Taking test in automatic car - can you drive semi-automatics

UKSBD

My daughter is about to start driving.

Family members are recommending she takes lessons and test in an automatic car.

Looking at the car we were thinking of getting her Toyota Aygo, I just read the bumf on one and it says semi-automatic.

If she passes test in an automatic will she be able to drive a semi-automatic?

Is there 3 classes of test now
Normal, automatic, semi-automatic?

Car_54

AFAIK the DVLA define an auto as a vehicle which does not have a clutch operated by the driver.

AndyMc.....

Why limit her to an automatic?

She new to driving so start with a manual car.

pogofish

Is she looking like being that bad a driver..?

Frankly, the only people I've ever known to have been recommended to sit the auto test have all been people who shouldn't really have been on the road at all.

soolin

pogofish wrote: »

Is she looking like being that bad a driver..?

Frankly, the only people I've ever known to have been recommended to sit the auto test have all been people who shouldn't really have been on the road at all.

When he was much younger my husband had a stint as a driving instructor and that echoes his experience. If someone was really really bad and had no sign of improvement but refused to stop trying they would be gently urged to try the auto only option and if they couldn't manage that totop entirely.

He did get people say they wanted to start with an automatic license and work up to a manual license, but apparently that is not recommended as you learn to drive a certain way and it's harder then to switch to manual later. It does work the other way though, start with a manual as that then allows you to drive either.

wgl2014

In my opinion there is no point in doing an auto only test unless there is some practical reason the driver cannot use a manual gearbox.

soolin

wgl2014 wrote: »

In my opinion there is no point in doing an auto only test unless there is some practical reason the driver cannot use a manual gearbox.

That's a fair point, some drivers for various reasons are not able to use a standard clutch pedal .

AnotherJoe

Its slightly limiting to have an auto only licence but will become less so over time. Very few will be driving manuals in 20 years time as there wont be that many left on the roads.
I haven't driven a manual car apart from the occasional rental, for I guess 25 years and could have just rented an auto if i had an auto only licence.It wouldnt have been an issue.
The Aygo is an automatic in classification and practice even if mechanically under the covers its a manual that automatically switches gear for you, there's no clutch to operate.

However I wouldnt recommend the Aygo, Mrs AJ has one and i find the gear change jerky and worse than other autos I've driven. Definitely try one out before buying one anyway, maybe YMMV.

System

My DD did an auto test because she didn't think she'd be able to drive one with a clutch after her first lesson in a manual. She bought one of those poxy Toyota Aygo types with an auto box which promptly failed after a few years and the cost of sorting that out prompted her to take a manual test so she could get a small car with a manual gearbox. She found no problems using a clutch and passed that test first time and wishes she'd not wasted the money just getting the auto only license.

oldagetraveller

"Looking at the car we were thinking of getting her Toyota Aygo, I just read the bumf on one and it says semi-automatic."
As an aside, that will be a MMT (Multimode Transmission).
Don't do it, she will regret owning it. That transmission is absolutely dire. It's a conventional gearbox with electric actuators to change gear and a clutch, also operated by an actuator. All controlled by a "thick" computer.

chrisw

Manual and automatic cars

You can take the test in a:

manual car - these have 3 pedals

automatic or semi-automatic car - these have 2 pedals

If you take your test in a semi-automatic car you’ll only be able to drive automatic and semi-automatic cars once you’ve passed your test.