Driving lessons - Manual or Automatic?

[MountVesuvius]

I’m booking driving lessons for my 17 year old and unsure whether to get manual or automatic lessons? We have two automatic vehicles in the house which can be used for practice but no manual… Automatic is easier and quicker to learn but will be limiting…

I imagine with electric cars taking over, manual will be obsolete in the not too distant future. If the cars at home are auto then I’d stick to that as like you say it’s generally quicker and easier to learn.

Thanks, I'm concerned a second hand run around would be difficult out to find in automatic. I know all second hand cars have rocketed in price!

Train on manual. Learning to drive only automatic is the worst kind of cutting corners.

I'd always recommend to learn and test in a manual as it gives her options. But with electric cars likely to be the future then I struggle to see the point of a manual car licences

My ds 17 just passed his manual test this morning. I get the argument about electric cars being more common in the future but we aren't there yet. Automatic only test is so limiting. I wouldn't have guided my son that way but each to their own.

I would go for manual.

How many driving instructors will have an automatic car?

Could you buy the manual cheap car now, it will be easier for him to learn just on manual at first then switch to automatic in the future?

I'd opt for manual as then at least you can drive both. I have a friend who has an automatic only licence and she ends up stuck in situations such as the garage courtesy car being manual and not being able to drive it, also it's a pain when hiring cars as the selection is limited.

Definitely learn on manual. Theres no guarantee that electric vehicles will take off, and while normal fuel cars are still prevalent and likely to be for some time, its better to have the option.

I’m going to go against the tide and say auto - but I wouldn’t have said that when I learned to drive 20+ years ago. Automatic cars now come in all shapes & sizes (my mum has an automatic fiesta that’s 5 years old), there’s no reason it should be limiting any more.

I drove manual cars for years but wouldn’t go back now, love driving an auto.

Manual all the way!

It's easy to transfer from manual to an automatic- we have both and I drive both cars regularly no issues.

Obviously it doesn't work the other way around.

Manual. It helps you understand the car so much better even if you then go on to drive an auto.

I would learn manual, he might get/want a job that requires him to drive some sort of geared vehicle

also…tongue in cheek answer lol but I read a book as a teen where the villain only got caught because the car was manual and as he put it, he couldn’t drive “stick”. Was actually my incentive to learn to drive, of the off chance I was ever kidnapped and the only escape was in a car.

I taught ds1 recently and I still think it's important to learn on a manual atm.

Same as pp, would definitely choose manual. If they have ability to drive manual driving automatic is not a problem. Doesn't work the other way round.

Manual. You can drive any car with a manual license, but can't drive a manual if you learn on an automatic.

If they needed to hire a car in the future it could narrow their options.

Definitely manual. Manual cars may be on the way out once electric take over but it won't happen overnight. I'd only learn on an automatic if that's the only way I could pass.

Driving automatic is far easier - I get the attraction.

But.

Do you really know to swim is you can swim only when wearing a life-jacket, as you would otherwise drown?

Manual it is then 😁