To want DH to learn to drive Manuel?

[Lipsticktraces]

Neither DH or myself drive. We’ve decided this ridiculous state of affairs cannot continue any longer and we are both currently looking to book lessons. I had my last lessons about nine years ago and DH last had lessons last year.

DH is a nervous driver and says that he really struggles with gears. He wants to book automatic lessons instead and I’m not happy about the fact for the following reasons...

It’s my understanding that automatics cost more to buy/drive/insure/repair. We don’t have much money for any of these things.

I’ve been told it’s hard to learn to drive an automatic after learning in Manuel (I intend to learn to drive Manuel)

If DH ever gets offered a job with a company car etc he’s going to be buggered.

Automatic lessons cost more and we are on a budget.

Aibu to want us to both learn to drive Manuel? DH point blank refuses at this point!

Let him drive whichever he wants to. Personally automatics are boring, much more fun in a manual (que?)

I have a manual license but now drive an auto. Insurance is no different to my last manual car, the tax is £30, running costs are low. It's harder to find a hire car/courtesy car but that's about the only downside. Autos are brilliant, wouldn't go back now.

If he passes in Manual then he can drive both. If he only passes in an Auto then he can only drive Automatics.

Manual every time! It's just like riding a bike! As in... the gears... not the two wheel or never forgetting bit.

Cracking up laughing!

Aside from that, I drive an automatic and will never switch back.
Get him to pass in an automatic, then when he's road confident, go back and do a Manuel! test.



pp^^ in a decade we will all be driving electric cars
to quote a MN phrase "are you on glue"
I will have an electric car when hell freezes

I learnt to drive in an manual and have driven a manual for 20+ years however when we bought our last car I demanded we get an automatic much to my Husbands dislike.
It is so much more suitable to driving in and around the uk I don't understand the dislike of automatic cars in this country.
I've had a hire car this last week and it was a manual and I can't wait till I get my auto back. Everyone I know who has an auto loves it and would never go back to manual

i failed three timesin a manual and switched to auto and pased

dont understand how it can be more difficult-i dont know about prices as i only havbe had auto cars

me and gears just didnt go togethe4r

I drove a Manuel once and he was brilliant.

In the US it's almost impossible to buy a car with a manual transmission, unless it's something really sporty like a Porsche. I'm old enough that I learned on a manual transmission but haven't owned one in almost 30 years. I would never go back.

The newest automatics are called CVT's - continuously variable transmissions. They don't have "gears" they shift through for you and are as fuel efficient as a manual transmission - maybe better for some drivers who aren't always in the proper gear.

YABU.
And a bit mean to your DH

Absolutely howling at this thread

Manuel will be surprised, "Que?".

Go for automatic, you'll both never look back.

That you, Basil?

I've only ever driven manuals but could in theory drive either. I'd go for the manual licence because it gives more options.

Presumably you are going to need him to drive you and the twins around in it, so let him have something he is confident in!

What you save on lessons (because he will pass more quickly) you can put towards the car. And you will be allowed to drive it on Manuel’s license.
Don’t be mean on him.

I think the price difference on the car would be negligible. The only real prob with learning on automatic is that you can’t then drive a manual. However it sounds like you are learning out of necessity rather than because you are become car enthusiasts, so I think it’s not a real disadvantage.

I think he should just get on with learning how he wants and feels comfortable.

It is much easier to learn on an automatic. I can't imagine why the lessons cost more - there's less to teach.

drive manuel where? maybe manuel doesn't want to be driven?

Saw this in Active and said to DH that if the first reply wasn't "Que?" then MN was clearly broken.

I only have an automatic license, my lessons for that weren’t more expensive than my manual ones. I’m dyslexic and I just couldn’t manage and believe me I tried.

Automatic lessons and passed first time in one, so I may be inferior for only being able to drive one but at least I can drive something (I never thought I would be able to) roads are busy and if your partner is more confident in an auto so what?. I have a wee Megane coupe cheap to run etc and easy to drive and park integrated sat nav so I can get lost easier too. Just let him do it how he wants OP long as he learns in something surely?....

This thread did not disappoint

Auto is the way to go, why bother with gears?.

I have an automatic license and have only ever had automatic cars (obviously ). When I learned to drive I had a young child and quite frankly getting on the road was more important (I had lessons in a manual to start with). I figured I'd take my Manuel manual test when I was a more confident driver. In the time being, not having to think about the clutch was brilliant.

9 years or so down the line I still can never see myself driving a manual as my main car by choice. I plan on having a few lessons and taking a manual test soon because there's a classic car I have my eye on that only comes in manual, and my partner has a manual car, which it'd be useful to be able to drive should I have to.

Having been on the road for however long, I'm a confident driver, so the idea that going on to do a manual test later on being harder is a head scratcher. I'm assuming it's going to be much easier, seeing as I can drive safely already, so just need to re-learn to use a clutch.