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

My wife is a driving instructor who teaches manual. Demand for it is WAY higher than it is for automatic.

The vast majority of cars that young people are likely to be able to afford and insure are manual, and will be for some years.

Surely anyone who's ridden a bicycle understands gears?!

You would think so, wouldn't you. But that's not the case.

Surely anyone who's ridden a bicycle understands gears?! My 8yo does. She can also, incidentally, use a sewing machine which I think is a much more useful life skill than driving a manual car

It's not a given that people ride a bicycle before a car. Not these days. And I've lost count of the number of cyclists I've seen frantically pedalling in the wrong gear on the wrong incline.

I wouldn't rank skills either, other than to say in general more is more.

We'll be in this situation next year too - drive an electric and a hybrid so no gears. If DD does decide to do manual then I think we'd get her a manual car at least initially. It's all very well being "qualified" on a manual car, but if the last time you drove one was the day you took your test are you actually still safe 10 years later if you've only driven automatics since?

Yes, mine does have the ability to put it into manual mode, I just forget about it as it's not so instinctual. Have occasionally used it for rough or soft ground though.

Surely anyone who's ridden a bicycle understands gears?! My 8yo does. She can also, incidentally, use a sewing machine which I think is a much more useful life skill than driving a manual car...

Yes - manual driving is neccesary only for "petrol heads" hobbyists. It's a outdated skill from a bygone age - it's like insisting your daughter doesn't leave home without learning how to use a sewing machine

It's plainly not outdated as the OP is posting about a "now" issue", i.e the choice between manual and automatic.

Your analogy is also ludicrous as the OP is not insisting her DD does anything.

<By the way, knowing how to use a sewing machine is an excellent skill, for both men and women>

My DD's test was scheduled for three days after the first lockdown began. Then when things opened up again she failed her first test.
At the time waiting times for a subsequent test were ludicrous, then more lockdowns, and she then found it impossible to book lessons. Like OP, mine and DH's cars are automatic. DH hasn't driven manual for 30 years and I haven't for nearly 15. It was getting crucial for her to pass, so she decided to take an automatic test in my car, and passed. The intention was to take a manual test at some point, but 3 years on she hasn't really had chance as she's been so busy with work. She is in a job where she needs to drive a van, and there was no problem supplying an automatic.
She now has my old car, and I honestly can't see her doing a manual test any time soon.

shes better off doing a manuel as learning solely automatic will reduce accessibility when choosing or borrowing cars.

Better to think about the consequences of having an auto license such as increased insurance and increased price of autos over manuals. If this doesn’t matter then sod it. I wish I had gone auto in the first place. I passed in a manual and driving anxiety broke me and I never drove again until I went automatic ten years later.

Not quite, but someone I know had to drive a Motability car belonging to a family member in a one-off situation. She couldn't drive a manual, tried anyway and crashed it.
Nobody was hurt. The family were very gratified to find out the Motability scheme paid for the repairs and replacement car and none of them had to pay a penny. Make of that what you will.

manual, what if they decide to get a classic car in their future!

I live in Australia and that's not true.
What is true is that car rental places will try to rent me an automatic, even when I've specified that I want their cheapest car. They assume that I want an automatic, and one even told me: "you asked for an automatic" (I had done no such thing).
I had a friend here who learned to drive with an automatic, then bought a 250cc motorbike. We discovered she didn't understand about gears when she complained that her bike had very little power going up hills. Her brother asked her if she'd changed down gears. She didn't understand the question. It was a pretty embarrassing way for her to learn how gears work.

Very very occasionally I'll be going down a steep hill and think a bit of engine braking would be nice but not nearly as often as I think how nice it is not to be changing gear all the time.

My 2008 auto has 'manual mode' if you want to be in control of the gear changes, I know it's not a universal feature but not uncommon either, especially in European cars.

Yes they do. It's a thing.

Used manual cars are cheaper and as I've been told, having the manual licence carries cachet with young 'uns.

Strangely, in Victoria at least, a automatic licence driver becomes qualified to drive manual with no test after a certain number of years on the full licence.

Mumsnet loves a 'what if you have to rush to hospital?' I'm 44 and have never needed to rush someone to hospital in someone else's car.

I have a manual license but my last 2 cars have been automatic (the one before this one was an ancient CRV which I loved, plenty of older autos around). I'll never drive manual again, I can't be bothered. We live in a city and there's loads of stop start traffic, who can be arsed changing up and down constantly?

Very very occasionally I'll be going down a steep hill and think a bit of engine braking would be nice but not nearly as often as I think how nice it is not to be changing gear all the time.

DP is currently learning to drive in very middle age and is doing auto lessons so he can pass as quickly as possible. He'll just have to live with the possibility he might get a hankering to drive an ancient camper van at some point in the future.

1. Why isn't it DD deciding?
2. Why limit her buying pool for her future cars?

In the US now only 2% of vehicles are sold as manual transmissions. However if you have a manual automobile it's less likely to be stolen.

In my country it would be legal to use the manual car with automat-only licence while saving lifes wouldn't it be the same in the UK?

(In our law there is mandatory basic insurance which is tied to the car, not to the driver, so the insurance wouldn't be that big deal either)

Roads would be a better place if we judge driver's capability on relevant criteria like driving predictably and following the rules instead of what transmission they use.

I'm sure someone will be on to tell us shortly that they've saved a whole car full of people due to being able to drive a manual but personally no I've literally never heard of anyone in real life who found themselves in such a situation where a manual licence was the difference between life and death.

Exactly - what a ridiculous straw man argument that was.

20+ years ago I took my automatic test because I needed a licence quickly (moving to an area with less public transport).

I assured myself I'd get more lessons and switch it over to manual when the need presented. The need has never presented.

I wouldn't be telling my 21yo what to do though. Both my kids are younger than that and made their own choices - one went with auto and one went with manual.

A manual is a proper car. An auto is for lazy people. Sadly thats the way its going.

^^ This I don't understand. Who wants to work harder while driving? There's enough other stuff to be focussing on surely. I don't get why anyone would think the more difficult way = virtuous when the end result (getting from A to B) is the same.

Does anyone know of anyone in real life who has had to jump into a random car not belonging to them to drive someone else to hospital in an emergency?

I have one child just passed and one still learning. Both manual. We have one manual and one automatic car so they will be able to use either. They both wanted to learn manual. You never know if they fancy a “vintage car” or have to drive an old works van etc at some point.

Most people aren’t petrol heads, I see my car as a means of getting from A to B. Driving is just the means of doing that. I drove a manual for 20 years after I passed my test, now I don’t, I’m no less capable a driver than I was when I drove a manual. The reverse actually, I don’t need to think about changing gear and can focus on other things - like anticipating what acts of lunacy fuckwits on the road are going to commit next.