AIBU to think learning automatic is enough for a new (unconfident, adult) driver?

[Lexibletheflexible]

Woman in her 30s (not me, I can drive!) is wanting to learn to drive. Very little experience. What experience she has had lessened her confidence more (her dad, and a BF tried to teach her in her teens/20s, she never got the gist of it).

I think that it's fine for her to just do automatic. I think the UK is heading the same way as the much of the world.

Partner thinks that she should learn manual, because automatic only will be insufficient in the long term.

Who is right?
YABU- Him
YANBU- Me

if she can afford to and will buy automatic cars then of course.

20 years ago I would have said she should learn a manual. But automatic cars are plenty reliable now and will only get more ubiquitous as electric cars make up a larger and larger proportion of the cars on the road. Seems very reasonable to me.

A high percentage of cars are becoming automatic. Give it 10 years and most instructors will be automatic.

So learning in an automatic will become the norm eventually.

whatever she wants
plenty on mn will agree with you

All the old arguments about automatics are pretty much no longer valid absolutely no need for manual.

it depends how much she wants to spend on a car

You’ll get everyone telling you you the worlds going automatic and they’ve driven automatics for 40 years and fine

but it can be limiting
Limit your choice of cars

employment opportunities
hire cars
maintenance cost

I only have an automatic licence and the only issue I ever had was the pool car at work used to be manual so could never use it. She can always retake her test in a manual at a later date once she's been driving a bit if confidence is the issue.

Certainly better than not learning. Electric cars are more expensive and the second hand ones have less range. This will change over time but a real issue for now. If she has decent money for a car, is doing short distances and has somewhere to put a charger, all good.

My girls have both learned automatic. It will be more expensive to get an automatic car but that's largely the only issue. Once she's confident at driving an automatic she can upgrade her licence by taking a new test in a manual car.

You are both right - it is limiting, but it is also the right choice for some drivers.

She just needs to understand the limitations and make a judgement.

There are some people who can't confidently manage gears, for them it's a lot more limiting not to be able to drive at all!

100% automatic. Future is EV. She doesn't necessarily have to buy a car outright.

She’ll be fine yes, manuals are disappearing. The UK realising automatics are so much better!

www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-15973349/amp/manual-gearbox-new-cars-demand.html

At 30 she'll likely struggle and find it v stressful / sweaty/ sweary

Wayyyy less stress all round.

For various boring reasons I have first hamd experience of this (not myself - I was sensible and did it in late teens)

Everyone is moving to auto anyway

Auto will be fine, I don't think I'll drive a manual car again, I sit in stop start traffic up to 2 hours a day and now I've had an auto I won't go back.

100%

Technically it is limiting, obviously. But not in any way that has ever affected my life even the tiniest bit.

I learned to drive at 32 and learned automatic only. It’s been great and I’ve not had any problems. They’re more expensive than their exact manual counterparts but there are plenty that are still a reasonable price (my electric Corsa was 4 years old when I bought it and £14k) and never had an issue finding one to hire one on holiday. And presumably she isn’t in a career that requires her to drive company cars (rather than claiming mileage for her own), if she’s gone this far without having a licence at all.

People always say “oh she can upgrade her licence later when she’s more confident” but I know many, many people with auto-only licences and not a single person who has ever done that!

If the limitations such as if ever hiring a car are those you are prepared to live with, then ok.

Yep. Automatic only for me

Automatic is not as limiting as not having a licence entirely. Good idea in this day and age.

Just do automatic. Nearly all new cars are automatic now and apparently about 1/3 of all cars in Uk- this will continue to increase as even ICE drivers are choosing autos. I drive automatic ( have manual license but switched to auto in 2008 when moved somewhere where it was standard). I’ve never had a problem getting a hire car overseas - it’s just sometimes a bit more expensive but again, standard in some countries such as US.

In the next decade or so, manual cars will be pretty much phased out. There’s not really an issue with hire cars either, they always have plenty of automatics. We have both but I do really enjoy the automatic now after being a sceptic!

Automatic is fine. She can always attempt to upgrade later if it really causes difficulties.

It is time men around her stopped making learning to drive harder for her.

Automatic first, manual later if she feels like that.

Absolutely learn automatic.
I deeply regret the years I took to pass my test in a manual. Got an automatic and never looked back.