Beneficial to start driving in an auto?

[jimxms]

When learning to drive a few years back, the most daunting thing was probably the first few weeks of lessons where I was simultaneously getting used to clutch control and gear changing while also receiving instructions on how to read the road and getting comfortable with the experience of being at the wheel.

I passed my test in 3 months, and right afterwards bought an auto (car I wanted was only in auto flavour). I've been driving nothing but auto's for several years now until I got given a manual courtesy car a few days ago.

It struck me that the the concept of driving a manual again is pretty easy, but when being thrown in the deep end as a learner and having to do everything at once it makes the whole experience a lot more 'scary'.

So therefore I'd be tempted to advise my kids when they are old enough to drive, to start in an auto for a few weeks so they can get used to reading the road, the width of the car, the speed aspect...etc. And then once they are comfortable with that side of things, move into a manual for the rest of their time as a learner.

Does that sound a reasonable idea?

[snuffle]

No.

Driver education and road sense as a school lesson maybe.

[jimxms]

snuffle said:

No.

Driver education and road sense as a school lesson maybe.

I agree with that too, but that's not happening is it.

[CDP]

I think when learning a manual is a little easier as the lower gears give you a little more control and it doesn't take long before it becomes second nature. A decent instructor will get them familiar very quickly.

Also the small cheap cars are normally manual so restricting to automatic will make things harder in the long term.

[jimxms]

CDP said:

I think when learning a manual is a little easier as the lower gears give you a little more control and it doesn't take long before it becomes second nature. A decent instructor will get them familiar very quickly.

Also the small cheap cars are normally manual so restricting to automatic will make things harder in the long term.

But on the flipside I've seen people take their first few lessons and then quit for a few years because they had an experience of stalling at the lights and getting overly flustered by it.

At least if you were to ease them in for a few weeks with an auto, some of the stress about car position, sped, signs etc would be relieved and they might find it easier to master the gears.

[sjg]

I learning the mechanics of driving a manual car away from the public road, before having lessons on-road is a better idea.

I got to practice that quite a bit (my dad would take me to empty carparks on a sunday evening) so when I turned 17 and had my first proper lesson, I could concentrate on the road stuff and not on what my hands and feet were doing.

[thinfourth2]

It would be more beneficial to start learning to drive in a field

[jimxms]

sjg said:

I learning the mechanics of driving a manual car away from the public road, before having lessons on-road is a better idea.

I got to practice that quite a bit (my dad would take me to empty carparks on a sunday evening) so when I turned 17 and had my first proper lesson, I could concentrate on the road stuff and not on what my hands and feet were doing.

True. Thats a good way of doing it I suppose. I never got the opportunity to do that when I was learning.

[Buff Mchugelarge]

Start them early

My 10 year old can drive manuel on his own no probs
They should'nt be on the public road until their instructor is confident in there abilities to control the car.

[jimxms]

Buff Mchugelarge said:

They should'nt be on the public road until their instructor is confident in there abilities to control the car.

Do any instructors actually do this? I had two instructors from different schools and both through the best way for me to learn was to throw me straight in the deep end.

[One Amp Andy]

Buff Mchugelarge said:

My 10 year old can drive manuel on his own no probs

Edited by One Amp Andy on Sunday 11th December 11:29

[jimxms]

One Amp Andy said:

Buff Mchugelarge said:

My 10 year old can drive manuel on his own no probs

Si Si Si

[One Amp Andy]

[craigjm]

I think it makes sense for the first few lessons when learning to be in an auto to get used to how to handle the road and then switch to a manual to build up for the test. This is how you would learn to drive if you are posh enough to learn with the Mercedes academy at Mercedes World (costs a fortune but you can be test ready before 17). It is something i never thought of when I was learning although I think the attitudes to autos are very different now with the proliferation of small autos and dual clutch cars. There will come a time when being able to drive a full manual or even buy a manual will be the minority.

[CDP]

Alternatively they could start SaxMax at 14 and master gearchanges as well as car control long before they hit the roads:

http://www.750mc.co.uk/F-sax-max.php

[John D.]

jimxms said:

One Amp Andy said:

Buff Mchugelarge said:

My 10 year old can drive manuel on his own no probs

Si Si Si

Can't really see the benefit personally. When someone then decides to get a manual car they won't know what to do and will be too used to driving auto (no doubt with in-grained bad habits related to auto driving). Just dipping the clutch when stationary in gear will be completely alien to them.

For instance an ex-work colleagues wife (who only drove auto cars) once rejected a new Mazda she had wanted as it didn't hold itself still on a slope in D like her old car. She could'nt get her head round using the brake in that situation FFS.

[CDP]

jimxms said:

One Amp Andy said:

Buff Mchugelarge said:

My 10 year old can drive manuel on his own no probs

Si Si Si

You normally steer him with a spoon or poke in the eye and stop with a frying pan.

[philmots]

A mate of mine had a field car when we were younger was a good laugh. I had a mini when I was 16 I used to rag round our yard..

All good as when I started my lessons for good the actual driving bit was second nature.