AIBU to go automatic only for daughter's driving lessons?

There are still lots of manual cars - I have always driven one. I just don't understand why you would restrict her options at this early stage. If she can drive both, then the choice will be hers in future.

I have an auto only licence, I'm dyspraxic and I was never in one place long enough to do a full set of manual lessons (uni) so I booked an intensive one week auto only course. Thinking it would be easier and I'd be more likely to pass it in a short space of time.
Generally it's ok but automatics are still more expensive to buy and especially when hiring a car abroad outside of the US. It also limits your options, put in a 10k budget on auto trader for example filter for manual then filter for automatic, you will have a lot more manual options and you get a newer car or one with a better spec for the same money. Having said that automatics also holds their value better so when you come to sell on you get more back than you would for a manual

You are limiting her car choices when she passes her test, unless you are well off, to buy a newer automatic car.

A quick look at Autotrader and there are 131 automatic cars for sale under 2k and with an engine size of 1.2 or less, in comparison, there are nearly 4000 cars in the manual category.

With the newest auto being a 2014, but that's catN, so if we forgot that, we're looking at 2012/2011 models. Whereas, in the manual, we have the newest being a 2020 model.

Yes, I know a lot of new cars are automatic, but unless my kid really couldn't get the process of driving a manual, I'd discourage an automatic-only licence.

Are you ok? 😂 We holiday abroad together, yes.

Interesting that there's less automatic instructors in your area - in South London I found it harder to find a manual one! I think it's slightly better to learn manual - more options, cheaper insurance and can drive both but I don't think there's much in it tbh

DD has just passed her test, and for us it was a simple decision. Both our cars are manuals, they're what she'd be driving when she passed, so what would be the point of her learning an automatic.

That may be the case for a lot of your DD's friends @flawless234 , their parents still drive manuals.

"In my opinion, learning manual seems like more of a hassle. You're trying to master driving and controlling the car, and then on top of that, you're learning all about road safety and everything else. It just seems like too much fuss, if you ask me."

That is everyone learning to drive in a manual car, you also learned this way.

Automatic cars account for 1/3 of all cars on the road, but 2/3 are manual and that is out of a total of 41.7 million cars.

Drivers who hold an automatic driving license pay more in insurance too, 43.89% more. According to Admiral, automatic license holders have 19.23% more claims than manual license holders so they charge more.

Also if you hold a manual license and insure yourself on an automatic car you only pay 5% more than the manual car version. So you are penalised for only having an automatic licence. Richard from Conquer Driving explains it.

I would never restrict them like this and considering how much insurance is for a newly passed driver, adding that additional cost will be eye watering.

I think in 2025 it makes sense to have lessons in a manual car. And if they find it tricky then go down the automatic route.

Manual cars will be around for a few years to come yet, and as per pp likely 1st cars are manual.

I had lessons in a manual and drove my dad around in the family automatic for practice. Best of both worlds as I got the fundamentals in the instructors car, but got the road miles down in an automatic and didn't have to worry about gears.

As a grown up, for preference, I'd choose an automatic car. But I've just bought a 'for me only' car that's a manual (as I won't be doing massive mileage, stop start trips, or chomping up and down motorways) - the 'family' car is automatic.

I agree with you. DS learnt and passed his test in an automatic. He is happy to take a manual test if he needs to. He’s not a petrol head so has no aspirations to drive old cars.

There are two obvious advantages. They are not distracted by manual gear changes so can concentrate on learning the more important skill of road awaren ss. And secondly it’s much cheaper to buy nature them in automatic cars. Because the underwriters calculate premiums on the make and model, age and sex of driver combined with statistical number of accidents recorded in that group, very few 17-18 yr olds drive automatics so the accident rate is low. This is reflected in the premiums.

DS drives an automatic VW Polo, he is on our family multi car insurance but is the main named driver on his car. He’s 21 this year so can be added to our much bigger car. By the time he is able to pay his own insurance he will be 25+ and premiums should be lower. He’s at uni at the moment so not very practical to have his car there. I use it while he’s away for short trips and work.

Automatics come into their own on long trips and he tends to get the train home and drive back to uni to bring his stuff home for holidays. We are under 2hrs from uni and it’s a really easy drive. He’s driven all over the country and done a lot of motorway driving (21 this year). It will be great when he can drive my car so we can share the driving on long trips. It’s a bit cramped in his little Polo.

Mine learned in manual. We now have automatic. No problem.

Sorry cross posted with you OP

I have an auto only license, never had an issue! I've had a Corsa (my first car, super cheap and old) Citroën, Mini and Jaguar, so a variety of cars, every courtesy car I've been given is auto, both from the dealership and Enterprise. My close family have autos so I can drive theirs no problem. Examples are Mazda, Peugeot, VW, Lexus, Merc, Volvo and BMW. Some makes make auto as standard, ie BMW. All electric cars are auto. It's never held me back from driving what I want to drive! It is super easy, I passed my test first time within 2 months of starting lessons!

Have been debating this ourselves on the basis that we only have electric and automatic cars ourselves and assumed the teens (20 and 17) be driving those in the first instance. However - 1) there are VERY few instructors for automatic cars, so given the waitlist for non automatic driving lessons is more than 6m where I live, means my kids could be drawing pensions before they have a lesson; 2) the second hand car market for electric/automatic cars is more expensive than a good, basic manual so realistically the first car they can afford to buy for themselves (or funded by Bank of mum/dad/DGPs) will be a manual; 3) adding two teens/students to the insurance on our cars will be extortionate, whereas on a little 2nd/3rd hand 10yo ford fiesta will be reasonably affordable. Oh, and 4) in the workplace or hiring holiday cars sometimes only manuals are available.

So, whilst in my head it seems to make sense to not bother with the manual test, I do actually think it’s pretty essential after all.

I think you are absolutely right that very soon manual cars will be phased out completely and automatics will eventually become the norm, but not for a while. And at the moment, cheap runaround cars suitable for teens tend to be manual. Plus as others have said, it just keeps your options open. DS 17 is learning manual for these reasons.

Auto only is good as a last resort, for whatever reason if someone isn’t able to get on with manual it’s such a fab option. But I think it’s incredibly short sighted to opt for it when manual cars are still so prevalent. Why limit options when you don’t need to?

I’d say it’s personal choice. I learnt auto only and got a few scrunched up faces when I said I did. Well my logic was that DH can drive manual so if we ever hire a car and it’s not an automatic, he can do the driving. We have electric and I do also believe that electric will be the way forward with the EU phasing out the manufacturing of petrol and diesel by 2035. This of course doesn’t mean that all manuals will become extinct in 10 years, but I feel automatic will be even more accessible than now.

The only thing is that it can be a struggle to find a decent cheap first car if you’re limited to autos but presumably you’ve also done the maths and worked out that you can either afford to buy her a decent automatic or insure her on yours? If yes then may as well do automatic only. Manuals are a dying breed and it is easier. I know there’s the hire car thing but that wouldn’t worry me as it’s so expensive for under 25s that I’m guessing she’s unlikely to hire one anytime soon and then also all the major hire car cos are moving more towards electric vehicles anyway which are all autos. But at 17 she should be part of the decision making process- what does she want to do?

In my view it's best to learn manual, you can then drive both automatic and manual, it gives options.
I did struggle with my driving test, and asked my mum if I could switch to automatic as thought would be easier. She wouldn't let me 'easier isnt always better etc' and I'm so glad she didn't, I have been abroad and only manual car options available, our work pool cars are manual etc, I would have definitely struggled if didn't have a manual licence.

Automatic only, by definition, is limiting. What if she wants to travel in the future and automatics are not available. Or wants to drive an older car? Or farm equipment? I'd still teach my kids to drive a manual.

Her child isn't a 2 year old, she's clearly part of the decision making process, and that decision is to learn in a auto. In years to come if she's that desperate to drive a classic car then she can learn.

It's not her mother limiting her future choices. 🙄

My only hesitation would be that if yout daughter is after buying a cheap secondhand car after she's learnt the she's limiting her choice, but I'm not sure it's that big a deal.

I went for manual so my kids wouldn’t be stuck if they had to drive a company car and it was manual. Manual cars are cheaper to rent and buy so it’s good to have that option.

I think my DH would agree with you, but I’m in the manual camp. It just keeps all the options open moving forward.
If your daughter struggles with manual and it becomes clear that’s going to be a real barrier, then switch to automatic only. If she is fine with manual, then why limit her?