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?

I have a manual licence, but soon after passing my test, I spent several years in a country where nearly all cars are automatic and wondered why anyone bothers with manual. I haven't needed to drive anything other than an automatic in the last 30 years. Wouldn't go back now!

DD chose to learn in a manual car but the future is definitely automatic, so I wouldn't have had an issue with her just getting an automatic licence. All electric cars are automatic anyway.

I think it's still better to learn both. You just never know when you'll need it.....

Automatic cars are a doddle. Easy. But manual takes more time and it's better to have a broader knowledge.

Future is definitely automatic, go into any car dealership and none of the cars are manual anymore (many don’t even have the option to come as a manual!) so it’s definitely becoming obsolete.

I understand why you’d only get an automatic license. I hadn’t driven a manual in years. I still can though (weirdly, I tried one at the weekend. After an initial “kangaroo” I was off! You don’t forget) The only time I can think of when you might need to drive a manual is overseas. We have travelled to quite a few places where the only hire cars available were manual. So, on balance, I think I’d want her to be able to drive both.

She can practice safe driving skills in the automatics with you and learn manual during her driving lessons and take the manual test.

Auto only is fine these days. As the Autotrader stats posted above show it is not hard to find an automatic car these days and they are only going to get more common as EVs take over the market.

Even a few years ago I would have strongly pushed manual (and actually did, as my husband learned late in life and I thought it would be useful for hiring cars, etc) but not in 2024. Autos have become much more common in the past ten years. Even when we have booked a hire car abroad we have sometimes been given an auto without asking for one - they are so common now.

I've only had an automatic licence for 12 years and have yet to come across these emergency situations where I need to drive a manual. The only argument could be for work related reasons so joining police forces or something, but even police cars are slowly turning auto and electric.

Even when we have booked a hire car abroad we have sometimes been given an auto without asking for one - they are so common now.

This is true, for some reason my in-laws absolutely hate automatic and they have to specifically request a manual when they’ve hired cars on occasion. Nowadays it’s far more likely not to have the manual option than vice versa.

surely it's better to have an auto license than none at all

That's* *a good point, and the heart of the matter. Ideally you could learn all the other important things in an automatic car, then learn about gears.
The trouble is that once people have their automatic licence they often don't bother to learn to drive a manual, or even learn how gears work.

My daughter (18) only has an automatic licence, we only drive auto cars, I don't know anyone who doesn't have an auto car. I'm not expecting her to need to drive a manual for any reason in her life and she doesn't either.

Less than 1 in 4 new cars come with the option of a manual gearbox 😮

DD passed this summer (first time with only 1 minor) having had no practise in between lessons.

My car is a brand new automatic and there was no way I was letting her near it.

i learnt in a manual but got my first electric (automatic) car about six years ago and if I can help it will never drive a manual again. So much easier.

we have hired automatics abroad no problem. And have had automatic courtesy cars too.

the world is changing fast. In your shoes I’d not bother getting her to learn manual.

Dh taught ds1 all the basics to save time and money. Learning in a manual, then having driving lessons in a manual, but driving a parents automatic for practice is not that hard. Plus you get all the driving practice.

I think I’m right in saying that Volvo don’t even make manual cars anymore. In my 30 years of driving I don’t think I’ve ever had to drive someone else’s car in an emergency.

DD (20) has an automatic license and regrets it. Suitable, cheap to insure auto cars for that age group are hard to come by, as well as the fact that having an automatic only license is seen as a risk and pushes insurance costs up.

She never expected it to be an issue re: work, travel etc but plans change and nowadays the fact that she can’t drive a manual car has held her back in certain situations. She can’t drive the cars at work (both manual!) and has been rejected from otherwise suitable ski season jobs in France as their company cars were manual too. Yes, the world is switching to automatic but there’s still quite a bit of progress to be made! I’d say it’s still worth learning manual as a life skill

I feel the people advocating for the importance of a manual license will still be insisting the same in 20 or 30 years time. Probably while playing snake on their Nokias.

Me neither

They really won’t. I work in the industry but you keep believing whatever you like.

The only technology that has the capability to replace ICE on a full scale basis is hydrogen and the tech isn’t quite there yet.

I've had the same conversation with my 17yr old dd but I've recommended she takes her test in a manual.

Firstly it gives her options, and she can drive either. There are also lots of times she might need it, such as hiring vans, driving older cars, she's got a horse and most horse boxes are manual etc.

The big reason is that second hand cars she can drive after passing her test are primarily manual cars. Unless of course you can afford to pay £10000+ on a car. We've been looking at £2000 cars that she can afford to insure, such as a fiat 500 or Vauxhall corsa, getting one as an automatic is like hens teeth.

I think you might be a little out of touch on the company car front…so many new company cars are EVs anyway I don’t see it being an issue. You can’t even buy a new manual VW Golf GTi, they are all auto. It’s easier to keep the emissions low in an automatic than a manual. My parents are having to switch to auto for their next cars as the type they usually buy just aren’t available as manuals. Think small and medium size German hatch / saloon / estate type cars.

Surely you can say that about lots of things. I remember my gran suggesting my mum was being lazy when she went from a twin tub to a regular washing machine back in the 80s!

In 2023 under 25s who had an auto licence only on average paid £760 more for car insurance because they have a 46% higher claim frequency than manual licence holders.

Many people that have failed their test multiple times end up passing in an automatic. Everybody should be made to pass in a manual. If you can’t manage it you are not safe enough to be on the road. The stats speak for themselves. I have 2 land rovers. They only come in auto but if I needed to i am not limited in choice or stuck in an emergency.

Depends on how financial situation will be over the next few years. I can tell you now trying to find a cheep second hand automatic is sooo much harder than finding a manual. Whereas I think if you are financially supporting or prepared to let her use your card then by the time she's ready to get her own car automatics likely will be a lot cheeper with all the electrical cars about.

But at her age surely she should be making this decision for herself?

Is her first car realistically going to be an automatic? Automatic cars are more expensive and tbh I see driving a manual as an important skill. We really aren't anywhere close to getting rid of manual cars. Maybe in 10 years or so we will be.

If DD was an older learner just trying to pass a test quickly to ferry kids around it might be fair to learn automatic only but she's 21 with a lot of years of driving ahead of her