Manual or automatic driving lessons for today’s teens?

[TheWildRumpyPumpus]

Are your teenagers (or you) learning to drive manual or automatic? When I took my test 15 years ago it was suggested that everyone passed the manual test, but as a family we’ve ended up with 2 automatic cars anyway!

DS isn’t bothered and we if we go automatic they will be able to get practice in family cars. DH reckons manual will give more options in future. Anyone with recent experience with words of wisdom?

Not sure what your point is? Ok, some cars have driver assists that do help, but there are still additional skills needed to drive a manual over an automatic so that doesn't change my point the test for manual is more challenging.

DS was manual, DD automatic.

She has a little automatic C1. She passed first time. Took DS 5 attempts.

It has not 'screwed her over' in any shape or form whatsoever.

Manual cars will be a thing of the past in the next decade or so.

Honestly? Just wondering if my garage is big enough for a cow in case I run out of milk...

Severely restrict, really?

I've rented a car on holiday multiple times over the last five years (different places), lots of choice of automatic ones and never had to compromise.

I can drive a manual btw - but don't make a virtue out of it and don't see the point if a better alternative is available.

I’d disagree with this. So many electric cars, most high end cars are automatics. Literally makes no sense to learn to drive a car that’s trickier to get the hang of.

Ds has dyspraxia and was worried about manual lessons. Got manual lessons and passed first time and he can already drive his gran’s automatic. And use my ancient manual car. So prepped for anything.

It's a personal decision I suppose

I'm glad I learned on a manual car, passing my test as a teenager

My kids are a long way off driving but when it comes to a it we'll be encouraging them to learn a manual car

An interesting thread for me to read. I'm currently about to start training to become a driving instructor, and am wondering whether to teach auto or manual. I've been driving auto cars for years so it's a bit weird to teach manual now, but interesting how divided the responses are.

@TheWildRumpyPumpus the things is that with electric vehicles being the vehicle of the present and the future, most of them are automatic!

Most cars these days are automatic

They really aren't.

Anecdotally, in our family (mine and dh's and adult dc and our brothers and sisters and their adult dc), there are 18 cars, and none of those are automatic.
1 of my dc has to drive a car at work sometimes, and that is manual too. Another of my dc needs to drive hire vans for their job occasionally, and they are manual too. I realise anecdotes are just that, but I seriously doubt we are unusual, thinking about friends cars I have lifts in, too.

Perhaps it depends on the sort of countries you visit? I've definitely hired cars in countries where automatic cars aren't available for hire, as well as 2 countries where they were...but only if you were willing to go for very expensive high end luxury vehicles.

I think if you mainly travel in Europe that's going to change drastically in the next 5-10 years with the EU phaseout of the sale of petrol cars. If you're hiring from the big corporate hire companies anyway as their fleets tend to be under 3-4 years old.

Obv very different in other parts of the world - but on the flip side I've only ever been offered an automatic in the US.

If only more people left their souls out of driving and engaged their brains instead.

If you think they might want to work as a lorry/bus/delivery driver, manual. There are electric buses but I am not sure how quickly they will roll out across the board. Some vans are electric but most aren't.

Otherwise I can't see the point of messing about with manual cars these days.

However, it might depend on what sort of car local instructors with availability have.

Back in the day an automatic licence was quite limiting (my mum's is automatic only and it was always harder to find a new (second hand) car but that's not at all the case at all now with all the hybrid and electric cars and some brands don't make manuals anymore.

I have a friend who is a driving instructor and he said that when he replaces his current manual teaching car he will get a hybrid. He said he might lose the odd client who wants manual lessons but there will be plenty who are happy to learn on an automatic.

In our house we all have manual licences but DH and DS have only driven automatics since they passed their tests. I have had manuals down the years but have only driven an automatic in the last ten years or so.

Anyone saying you’re limiting yourself learning in an auto must be living in the 1990s. It’s no problem getting auto hire cars, they are widely available and the prices are not much different. Auto cars are getting better and better, a computer can change gear faster than a human.

The only advantage to learning a manual is if you plan to work in a field that requires it. Even that will phase out in the next 20 years. It’s not worth the bother.

Except that we are talking about teens here. Manual cars are cheaper, and in plentiful supply. Renting doesn't even come into it, as you can't rent a car under 25 anyway.

It's often more expensive to insure your car if you only have an automatic licence we found.
Dd2 has to have an automatic (due to disability) and we were warned about this.

Oh how literal you are.

Exactly.

I don't think anyone is saying that it is difficult to buy an automatic car, but, when you first start out, you are looking for something to suit your budget (in most cases).

We are talking about teens.
There are FAR more manual cars available.

My older 2 (young adults in their 20s) dc have both had occasion to to need to drive other vehicles - hiring vans when moving furniture..... driving a minibus for where they volunteer ...... one has had to drive different vans at work ........ one has had to drive other vehicles at work occasionally (manuals) ....... one has had to drive someone else's car when the owner was injured in a sparts match ....... plus, the 7 cars they've had between them so far have been manuals.

Quite frankly, even as older adults, not everyone buys new cars. There will be manual cars around for years to come yet.

Insurance is higher if you only have an automatic license. Teens should get manual licenses for that alone unless you can afford steep insurance, likely to increase because automatic drivers make more claims, and no cheap run around vehicles.

maybe pp meant new cars? Only a third of new cars even have the option to be ordered with a manual gearbox.

You can't hire a car until you have been 18 months to 2 years passed your driving test. Why would hiring a car factor into a teen learning to drive?

They have predicted the last person to take a manual test will be born in 2 years, so there’s still a few years left before manual is obsolete. I’d say either option is fine.

Automatic. DS 30 learnt in a manual aged 17. Pointless as we lived in London at the Time. We bought him a banger that sat pretty much on the drive for five years building his ncb. Dd learnt in an auto (dyspraxic).

We all have automatics. I have driven an automatic since 2006 and would never go back.

It has never been a problem to hire an automatic.