Is it a lot easier to take the driving test with an automatic?

If you took the test for an automatic car did you have to take it more than once? I really have no desire to drive an manual.  I guess the only advantage is there are a lot more cars to choose from.

I did it recently in a manual so I had the option of driving both. If you test in automatic you can only drive that.

However, I did buy an automatic, bug it took me ages to find a decent used one. We wanted to buy in cash so it really narrowed my options down.  But there are tons listed on auto trader etc...just not near me.


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If you took the test for an automatic car did you have to take it more than once? I really have no desire to drive an manual.  I guess the only advantage is there are a lot more cars to choose from.

I'd say the worst thing about the test is the nerves (because you hear from everyone else how hard the test is). If you are more confident in an automatic and just want to drive that, it should be much easier if that is what you are already used to.

I took 20 hours of lessons from a really good teacher (it was hard to find an automatic teacher and he normally taught other driving teachers how to pass their tests, so he was extremely competent). I probably would have been ready after about 14 hours of lessons. I found the test really nerve-wracking, but straight-forward.

I'd say the worst thing about the test is the nerves (because you hear from everyone else how hard the test is). If you are more confident in an automatic and just want to drive that, it should be much easier if that is what you are already used to.

I took 20 hours of lessons from a really good teacher (it was hard to find an automatic teacher and he normally taught other driving teachers how to pass their tests, so he was extremely competent). I probably would have been ready after about 14 hours of lessons. I found the test really nerve-wracking, but straight-forward.

Disclaimer: I tested on manual because I didn't want to be restricted to more expensive/harder-to-find automatics when I finally get a car and because I preferred manual in the US.  But I recommend you test on whatever you're most comfortable with.  Don't add the stress of trying to learn something new to trying to unlearn your American style of driving.

Having said that, I agree with physicskate.  The worst thing about the test is the nerves because of all the hype about how hard it is.  It isn't hard. You just have to pay more attention, and adhere to a few more little persnickety practices.

I drove for 20+ years in the US before I moved to the UK, so I had a lot of US habits to unlearn.  And after my first UK lesson, I was really annoyed at how critical my instructor was over what I thought were really little things.  But it's only because the examiner really does look at all those little things.  You really have to drive as if you are a robot, doing everything exactly by the book.  Pay attention to everything you're doing.  (It's only for less than an hour, and I have ADD and got through it.)

I had six hours of lessons in three 2-hour slots.  The first two lessons, about a week apart, were a month before I had my test.  The final lesson was the day before my test, because my instructor likes her students to have one last "don't forget to..." lesson just to be sure they are really ready.

Anyway, she predicted I would probably have around 5 minor faults, and she even predicted what they would likely be.  She was right.  But I only had 4, and two of them were for the same thing that I did twice (more than 15 minors and/or a single major means you fail).

Thanks for all the advice.  I've been driving 37 years in the US so I'm sure I will have a lot of bad habits to unlearn.  Most of that time we've had automatics but for a period of a year or two we had a manual car.  I HATED every minute of having it and vowed that I would never get one again to save money.  Although it would be nice to be able to rent one when we visited the UK and Spain this summer.  We spent $900 a week on car rentals.  Does anyone know if Europe limits you to driving an automatic if you have that type of UK license?

Does anyone know if Europe limits you to driving an automatic if you have that type of UK license?

It's my understanding that EU countries will permit you to drive in them subject to the conditions on your UK license.  So if you have an automatic-only license, you'd have the same restriction in the EU.

But I believe you're allowed to drive on your US license when you're visiting in Europe, for as long as your US license remains valid, even if you also have a license in the UK.

Bottom line: if you have no desire to ever drive a manual and you're more comfortable in an automatic, then go for automatic. This is what I did, and I also passed first time. I only drove automatics before I moved to the UK. I was a VERY nervous driver over here to begin with (narrower roads, driving on the other side, roundabouts, etc.). Automatic made me feel more comfortable, and I just knew manual wouldn't be for me, despite how much my husband tried to convince me otherwise.

Finding an auto car was easy for me- found mine half hour away on Autotrader. Finding an automatic instructor was more difficult, and I didn't have the best of luck with them... first guy was really rude and acted like he didn't want to be there, second guy was much better but was very unreliable, third was the winner. I had about 11 hrs. of lessons total. Like others have mentioned, the test isn't necessarily difficult. You just have to do things in the exact order and dot your Ps and Qs. A good instructor will tell you exactly how you need to do things in order to pass.

Perhaps other have had a different experience, but I don't understand why some folks here have a negative view of automatic cars. When I told my husband's friends and family that I was doing the test in an auto, some of them thought it was a foolish idea and that I "have" to learn to drive a manual. My husband's even suggested that automatics are less safe than manuals  But whatever. I have zero regrets about going for automatic!

Will you still have your US license when you try to rent a car in Europe?  You could use that instead if you are worried about the automatic only endorsement.

My US license is good until 2020 so I should be able to use that.

Insurance in the UK is based on the driver/car combination. You cannot give permission to someone to drive your car and have it covered. Instead, the driver has to be added to the policy via the company.

NFU Mutual insured me while I was driving on my US license. I have kept with them since I have received my UK license. You just need to call the other companies to see if they will cover you.

It is not a discrimination against a US driver. It is just a discrimination against drivers who does not have a UK history.

I'm just curious for those of you who took the tests and had some points of failure on your test, what little things did you fail? No need to be embarrassed. I think it would help the rest of us to go "Oh! Ok, so I need to make sure I watch for that."

I'm just curious for those of you who took the tests and had some points of failure on your test, what little things did you fail? No need to be embarrassed. I think it would help the rest of us to go "Oh! Ok, so I need to make sure I watch for that."

Minor faults, you mean?  I took my practical (manual transmission) in March and had four minors.  Two were the same thing.  Looking at my driving test report now, my faults were:

1. Control > Gears... I accidentally put it in third when aiming for first (I'm still not entirely happy shifting left-handed!).  It was brief and I immediately fixed it, but not without being noticed.
2. Junctions > Approach speed... I apparently don't slow down early enough approaching roundabouts.  I got marked for this twice.  I'm glad there weren't any more roundabouts in my test route!
3. Judgement > Meeting... there was a bit of narrow road with cars parked up alongside it on my side of the street.  I didn't gauge oncoming traffic properly and had to stop in a somewhat awkward location to let a car pass.

I passed in an automatic with 3 faults last year.

1. Once when I was parked on the side of the road and the examiner asked me to drive off, I forgot to check over my left shoulder for pedestrians.

2. Messed up my reverse around the corner maneuver and had to start over again. My angle was really off the first time.

3. Drove a little too close to a parked car on the side of the road. 

With maneuvers, my instructor told me it's okay to start again if you see yourself messing up and it isn't an easy fix. That's what I did and I still passed.
I also tested in a town I was familiar with, that also has a better pass rate. I think time of day can be an influence too. I took mine at 9am, so by that point a lot of the rush hour traffic had died down and the roads were fairly quiet.