you won't ever be stuck.

I have an automatic at the moment (my first ever) and I love it, but when it was in the garage recently, the courtesy car they gave me was a little Mercedes A class manual, which threw me for a short while until I got used to changing gears again! As you get more confident driving though, you'll be fine taking your hands off the wheel briefly to change gears, and before you know it, you might even be switching the radio on or winding your windows down too whilst on the move!

victor2

Automatics are without doubt easier to drive than manuals. These days there's little shortage of automatic models to choose from. They tend to be not quite as economical as a manual, although with modern cars there's not much in it.
By all means try again in a manual, but if that proves too much then try an automatic. Might be a bit harder to find a driving school that does automatics, but they are around if you look.

kitty_cat_2

TBH if you could pass your tset in a manual car it would provide you with a wider selection of cars to drive in thye future, however passing you test with an automatic would be better than not driving at all.

I learned to drive and passed in a manual car and drove manual cars for many years. About 10 years ago i had the chance to buy an automatic Merc at a very good price. TBH I wasn't overly happy at buying the car due to the automatic gaer box and the size (for some reason my ex-hubby had the casting vote and it was to be my car - he had a company one!). It took me a day to get used to it and it was the nicest car that I've ever driven.

Back to a manual now, but it would never bother me to drive another automatic. Just my point of view

shy-but-need-help

Manual definitely gives better options for the future and for in an emergency, that is why I learnt in a manual (took me 18 months but I did it- first test too!) I don't drive now (medication, mental health issues- hoping to get back into it though when feeling more capable again) but for me learning in a manual wasn't about driving one routinely but about emergency situations where I might need to drive in place of the regular driver to get us home safely.

I all honesty gears scared the living moo out of me before I got behind the wheel but once I was there it was steering I found I had a problem with!