AIBU to think DD might as well learn to drive on an automatic car?

Why though? Unless someone is planning a career with a large element of driving like a paramedic, armed forces or racing car driver etc. why bother? I did learn on a manual car and passed a manual test but I have never owned a manual car or needed to drive one..

I did the automatic lessons and test only and it has never in all these years been an issue.

My son had lessons in a manual and practiced in my automatic. He took his test in a manual and now drives both!

Yes, of course it's her decision but from time immemorial it's been perfectly normal to benefit from an informed parental opinion at age 21!

What does she want to do? Why not let her try a couple of lessons in a manual and see how she feels? If she struggles, switch to automatic. Driving a manual isn’t essential these days but a handy skill to have in some situations.

Well obviously it depends where you work but I was just pointing out it was hardly uncommon to have automatics cars as company cars. It's genuinely blowing my mind that so many posters are posting as though automatic cars are so rare and unusual.

Some insurance companies will have higher fees for people who are only on an automatic licence.

Also lessons in manual are cheaper than in an automatic. All mine learnt in manual cars ( DS is 20 so not a million years ago). So they have the choice. DDs have had a variety of manual and automatic cars DS only drives a manual

@GrumpyCactus depends where you work, whether you get a personal company car or access to a pool to book. All of our company pool cars are manual.

I passed my automatic test over 30 years ago and have never felt restricted.
My son too, 7 years ago, and not found it diifficult to buy 2nd hand cars. Our reason is ADHD causing a few processing issues.

I would learn in a manual,whilst cars maybe heading to all being automatic other vehicles are not. You have no idea at this stage what type of career she may end up with and what type of vehicle she may end up needing to drive.

A lot of work vehicles are now automatic. The friends I have who get a work car all have automatics so I don't think that's really an issue.

Right, but there's a cost of those extra skills that might possibly come in handy but likely won't - it takes a lot longer to learn to drive the manual (more lessons, more money), especially as she wont have the opportunity to practice outside lessons. So you're trading a certain cost now for a possible benefit down the line. Probably about 0.1% of the population have ever considered converting a camper van. If she's with someone that drives a manual, they can just drive an automatic or she can drive her own car.

The entire DPD and Amazon fleets are electric round here as are JL and Waitrose/Tesco/Ocado. Unless she's going to drive an HGV she's unlikely to need a manual license to be a courier. Electric light vans are becoming v common as companies are trying to reduce emissions.

I'd just learn in a manual. Depending on her job she may be required to drive work vehicles etc. I don't see why someone would limit themselves unnecessarily. You only learn for a few months, but have the option for the rest of your life.

My ds automatic is adapted. Do you use a push pull lever?

That's what he currently has but I'd be interested in what others use.

I’m not in the UK but here everyone drives automatics and has for years. I sat my test in an automatic 25 years ago … haha maybe even closer to 30 years ago now. My parents’ generation (and possibly slightly younger) are literally the only people who can drive manuals, although most probably haven’t done for years.

We will face this choice soon. As a household we only have electric / automatic, so no manual to practice in.

We hire automatic when abroad.

I suspect teen will opt for automatic test as it should be "easier" to pass.

I'm glad I passed my test in a manual - they're much cheaper and easier to get hold of (at least, in our neck of the woods they are). IMO it's much better to have the skill and ability to do both - just in case.

Yes my ds drives automatic as he has hereditary spastic paraplegia and so has no feeling in his left foot which doesn't move anyway but is stuck at 90° in an afo.

Would it limit him? Possibly but I think people forget those who are limited by nature rather than choice manage so ..... 🤷‍♀️

I'm thinking if your dd is ever needing to hire a car in the UK or abroad or has to drive someone else's car, you'd be limiting her flexibility by saying just do automatic.

I’m paraplegic, I can only drive an adapted automatic. I have a wheelchair accessible van, automatic of course, and although they aren’t as common as manual vans they are definitely available.
I’ve never had to drive someone else’s car in an emergency and on the one occasion I had to hire a car it was straightforward to hire a fully adapted automatic.

I passed in an auto. I hated driving lessons but needed to be able to drive asap. I had inherited a little automatic car so that was sat waiting for me. So I thought make life easy, get an auto licence, then resit in a manual later. Over 20 years on I've still not got round to doing manual, so it clearly hasn't impacted me too much!

My cousins (now 20) both learnt in automatic cars.

Over half of all new cars sold in the UK are now automatic.

On Autotrader, over half of all cars for sale have automatic gear boxes.

The downside is that if you pass a test in an automatic, you can't drive a manual car, but if you pass in a manual then you can drive either.

But then as the market grows, we are tending more towards automatics, so this is becoming less of a problem.

Plenty of cheap petrol automatics available second hand too.

I passed my test in an automatic and it's never held me back. I don't have any intention of ever renting a van to drive myself, everyone whose car I might borrow drives automatic anyway and we've never had a problem hiring an automatic car in the UK or abroad.

The van thing is true.. what about if she ever wants to make some money as a courier, work as a trade, convert a camper van.. etc, etc. what about if she gets in to a relationship with someone who drives a manual.

It’s daft not to get as many skills as you can, you never know when you’re going to need them!