Cost of Driving Lessons in My Own Automatic Car

Emmia

freespirit said:

Mildly_Miffed said:

freespirit said:

I live in a moderately remote area of Scotland and a local driving instructor suggested I get my own car to learn in, as automatics instructors aren't so common here. (I have spent too much money already on manual lessons, but anxiety and overwhelm regarding the gears and clutch meant I didn't learn effectively.)

...

Instructor can't be as flexible as I had hoped with the time of lessons and the cost she has quoted me is £40 per hour. Does this sound reasonable?

Going back to the original question, surely there's really only one answer that matters...

How much would other instructors in your area charge to teach you in your own car?

How much is being charged in other parts of the country is not relevant unless you're suggesting travelling a long way to the lesson.

If only one instructor in your area is willing to offer you lessons in your own car, then that's the market price, take it or leave it.

As far as automatic vs manual learning goes, the basic actions of changing gear should be one of the easiest parts of learning to drive.
If anxiety means they're a showstopper, how will that anxiety fare when it comes to the more complex parts which can't be easily worked around, such as dealing with other traffic?
Is there a way to address the anxiety, rather than try to work around it?

The overwhelm of trying to understand the clutch and gears as well as learning everything else simultaneiously was just too much. I did have two VERY bad instructors to start with and I didn't feel confident or have any easy ways to know how to position myself on the road correctly, for example. They just threw me in at the deep end and i had to flounder and work things out. One was having a mid life crisis and was agressive at times. Ignored me while speaker- calling his new gf at other times... It was just too much. My second lesson ever was a big roundabout. I just spent a lot of money to get frustrated and a bit scared.

 I understand the gears, logically I get it, it's just having to do that along with learning and observing everything else, is too much.

I do think I'll learn a manual after I have got the hang of automatic, perhaps had a licence for a year or two. Then the rules and habits will be hard-wired already.

I will email the only other instructor in town, who I had about 10 manual lessons from, nearly two years ago, to see what his price would be. That's IF he'd teach in my car.

I also struggled with the clutch and gears, working my way through 5 instructors before I found one with the patience to let me get on with it until I could do it reliably, every time without thinking about it.

As that instructor put it

"I don't need to explain the theory, you understand what you should be doing. Eventually this will click into place, so we're just going to keep going until that happens..."

He never suggested that I should go for an automatic licence, never shouted at me, never visibly winced when I crunched the gearbox, stalled or bunny hopped.

The instructor in question had a 6+ month waiting list for a first lesson. He'd taught lots of people I knew and had a local reputation for being the best.

I think you need to find someone like him in your area.

Arunmor

OP forget about the price, you have obviously spent a lot already.  You want the best instructor you can get to get you through as quickly as possible, which no doubt will be cheaper in the long run.

Hoenir

freespirit said:

I live in a moderately remote area of Scotland and a local driving instructor 

How much time will they spend travelling to reach you and travelling back to their next appoitment. How many miles will they travel to do this. Time costs money. They only have so many hours in their working day to instruct clients. 

freespirit

Hoenir said:

freespirit said:

I live in a moderately remote area of Scotland and a local driving instructor 

How much time will they spend travelling to reach you and travelling back to their next appoitment. How many miles will they travel to do this. Time costs money. They only have so many hours in their working day to instruct clients. 

Yep, that's why I'm using instructors that live in my town and I am on their way to work or their way home. So, if they can arrange their scehdule to fit first thing or last thing, effectively they are not using any fuel to get to me or to give me lessons.

HillStreetBlues

freespirit said:

Hoenir said:

freespirit said:

I live in a moderately remote area of Scotland and a local driving instructor 

How much time will they spend travelling to reach you and travelling back to their next appoitment. How many miles will they travel to do this. Time costs money. They only have so many hours in their working day to instruct clients. 

Yep, that's why I'm using instructors that live in my town and I am on their way to work or their way home. So, if they can arrange their scehdule to fit first thing or last thing, effectively they are not using any fuel to get to me or to give me lessons.

All that doesn't matter, the instructor doesn't have to justify the price, you either pay it, don't pay it or try to bid down. The later comes with the risk  of getting a two word answer.

Goudy

I actually think £40 a hour could be quite reasonable.
I would think there isn't much competition in your area and they can set a fee that reflects that.

The biggest factors for me would be are they good and do you think you could get on with them.
I'm unqualified but taught a few to drive and ride motorbikes to test level, mainly family members and that second point is very important but it sounds like you already know that.

30 lessons at £40 an hour is cheaper than 50 lessons at £36 an hour.
If they are good and you get on, you'll spend less.

You might have some luck with costs asking for a block booking, but wait until after you are sure you get on.

freespirit

Goudy said:

I actually think £40 a hour could be quite reasonable.
I would think there isn't much competition in your area and they can set a fee that reflects that.

The biggest factors for me would be are they good and do you think you could get on with them.
I'm unqualified but taught a few to drive and ride motorbikes to test level, mainly family members and that second point is very important but it sounds like you already know that.

30 lessons at £40 an hour is cheaper than 50 lessons at £36 an hour.
If they are good and you get on, you'll spend less.

You might have some luck with costs asking for a block booking, but wait until after you are sure you get on.

Appreciate your advice

EnPointe

FlorayG said:

Its very odd that instructors don't all train in automatics now that everyone is supposed to be moving to hybrid and electric cars. They really need to get with the times

the reality is that  until 2050 at least there will be none trivial numbers of manual gearbox vehicles on the roads ...