DD fairly new driver - should she get an automatic car?

[Dietingalways]

DD hasn’t exactly taken to driving very easily, she passed her test last November but hates driving and will literally only go 2-3 miles around our local village and that’s only if she has to.
Ideally she needs her own car due to work commitments. She thinks an automatic will be easier as it’s one less thing to think about (gears).
Im not sure it’s a great idea, she’ll lose the skill of manual driving surely?

any thoughts? I’m tempted to let her do what she wants and get an automatic if it means she’ll get out and drive more

Where we live, teenagers have to do a minimum of 60 hours of supervised practice with a parent/responsible adult before taking their test, ( in addition to lessons), which really helps build confidence. Not sure what the current UK requirements are

there's nothing like that here, you can take your test after 10 hours if you are ready. 60 hours seems like quite a lot (especially as I would rather not be in a non-dual controlled car without someone who hasn't passed their test yet!) but it would probably make sense to have a minimum lesson requirement like 30 hours.

The only similar thing I've heard of is apparently in Germany if you take your test before you are 18 you can't go out on your own until you are 18 even though you've passed. A friend of mine's son passed on the same day that my son did last year - but he was 17 so had to be supervised until this year.

@yellowsuninthesky We made sure she had some lessons before we started practicing with her, even so, I was nervous in the car for the first 10 hours. 😂

But, I have to say that once she’s got to 40 hours practice ( in addition to lessons), the difference was amazing. She was a good driver bully then and by 60 hours, we had no qualms at all, she was fine on the motorway, city traffic, at night, etc.

So I now see the logic of so much practice, they’re much better drivers by the time they can take the test, IYSWIM.

First question I ask any car dealer is whether the parking sensors, lane assist, park assist, front distance sensors and so on that are usually on high end cars can be permanently disabled. I won’t be buying anything that automatically re-enables them or needs several clicks through the system to disarm.

I don’t use auto anything on any of my cars. No cruise control, auto wipers or lights. Don’t use the reversing sensors or camera. Have never used any built in Satnav.

I used to plot my route on a physical road map but now I travel so much it’s easier to have live traffic on Waze. But I make sure I’ve checked the route on a map beforehand anyway. And usually have an alternate one in mind too.

Electric cars don't need gears, so they are not "automatic" in that way, @OnceAgainWithFeeling

I know.

The Ford Mach-E I test-drove was okay in “untamed” mode, but the charging infrastructure isn’t what I would need to make the switch. (I cover the whole of England for my work, live in Wales and would spend half the day at motorway services based on the range a “fun” electric car would realistically have.)