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Original poster

Desperate to drive-manual or automatic

11 replies

Iusedtobecarmen · 03/10/2016 15:01

I really need to learn to drive. Im in my 40's and its only just recently hit me how much im missing out by not driving. Just going places. Sonetimes being in a hurry and buses taking forever.
Had lessons a while ago(manual) and struggled. Had about two months worth. I cant tell you how anxious it made me.
Hated being my age and soo crap.it was humiiiating and embarrassing.
My instructor was lovely and patient but in the end i gave up as too stressful.
Things i struggled with were steering. I found the steering wheel hard to handle. Difficult to explain. Stalling at junctions(im talking small ones)and taking numerous attempts to get going again.
Ive thought about retstarting in an automatic. However we have a manual car that we cant change. This is a very big manual car!
Im thinking just try and pass in auto and get my own cheap runaround although lots of people think im mad thinking of geting a second car when technically i dont need one.
Please help!

OP posts:

lifeistooshort · 03/10/2016 15:04

Yes definitely go for an automatic, they make a world of difference in terms of tiredness, stress etc so probably a good idea if you are a nervous driver as you have less things to think about.

I have an automatic and I just couldn't go back to manual now

Original poster

Iusedtobecarmen · 03/10/2016 15:09

Thanks.
Not so much as im a nervous driver,more that i was so bad at picking it up. I was struggling big time to control the car. This is what made me nervous.

OP posts:

Original poster

Iusedtobecarmen · 03/10/2016 15:12

Now i know how hard driving is(or was to me),im finding it very difficult to even pick up the phone and start again.
I dont want to do it ifswim, but feel like i need to to make life easier and to expkore places that id like to go with relying on dp.

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Soon2bC · 03/10/2016 15:12

I learnt to drive manual, however, I had an automatic car a couple of years ago and loved it! they are so nice to drive.
My poor car gave up at the beginning of this year and now I am back to manual and I miss auto so much!
I always think it is better to learn in an manual if you can so you have the choice, but if you can afford to buy a auto and run it and are happy driving it then I say go for it!

niminypiminy · 03/10/2016 15:12

Automatic all the time way. I'm another late learner - started in manual and couldn't get on with it at all - changed to automatic and immediately made so much progress. Automatic is much more intuitive and you can concentrate on life oking at the road/other cars/your mirrors etc rather than fiddling with the clutch and gears. Why everyone doesn't drive automatic I have no idea.

niminypiminy · 03/10/2016 15:12

Original poster

Iusedtobecarmen · 03/10/2016 21:37

I too dont get why everyone doesnt drive auto. Doesnt make sense to me!.is automatic so much easier?.i struggled with steering and thats not going to be any easier is it.
Anyone who learned in an automatic please tell me how long it took.

OP posts:

Original poster

Iusedtobecarmen · 03/10/2016 21:39

Soon2bc
I cant teally afford to buy or run another car. It would have to be an old banger.
We have a lovely new car but i think i need to forget the whole idea of ever being able to drive that so i have no choice.

OP posts:

TeenAndTween · 05/10/2016 09:23

My 17yo DD has dyspraxia, and we took the decision she should learn in an automatic. Found one for £500. Best decision we ever made. She struggles with hazard awareness, steering etc, but because she isn't having to bother with gears she is improving and making progress.
I firmly believe there is no way she would be succeeding if she was learning in a manual.

sentia · 05/10/2016 09:29

When you're learning it's much easier in an automatic, it's less to worry about.

But once you're confident with all the other parts of driving it's worth trying to get used to a manual as well - DH learned on an automatic and then learned how to deal with a manual subsequently and found it quite easy to pick up because he knew how to do everything else.

I find manuals better to drive for a number of reasons eg they're cheaper to hire, they're more fun to drive etc. But to learn in, automatic all the way.

Softkitty2 · 05/10/2016 15:14

Started learning to drive in my late 20s 3 years ago, took me nearly 2 years to learn in a manual car, nearly gave up but persevered and have now been driving for over a year. According to the dvla the older you are the more lessons you will need.

I thought i was ok with public transport until i started driving. So much time has been wasted sitting in a smelly bus

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