driving help

Hermia

I would definitely try and learn in a manual even if you later choose to buy an automatic. It gives you more choice of cars to buy and hire. It also means you can drive any car in an emergency. For example, I have had to take over driving a friend's car when she became ill whilst we were out. Or friends have lent me the use of their car on holiday or when mine was in the garage.

I don't think it's that difficult when you get the hang of it. Yes, you will crunch those gears at first, but suddenly you will just get the hang of it. When I was learning my friend just let me sit in her car and practice changing the gears. I literally sat there like an idiot for half an hour pretending that I was driving, but it worked!

Michtaylor09

Tropez wrote: »

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.

I too have an automatic only licence after taking manual lessons for a while. I passed my test about 25 years ago, and have never had a problem finding a car I want in automatic.
All those years ago, my first car was a 2 ltr Capri. I've had all sorts in between, ranging from a Jag XJ6 to a Suzuki WagonR. I now drive an Astra and love it.

Tropez

Michtaylor09 wrote: »

I too have an automatic only licence after taking manual lessons for a while. I passed my test about 25 years ago, and have never had a problem finding a car I want in automatic.
All those years ago, my first car was a 2 ltr Capri. I've had all sorts in between, ranging from a Jag XJ6 to a Suzuki WagonR. I now drive an Astra and love it.

I'm a bit of a VW fanboy - seems to be rubbing off on my partner as she bought a new car recently and it was a VW (Eos) - and save for a Ford Fiesta that I bought when I passed my test, all of my cars have been VWs - Golf (second hand), Passat Estate and currently Touareg. In fact, the particular model of Touareg I currently have is only available in an automatic.

As a footnote, my partner's Eos is also an automatic but she does hold a manual licence.

peachyprice

Yes, it is better to learn in a manual, but if it's a case of learning in an auto or not having to confidence to drive at all, then go for the auto.

My OH only has an auto licence, he didn't learn until he was mid-thirties and had to do it in a hurry for a job. He just couldn't get the hang of gears and was a nervous wreck, he found it so much easier in a auto.

Does your OH have a manual licence? We find this works fine, if we need a manual, i.e car hire on holiday (autos are usually alot more expensive) I drive. We haven't come across a situation yet where it's been an inconvenience to us as a family and he's happy with his auto, he has no hankering to drive a manual now

And I'm happy because I always know my car will be there cos he can't borrow it
HTH

Tropez

peachyprice wrote: »

And I'm happy because I always know my car will be there cos he can't borrow it
HTH

I have to say, with the hot weather we've been having lately, I've been tempted to [STRIKE]steal[/STRIKE] borrow my partner's convertible.

Sparkle80

I had lessons (lots of!) around 12 years ago in a manual and I just couldn't get the hang of it, especially changing the gears.

I'm now taking lessons in an automatic and I can say it's the best thing I've ever done, I find it so much easier.

I understand though that not everyone finds much of a difference between them but for me it's given me the confidence to try learning to drive again without having to worry about the gears/stalling at traffic lights and junctions etc.

tuftyclub

I sat an indecent amount of tests in a manual and never cracked it (I think I am a bit dyspraxic) - wasted a lot of money . Switched to auto in desperation and passed. I'd agree that for convienence a manual is the best idea - but if you find it difficult - and auto gives you time to think.

When I first considered driving I wanted to go in an auto - I must have had some 6th sense that driving wasn't going to be easy for me - but was talked out of it. Wish I had gone with my instincts.

Good luck with it

joanne0620

I'm currently learning to drive at the grand old age of 39! I'm learning in a manual and struggled with the gears at first (still do occasionally now after 23 lessons!)

Having said that I would go with learning to drive in a manual, our car (Yaris) is manual and will be mine as soon as my test is passed so that's my incentive to keep going, that I can actually see my car sat on the drive!

It certainly isn't easy and I am quite a nervous driver so we're just concentrating on getting my confidence up at the moment and practising manoeuvres. My driving instructor is fab, he's a really nice man and he says he would rather teach older people to drive rather than teenagers any day.

Go for it, you will be fine!

caledonian_princess

You could always learn with an auto and if you find that limiting at some point then go back and learn to drive a manual - the other thing about that is that you will already be comfortable on the road so you will be able to give the gears a little more attention than when you're learning everything at the same time.

spaghetti_monster

Hi,
I first took my test and failed when I was 18 - I wasn't very good, didn't have a great instructor, wasn't ever really in control of everything.

Then I started learning again last year (aged 37). The instructor said that he couldn't tell I had driven before and that I was very much at beginner level and progress was very very slow! Quite a few lessons were spent in big empty car parks trying to get the hang of combining gear changing/braking/accelerating/turning corners.
I was really terrible controlling speed/gears in built up areas (going slow with a lot of turns) and would constantly stall. On the motorway (I'm in Holland, you go straight on the motorway as a learner :eek:) I would often accidentally put the car in 3rd rather than 5th, and stall the car on busy roundabouts (instructor was very good getting me not to panic in this situation). Actually he would joke that, despite being rubbish, I changed gear like a rally driver and just to calm...down....
I would say that driving is not one of my natural talents!

Then after many lessons, something finally clicked - the instructor said too that I was driving much better. At first I definitely felt that there was far too much to think about and I would feel stressed. After this "click" I felt that all the actual driving stuff (changing gear,steering,pedals) was much more second nature - and now I could concentrate on what I could see (traffic situation, mirrors, road signs) and therefore anticipate much better; everything went much more smoothly.
And I passed first time back in January :T

Statistics do prove that it takes longer to learn when you're older (like many things) and my instructor was constantly telling me about some 18 year old boy wonder who could drive well immediately. But I think that this is also the age group that have more accidents. Age and experience are a good thing (even having been a passenger and watching the road and others driving) and being less reckless and more aware of risks.

Good luck with it!