To book automatic driving lessons for DD

[driedapricots101]

Everyone I tell reacts as if we're mad, yet surely it's only a matter of time before all cars are automatic? It's like learning Russian with no intention of using it surely?!

Define “cost too much”?

how much to buy and insure?

I only have an automatic (got it 20 years ago). I did actually learn how to drive a manual car - initally I had a foreign license which didn't diffrentiate so I took a few lessons but when I got a ROI license it does.

Sometimes car rentals are cheaper but I don't like renting cars anyway so its never bothered me.

Yes, I suppose theoretically I might be fleeing a raging lion and need to jump into someone elses manual car. It hasn't happened yet.

Recently I had to drive someones car for them (they were over alcohol limit). It was automatic but honestly I would never ever drive someones car again. (barring the raging lion) I really need time to get used to a new car, its just the type of driver I am.

A Mercedes A class didn’t cost too much 🤣🤣 Only on MN!

Do you seriously think that the average 19 year old can afford that?

20yo DD shares my Audi A1. It was £26k new, her first year of insurance was £4k. No way in hell that the average 19yo can afford that. When DD finally buys her own car it will be something far more basic!

Unless they have the budget for a fairly new car, i would definitely go for manual, as others have said, it gives far more choice. I have a lot of family and friends who work in the motor trade, and there's no way manual cars will be obsolete anytime soon! Also, automatic gearboxes cost a fortune to repair if there are issues, sometimes more than the car is worth!

People need to get with it, we don’t live in 1990 anymore. I have an auto licence. It’s never disadvantaged me.

Thanks for all your input- food for thought indeed! Our situation is that our car is auto & would be only available vehicle for her to practice in, & she will be getting a fair chunk of ££ at 18 which would cover an older automatic car & the first year's insurance- but beyond that I can see it might be a struggle.. she could easily cope with learning in a manual and has already had a couple of lessons on a private track .. tbh reading all the comments, I'm swaying a bit more towards the manual lessons now. Hmm!

3 times as many women take automatic tests than men...

So?

I suppose for me it's the fact that one route means you can only drive one type of vehicle, the other means you can drive both. So if she wanted a manual in the future she would literally have to redo her test. Totally get what you mean about availability of a car to practice in however. I think it's worth throwing the money at getting lessons in a manual and then taking her test in that car. If it helps, I ended up doing a job in a far flung place (never part of my life plan!) where the ONLY vehicles were manual, I never would have got around if I couldn't have driven manual. So a decision in 1995 (god I am old!) meant that in 2017 I didn't have a problem.

We aren't yet at the point where all cars are automatic so it might be a bit limiting for her. My family still own a mix of manual and automatic, and all insured on each-other's cars, and there really have been times when this has been extremely useful - eg when I got too sick to drive while 60 miles from home with DC, Dad drove us, and my car, home and went back to his by public transport. I rarely drink, so if Mum & Dad want wine with dinner if we go out when we're staying with them, I drive everyone home in their car.