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

I think some people are of the opinion that only being able to drive an auto suggests the minimum level of competence and when driving what could essentially be a heavy metal killing machine, the driver should be fully competent and knowledgeable of it. That’s also a fairly sound argument.

This is a nonsense, not a sound argument.
Driving automatic allows the driver to fully focus on the road and traffic without spending any mental capacity on gears.
It makes an average driver safer on the road, and the most talented ones not worse of.

I have a manual license, but I prefer driving an automatic.

Why can’t you fathom it? Do you struggle with intelligence? I would get that checked at the doctors. Could be cognitive decline.

Very easy to buy and rent automatics everywhere in the world. All electric or hybrid cars are automatic. Manual is absolutely not required any more. It can be useful in certain niche situations and countries, but the main benefit of driving is everyday freedom so she should achieve that in the easiest way possible first and then work on manual driving later if she needs or wants to.

Auto, always. Wasted so many more lessons and tests cause gears wound me up.

I have an automatic only licence. I passed my test in an automatic over 40 years ago and chose this over a manual as my priority was to get a licence as quickly as possible. I fully intended to resit the test in a manual but have never felt the need to actually do so as I never felt limited or inconvenienced when either buying or renting a car. Recommend auto all the way, especially for a potentially nervous driver.

Unless she has a specific need or desire to learn manual, automatic is fine.

And how on earth could it affect employment opportunities?!

It's why my younger daughter is learning manual - she works with animals on farms and similar. A lot of the job adverts to progress state that they require a manual license, it absolutely limits her not to have it -- but as the OP hasn't mentioned that concern, it seems unlikely.

In my limited experience, it tends to be professions involving carrying heavy loads and/or regularly using company vehicles involved at least in part in that kind of transporting. Those types of vehicles haven't had the same change to automatic as personal vehicles from what I've seen, so likely to remain manual for far longer. That kind of thing is not going to be a concern for most people outside of these areas though so unless needed, it shouldn't weigh heavily against automatics.

I think if I had to drive for a living- that’s the only time I’d think you need to learn manual now

Automatic. Manual will soon be obsolete.

This is an outdated and increasingly incorrect view. There’s no issue in this country finding automatics to hire or to buy. The price differential is negligible if at all. With EVs the number of automatics on the streets is only set to continue to increase, and will also inevitably increasingly find their way into vans and commercial and company vehicles. If an individual went for a job where it was absolutely a requirement, the option is still always open to them to take some extra lessons and the test.

I think you're reasonable.
I learned on a manual but have only driven automatics for about 10 years!

I think when there were less automatic cars around there was a worry that you'd be paying through the teeth for them. I only passed my test a little over a decade ago and forced myself through the manual lessons and bought manual cars ever since, but the tide is turning now and automatics are increasingly common and new manual cars are becoming rarer. I never thought it was cheating to learn to drive in an automatic and find it odd for people who do.

I know I've passed my manual license so technically have the choice to drive either but now I'm worried about the next time I need to buy a car I'll need to get an automatic and I think it'll feel bizarre to need to relearn how to drive again to a certain extent, so if anything I kind of regret learning to drive in a manual 😂

I think she needs to concentrate on finding a really good instructor and take loads of lessons to build her confidence rather than get stressed about the transmission.

Auto probably will be easier for her, but she does need time and experience to build her confidence.

An automatic licence will be enough and better than not being able to drive at all but her choice will be much more limited if the car she wants to buy is older. Not everyone is able to buy a nearly new car, especially as a first car.

I was late to learning to drive and DH only drove automatics so it became a given I would drive an automatic even if I passed my test in a manual. Decided rather than keep delaying, spend more money on lessons and also not be able to practice (because DH’s car was automatic) it would be a lot cheaper and easier to learn automatic. That was 100% the right choice and it’s never been an issue or come up since. I think there’s more snobbery around it than anything else, and most people I know have switched to driving automatics so the arguments don’t really stand. I’ll learn to drive a manual if I need to, but it hasn’t been an issue thus far.

Plenty of older automatics are available. A quick Autotrader search shows a few hundred vehicles under £3k with decent mileage and history.

I passed my test in a manual but have only driven automatics for the past 20 years. I would never go back!

Had an auto license only for nearly 20yrs no problems.

My daughter did same.

Much less hassle.

Auto is fine. My ds has just passed manual because we have manual cars and it’s hard to get an auto instructor here. But if we had autos and could get an auto instructor he would have done that instead. So many automatic cars around and that will increase. I think by the time my 8yr old learns, it will be predominantly automatics.

I wouldn’t think twice.

I’ve never driven an automatic but it looks so easy.
I always think how quickly I would have passed my test if I didn’t need to worry about the gears, clutch and biting point etc.

I would look to eventually taking a test on a manual too but for now definitely just do automatic.

Problem is that automatics are still pretty hard to source and more expensive if you're looking at used cars.

If you're looking to lease a brand new car, then obviously all the electrics are automatic, so plenty of choice, but electrics are more expensive than petrol.

So I think they need to think about what kind of car they plan to buy, what their budget is etc.

If they don't have much money and therefore looking for a used car, then they're severely restricting themselves with only looking at automatics.

But that will be compared with tens of thousands of manual cars. And older automatics use more fuel and potentially could need new gearboxes, costing £££s.

This is not true - there are plenty of used automatics available.

Learn on an automatic. Nothing is stopping them from learning on a manual later and getting a manual license.

Autotrader currently shows around 2/3 autos and 1/3 manuals. I've also just looked at approved used for a couple of dealers and they're mostly automatic.

About 10 years ago it was true that they were harder to source but that is not the case now. Even when it was perceived to be harder to source them or more expensive, I never had an issue, and in over 15 years the newest car I've bought has been 6 years old. I don't live near a large city with many dealers either.

Problem is that automatics are still pretty hard to source and more expensive if you're looking at used cars.

None of this is true in the slightest.