AIBU to think DD might as well learn to drive on an automatic car?

[whiteroseredrose]

DD is 21 and has not yet learned to drive. The plan is to learn next summer when she finishes university.

Problem is that DH and I both have hybrid cars that are automatic. I couldn't find a hybrid manual car as they probably don't exist.

Rather than have DD take lessons in.a manual car with either no practice in between or practice in our automatics, take that test and then maybe do a 'conversion' at a later date.

Would that make sense?

it's still worth the effort to learn how to drive a manual car.
If it means OP needs to buy another car, or it takes a lot longer for the DD to learn to drive, as she has no car to practice with, I don't think it's actually worth it.
As one pp posted, half the used cars on the market are automatics. I just checked another random location and random week, in Riga airport you have 172 automatic and 131 manual cars available, and cheapest automatic costs you 8 EUR more than cheapest manual, for a week. So I really don't think the narrative that automatic only is so expensive and restricive is really true any more.

This thread is just bizarre.

Are you genuinely saying that if someone hasn't yet learned the skills to drive a different type of vehicle to the one they are actually driving, they shouldn't be on the road?

Should everyone have a motorcycle and a heavy vehicle licence too? You never know what kind of emergency a Mumsnetter will imagine next.

I learned in a manual. But if people find it easier in an auto just what is the problem? They are not harming anyone else.

Loving the arguments about how manuals are cheaper to buy and maintain… when the point is that the OP doesn’t have a manual and has no intention of buying an additional car. The OP’s daughter would be driving Op’s existing non-manual cars… so only needs an automatic licence at this stage.

There's nothing to stop her dd practising with her parents' automatics but doing lessons & her test with a manual, so that she has greater options when she comes to buy her own car.

Seems daft not to unless OP intends to get her to test level herself.

You beat me to it.

It doesn't matter that the OP doesnt intend to buy a new car. She isn't the one learning. The DD will buy and own her own car at some point.

Most people do have third party insurance to drive other cars though 20 year old DS Is only one I know who doesn't YET

Riga is a random choice. How is the auto/ manual car hire situation in Spain for example? Much more likely to be hiring a car there

That doesn't take long to learn though. One or 2 lessons max

She can always take a manual test later on if she wants

But you don’t have to. It’s not actually necessary. Why are manual drivers so virtuous about it? It’s highly likely that only being able to drive an auto is not going to cause the OP’s DD any issues at all.

Yeah my DS has a 11 reg Peugeot. It's manual.TBH when looking at the cars around the £1500 budget he had I don't recall seeing many autos available.

His friend has an auto but that's a 23 reg provided by mummy and daddy

Why restrict yourself to learning something just because ' you don't have to".

One of my A levels was in English Lit. It's not something I needed to do not used since really. Should I not have bothered learning? People take lessons in things all the time that they don't "have to"

Exactly, 10-15 years ago automatics were far less common, and any young driver paying for a car themselves is only going to be able to afford something that sort of age.

Why restrict yourself to learning something just because ' you don't have to" People take lessons in things all the time that they don't "have to".

True, because they 'want to'. But if you don't have to, and don't want to, why waste time? OPs daughter could skip the manual she does not want or need, and use the time to do something she wants to - whether it's learning to fly or learning to play bagpipes.

Driving is hardly comparable to A level subjects now is it.

I bet the people who disapprove of manual cars are the same people who disapprove of weight loss jabs/bariatric surgery. They view it as cheating.

How is the auto/ manual car hire situation in Spain for example? Much more likely to be hiring a car there

I posted Alicante earlier on this thread. Randomly chosen week, they have 196 manual cars and 184 automatics available. Price difference for that random week: 15 EUR.

I think we've still got a good few years yet of manuals being dominant in the market, but perhaps only another 10.

I've only ever driven manuals, but I know a couple of friends who made the switch to automatics and absolutely rave about them. "Would never go back to manual" is a phrase I hear often.

No! Learn to drive properly now and have freedom of choice. She’s young, it won’t be hard.

Do you really think those us of who drive automatics don’t drive “properly”? Seriously?

Jesus, sensitive much! I drive an automatic.

But restricting yourself to an automatic licence means not being able to drive anyone’s car if it’s manual, paying more for car hire, not being able to drive anything larger than a car for the most part.

So yes, learn to use a gear stick, the gears are the least of it when you’re learning to drive.

I wouldn't go as far as to say that.

I do think though a lot of people go for automatic only licences because they find driving difficult, and that someone who holds an automatic licence only is certified a less capable driver than someone who holds a manual one.

That is kind of self evident in the respect manual licence holders can drive either automatics or manuals, whereas automatic licence holders can only drive automatics.

the gears are the least of it when you’re learning to drive.

Not from my memory - which might be faulty given I passed my test nearly 40 years ago. Clutch control and gear changes were the most difficult aspects of controlling a car. Technology has moved on and manuals are increasingly becoming obsolete. We stopped using the abacus a long time ago too.