Driving Automatic

Thank you for all the input! Just called an instructor to arrange for a "refresher" course.

I am another one of those automatic drivers. My first car in the US was a manual and my first lesson here was on a manual. Ultimately, I decided I wanted my license as soon a possible so developing my confidence on the road was more important than negotiating stop and go driving in London with a manual. My instructor always said I could test again in the future, but really no point as automatics are readily available. Four years later, I am thinking about it just as a personal goal!

I'm very happy to read this thread. I was wondering how hard it was to take the exam in an automatic. I have a coordination problem, so there's just no way I could do a manual. Not to mention the massive differences in driving laws/signs, I just wouldn't want the additional distraction of having to shift gears too.

I'd like to encourage anyone who does not know how to drive a stick to at least give it a try. Yes, you will stall it at first. But as soon as you get the hang of getting out of first gear, the rest comes pretty easily. The cars today are MUCH easier to shift than the ones a decade ago.  I simply do not understand the mental mindset that so many people hold against manual cars. It feels like an old wives tale. Manuals were hard to learn in the 1950's so therefore it will always be hard?

What about stopping on hills or inclines? That's really my only serious concern about learning to drive a manual. It's necessary to keep one foot on the brake and the clutch and then somehow quickly take the foot off the brake and press the gas pedal to move from a stopped position -- Whew! that must take a lot of practice, no?

It's something you get used to doing, like everything else. And you can get to the skill level where you do not roll back at all. I used to live in one of the mountain areas of southern CA and drove a standard there and IMHO, hilly areas are even better for standards due to the amount of control you gain. Driving up a steep incline? Standard allows YOU to control the shift. Driving in snowy weather? Standard means you can pull out at YOUR pace. 

Obviously from the responses on this thread, I am in the minority, but I still don't get why Americans make such a big hoo-hah about driving a standard. Millions of people in the world drive standards of all shapes and sizes with no issues. Why are we the only country with a phobia about them?

What about stopping on hills or inclines? That's really my only serious concern about learning to drive a manual. It's necessary to keep one foot on the brake and the clutch and then somehow quickly take the foot off the brake and press the gas pedal to move from a stopped position -- Whew! that must take a lot of practice, no?

Actually, don't worry about this at all!  Because if you're learning to drive manual over here from an instructor (I don't know how it is in the US because a friend taught me to drive manual there - heh), you'll be using your handbrake a lot!  (Americans used to driving manual in the US usually moan a lot about how they want you to use your handbrake so much over here - lol!)

So it won't be a case of juggling your feet about - you'll put your handbrake on, one foot on the clutch, one foot on the gas, when you release the clutch to 'the biting point' - you then release the handbrake with your hand, and off you go up that hill!  Easy peasy!

While I don't think people should be put off giving manual driving a try, if you're more comfortable with an automatic & it's what you want to do, it's what you want to do.  No big deal really either way. 

While I don't think people should be put off giving manual driving a try, if you're more comfortable with an automatic & it's what you want to do, it's what you want to do.  No big deal really either way. 

No, it's not a big deal. But I do think it's a discussion worth having and I am genuinely interested in people's opinions as to why manuals are feared. Thoughts anyone? 

I'm totally with you Courtney. I learned on a manual in the US and have always preferred it for all the reasons you mention. In the US it also always got major points with guys, who for some reason felt that driving a manual was not something girls could usually do.    It means cheaper car hire rates outside the US and the flexibility to drive any car. I think people are put off because such a big deal is made about manuals being so hard in the US, but everyone else in the world drives them as standard, so they can't be that bad. When I was learning to drive I asked for a manual and only 1 school offered it; the others all said, 'Oh no, you shouldn't learn on a manual, it's too hard to learn to drive and shift at the same time and you won't be able to do it.' They then couldn't explain why most other countries could manage it!

I'm totally with you Courtney. I learned on a manual in the US and have always preferred it for all the reasons you mention. In the US it also always got major points with guys, who for some reason felt that driving a manual was not something girls could usually do.    It means cheaper car hire rates outside the US and the flexibility to drive any car. I think people are put off because such a big deal is made about manuals being so hard in the US, but everyone else in the world drives them as standard, so they can't be that bad. When I was learning to drive I asked for a manual and only 1 school offered it; the others all said, 'Oh no, you shouldn't learn on a manual, it's too hard to learn to drive and shift at the same time and you won't be able to do it.' They then couldn't explain why most other countries could manage it!

This is true! It's hard to learn to drive a manual in the US because no one has one. I'd like to learn and an ex-bf started to teach me about 4 years ago but never finished and I really don't know anyone else with a standard transmission to learn on.

My brother learned on manual because he's older and got the old station wagon as his first car.

I learned on automatic because that's what my mom's van was, and I bought own my first car, which was automatic.

When that went caput, my brother happened to be in the military and left behind a car that was the exact same make and model as my car was, only manual.  So, I figured, I need a new car, my brother's not using this one, it's just like mine, I'll have mom/dad teach me to drive it.  I learned and was doing alright with it.  We lived in a valley so I mastered hills straight away.  But then...

The first time I decided to take it into town by myself (we lived out in the middle of nowhere so I drove empty backroads on my own) I got really nervous all of a sudden and was just driving terribly.  But I made it in one piece with little incident.  On the drive home, however, I stalled in the middle of an intersection and began freaking out because I couldn't get the car to start, and people were honking their horns and shouting at me.  I managed to get home but I was crying the whole time and was so traumatised that I just never drove it again (I was 19, so gotta cut me a little slack on that!  )

I'm at the point now where I would like to re-learn it because I'm a much more confident driver than I was and, like others have said, it would be nice to be able to drive any car. But I don't have the time/money to do it and for now I'd rather just get my automatic license and a cheap second hand automatic that will get me to the train station or to the supermarket. 

I'm very happy to read this thread. I was wondering how hard it was to take the exam in an automatic. I have a coordination problem, so there's just no way I could do a manual. Not to mention the massive differences in driving laws/signs, I just wouldn't want the additional distraction of having to shift gears too.

If you look up driving instructors in the Yellow Pages, they usually mention if they teach on automatics. My instructor only taught automatic, and I passed on my first try.

It's something you get used to doing, like everything else. And you can get to the skill level where you do not roll back at all. I used to live in one of the mountain areas of southern CA and drove a standard there and IMHO, hilly areas are even better for standards due to the amount of control you gain. Driving up a steep incline? Standard allows YOU to control the shift. Driving in snowy weather? Standard means you can pull out at YOUR pace. 

Obviously from the responses on this thread, I am in the minority, but I still don't get why Americans make such a big hoo-hah about driving a standard. Millions of people in the world drive standards of all shapes and sizes with no issues. Why are we the only country with a phobia about them?

Did you ever use the handbrake while driving the hilly areas of CA?

I don't really know anyone here in the U.S. who has a phobia about standards -- lots of people drive them. It's just people like me who are so used to automatic, I just feel concerned about rolling back till I get the hang of things.

Thank you for the encouragement! It helps to hear positive feedback.

Actually, don't worry about this at all!  Because if you're learning to drive manual over here from an instructor (I don't know how it is in the US because a friend taught me to drive manual there - heh), you'll be using your handbrake a lot!  (Americans used to driving manual in the US usually moan a lot about how they want you to use your handbrake so much over here - lol!)

So it won't be a case of juggling your feet about - you'll put your handbrake on, one foot on the clutch, one foot on the gas, when you release the clutch to 'the biting point' - you then release the handbrake with your hand, and off you go up that hill!  Easy peasy!

While I don't think people should be put off giving manual driving a try, if you're more comfortable with an automatic & it's what you want to do, it's what you want to do.  No big deal really either way. 

Thank  you! You've put my mind at ease! Just knowing that I can use the handbrake makes the world of difference. (The people I know in the U.S. who drive manual, I never see them use the handbrake). So thank you! I will definitely stop worrying so much and can see myself driving a manual now!

 

Yeah, in the US we call it a parking brake, but they call it a hand brake here for a reason -- they use it. Not just hill starts. If you come to a stop for more than about 20 seconds, you're supposed to put on the hand brake.

I passed first time, but there is no way I would have passed without lessons- even after driving for 12 months over here. After driving for a lot of years I had developed my own habbits and didn't do things the way they expect.

Same here. I drove for 24 years in the States...all over the country. 14 years of that I drove a manual. I took 24 lessons here and passed my theory and practical on the first attempt.  The extra practice really helped with handling the roundabouts.  Too many Americans and Europeans get killed in our area when they forget and turn the wrong way at a junction.  Happens all the time.

By the way... (and I might need to start a new topic for this) but, it was only £102 a year more for me to be added to hubby's insurance. We pay £354 a year for both of us, full coverage. Through Admiral Insurance with 5 years of no-claims discounts.