Kids learning to drive - automatic only?

[Dis86]

Everyone's needs are different. My wife has no interest in driving a manual. Hire cars are would never be an issue for her as I drive us everywhere. Once she passes she'll only ever be driving to her parents or to the shops while I'm working.

You can't account for every foreseeable future need. What if you're in an accident and she needs to take over the driving on a more permanent basis? Like I said above, you're ruling out a huge part of the used car market (and hire car market) for no reason at all.

 

[Hades]

I say get a manual license even if the intention is to only drive an automatic. It gives options. Considering the time and expense of learning to drive, why only get a license which limits her to some vehicles?

 

[233]

If you like older stuff then yes

I’ve got an old Omega MV6 which is the only manual I drive these days. Even then if I could swap a newer zf auto in there I would in a heartbeat

daily is an auto and the oh has an EV so also auto. Can’t see me ever buying another manual to be honest unless it happens to be another plaything

 

[andy_mk3]

You can't account for every foreseeable future need. What if you're in an accident and she needs to take over the driving on a more permanent basis? Like I said above, you're ruling out a huge part of the used car market (and hire car market) for no reason at all.

Well she flat out refuses to drive a manual. My daily is an auto anyway. I don't see it as even a slightest issue. Automatic cars aren't rare, you can go out and buy or hire an automatic without a problem.

 

[Dis86]

Well she flat out refuses to drive a manual. My daily is an auto anyway. I don't see it as even a slightest issue. Automatic cars aren't rare, you can go out and buy or hire an automatic without a problem.

As I stated, the majority of the used car market are manual, why would you cut yourself out of over 50% of the used car market? There is literally no negative to learning to drive a manual, there is a negative to learning auto only. These aren't experienced drivers, they're kids who are going to be looking at their first cars.

 

[andy_mk3]

As I stated, the majority of the used car market are manual, why would you cut yourself out of over 50% of the used car market? There is literally no negative to learning to drive a manual, there is a negative to learning auto only. These aren't experienced drivers, they're kids who are going to be looking at their first cars.

But so what? She will never ever drive a manual full stop. She will not. Its not a choice she's making just because, it's a choice that suits her and her needs. She started learning to drive in a manual and got to the point where she didn't want to drive any more. Why pressure her into passing a manual test for the sake of having access to more cars on the used market? I really don't get your argument. She wants an auto, she has an auto, she will categorically only ever drive an auto no matter what the circumstances.

I have a manual licence, I will only ever buy an auto as a daily driver.

 

[james.miller]

It takes an hour or so to learn clutch control, it's really not hard. I don't see the point in limiting yourself unless you're physically unable to operate a clutch or you absolutely know you're never going to drive a manual.

 

[Dis86]

But so what? She will never ever drive a manual full stop. She will not. Its not a choice she's making just because, it's a choice that suits her and her needs. She started learning to drive in a manual and got to the point where she didn't want to drive any more. Why pressure her into passing a manual test for the sake of having access to more cars on the used market? I really don't get your argument. She wants an auto, she has an auto, she will categorically only ever drive an auto no matter what the circumstances.

I have a manual licence, I will only ever buy an auto as a daily driver.

Yeah...pretty obvious you don't get it. We are not just talking about your wife. I clearly stated in the post you've quoted that these are the OPs kids who are looking at their first cars. They probably aren't going to be buying Teslas or even a 5 year old 3 series. They're much more likely to look at something like a corsa, fiesta or 207 or some such. As an indicator there are about 12x as many manual fiestas as there are autos.

You also say no matter what the circumstances except that's a completely braindead statement, because it ignores a very real situation where autos aren't available. I've encountered this with hire cars before, I've encountered this with hire vans. Clearly i'm not the only one from some of these comments in here. I also happen to own a car that is only available as a manual.

As I've repeated multiple times, there's literally no negative to learning to drive a manual. There is a negative to learning auto only. Negatives are bad.

 

[throwaway4372]

The negative is it's harder to learn. If it's easy for you that's great, but it isn't for a lot of people.

 

[Dis86]

The negative is it's harder to learn. If it's easy for you that's great, but it isn't for a lot of people.

Yes but there's no negative to learning. If you can't do it you can't, but you don't know until you try.

 

[robj20]

I still prefer a manual and would always get a full manual licence to keep the options open.
Auto means only auto, manual licence means anything. Not like it's difficult is it.

 

[throwaway4372]

Well the negative is the extra cost for lessons (if you do find it difficult you end up need more lessons).
And the stress of finding driving difficult - at a time when you're an idiot teenager with exams n stuff.

 

[Nasher]

Manual. Auto only is like having half a licence and when you tell people they will question your driving ability (though they won't say it). Years down the road when you might want to drive a classic or something interesting you'll have to go and take your test again.

 

[Meridian]

Unless you literally can't figure out gears then I'd go manual every time. Covered in all eventualities then.

This. While upper-end German cars tend to be autos, the vast majority of "normal" cars are manual. If they pass on auto then a lot of used car options are shut off. I'd also argue that driving a manual teaches you what the gears are doing. An auto isn't replacing manual, it;s just doing the work for you - and sometimes it guesses wrong. You need to know when it's safe to paddle-shift away from what the auto box has selected and when it isn't. I'm sure we'll all end up in autos eventually, but learn manual now.

 

[Diddums]

Manual for sure. There'll be times when a rental car is manual, or a van for moving house, or a loaner from a garage, etc. If your kids get auto only they'll be limiting themselves every time they need to use someone else's car.

 

[peige]

I've been having the same conversation, youngest is just about to turn 17 and is talking about learning Auto. I think that obviously manual gives you the largest choice of cars, especially given that your first car will likely be 10+ years old and your not going to be buying modern for maybe you've done the first 5 years of driving and even then its likely to be a 2-3 year old car, it will be a while before they actually get in an electric car.
First cars in the auto flavour are about as gutless as it gets though, slightly older daughter tried learning manual and just couldn't take to it so went auto. When she passed she ended up with a 1ish ltr corsa with a weird auto gearbox that was basically a manual with a set of actuators doing the gear changes and clutch. Oddly fun to drive but hills were not its friend!

 

[theone8181]

Yeah...pretty obvious you don't get it. We are not just talking about your wife. I clearly stated in the post you've quoted that these are the OPs kids who are looking at their first cars. They probably aren't going to be buying Teslas or even a 5 year old 3 series. They're much more likely to look at something like a corsa, fiesta or 207 or some such. As an indicator there are about 12x as many manual fiestas as there are autos.

You also say no matter what the circumstances except that's a completely braindead statement, because it ignores a very real situation where autos aren't available. I've encountered this with hire cars before, I've encountered this with hire vans. Clearly i'm not the only one from some of these comments in here. I also happen to own a car that is only available as a manual.

As I've repeated multiple times, there's literally no negative to learning to drive a manual. There is a negative to learning auto only. Negatives are bad.

Maybe my observations are slanted, but the 27 year old I work with passed his test 3 years ago (auto) and just went straight into pcping a dct polo. He's very much not a car person though and I realise not many will go send pcp a 20 grand car (although does seem to be more common).

 

[Grim5]

Learning to drive a manual used to be a life skill. Clutch control and gear selection essential.
Given the number of automatics being sold and the move towards electrics is there any point in getting my kids to learn in a manual?

In my country 80% of cars on the road are automatic and over 90% of kids these days are only learning automatic

Manual is a dinosaur and even automatic will be gone soon when everything is electric

 

[Diddums]

Well she flat out refuses to drive a manual.

What if it's a loaner or something? Is she that set against it? My wife is the same with some things so I get it, but sometimes there are no alternatives sadly.

 

[.:MBK:.]

It's nowhere near as restrictive as it used to be going auto only but I'd say if the option is there start out learning manual and if it doesn't take then switch. At least then "you have given it a go".

I also used to be of the view of not learning in a manual diesel since you could barely feel the clutch, but modern petrols suffer the same issue these days anyway.