Learning to drive over 40

[beadystar]

Hi all,
I am soon to be learning to drive- have always lived in a city so didn't need to, but that looks set to change. The theory test is done and licence sent away for. I seem to have sparked a heated debate amongst friends and colleagues as to whether learning on an automatic or manual as an older learner is better? My leaning is towards automatic. It seems simpler. Wondering what others think?

I just passed my test in an automatic aged 30. I’d tried as a teen in a manual and never got on with it. Automatic is a lot easier imo! All electric and hybrid cars are automatic so manual cars will get increasingly rare over time anyway once they stop selling petrol and diesel cars.

I learned at 36, on maternity leave so exhausted and not thinking I'd be any good but needing to learn as had left London for a more rural area. I also had to do manual as couldn't find an instructor for automatic.

I passed first try after 4 months of 2 hr lessons on Sundays and then a few daily before the test, it can be done! A year later manual is like 2nd nature, its daunting at first and took me a while to get used to the step by step. I watched YouTube videos alot too between lessons where I felt I was missing something. Once it clicks its there, just don't be phased if it seems alot in first set of lessons.

I don't think it's relevant that you're an older learner, if you just haven't learnt before because you didn't need to. You don't know how easy or hard you'll find it till you try. But in my area it would be a LOT easier to get manual lessons than automatic ones as that's what most instructors are offering.

I tried as a teen (over 20 years ago) in a manual and just couldn't deal with the gears on top of everything else. (Also suspect autism). I think I'm going automatic, but now the prophets of doom are telling me I won't be able to buy one that won't bankrupt me :)

Just to follow up- I had my first lesson yesterday, in an automatic, and it went brilliantly. Very glad I made that choice, wish I’d started years ago!

It's booking a driving test at the moment that's difficult, lessons are the easy bit.....

You will have to be willing to take your test in some seriously random places as it's often impossible to get your first choice of test centre.

It's useful to have the manual licence because then you can hire or buy wither automatic or manual.