Automatic to manual Can it be done

Iceweasel

Of course for anyone who has an 'auto only' licence due to a disability it really would be discrimination.

I used to work in an organization, with a big company car fleet, that provided auto-box cars for any employee who had a real need for them.

Quite forward thinking they were too.

jimjames

Iceweasel wrote: »

Of course for anyone who has an 'auto only' licence due to a disability it really would be discrimination.

I used to work in an organization, with a big company car fleet, that provided auto-box cars for any employee who had a real need for them.

Quite forward thinking they were too.

I can imagine for a company with a big fleet that it's no issue having some with auto and some manual for company cars. It sounds from the OP that it is a single pool car not an allocated company car so would mean selling and getting a new one plus all other drivers having to use the auto box.

Having had an auto courtesy car for 3 weeks recently it was very odd going back to manual. I kept wondering why the car wasn't moving at the junction when I wanted to pull away then realised I had to put it in gear myself now I wasn't in an auto!

Joe_Horner

If you're going to do it now is probably about the best time.

After driving for a year and a half you've hopefully got enough road experience to not be phased by taking a test, but (also hopefully) not built up any ingrained bad habits that could cause a problem / be hard to break.

Go for it, and good luck

TrickyWicky

jimjames wrote: »

Having had an auto courtesy car for 3 weeks recently it was very odd going back to manual. I kept wondering why the car wasn't moving at the junction when I wanted to pull away then realised I had to put it in gear myself now I wasn't in an auto!

Yet I can switch between the two without any hassle at all - after months of not driving the other gearbox type (mind you.. i am a freak in many ways )

AdrianC

TrickyWicky wrote: »

Yet I can switch between the two without any hassle at all - after months of not driving the other gearbox type (mind you.. i am a freak in many ways )

I find it easy to switch, too - as I do between LHD and RHD. But I've got my first Japanese car at the mo, and switching between the RH indicator stalk on that and LH in everything else... AAAAGH!

Ultrasonic

Iceweasel wrote: »

Your ideas are out of date, especially regards fuel saving.

Really? How can an otherwise identical automatic be more economical than a manual? The gearbox is heavier if nothing else isn't it?

I can't claim to have done a detailed survey, but I definitely still thought that manuals were more economical.

AdrianC

Ultrasonic wrote: »

Really? How can an otherwise identical automatic be more economical than a manual? The gearbox is heavier if nothing else isn't it?

Yes, but - better ratios, sometimes more ratios, better control of the correct ratio being used.

I can't claim to have done a detailed survey, but I definitely still thought that manuals were more economical.

Not always, not these days.

'course, not everything with two pedals is "an automatic" these days, either. The number of pedals is the important thing for an "automatic only" driving licence, even if it's basically a normal manual box (with a robot changing gear for you).

Ultrasonic

What are some examples to make the case then?

goonarmy

Why learn for a auto liscence then to relearn the manual test? Not MSE in the slightest.

Ultrasonic

To partly answer my own question:

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/advice/buying/2013/september/automatic-versus-manual/