Automatic cars and young learner drivers

"..girls cook, wash and clean"

Good grief.

21st Century and people still think this is acceptable.
 
Blackrock1 said:
Are you seriously comparing education to an almost obsolete method of driving a car?
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Your confidence in predicting when manual driving will no longer be a thing varies from "almost obsolete" to 10 years from now to 20 years from now, which is it? Driving a manual is well worth learning imho.
To the OP we went with the Aviva package for our daughter and it's working out well.
 
Ceist Beag said:
Your confidence in predicting when manual driving will no longer be a thing varies from "almost obsolete" to 10 years from now to 20 years from now, which is it? Driving a manual is well worth learning imho.
To the OP we went with the Aviva package for our daughter and it's working out well.
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Manual is obsolete now basically, self driving cars will be 10 to 20 years. How learning to drive manual is a useful life skill baffles me (and yes i learned to drive manual and owned many manual cars). Its over, move on.

Why is driving manual well worth it in your opinion?
 
I'm still on the fence as regards auto v manual. The availability of the Aviva package will probably swing it though, towards manual. I learned to drive in the US @ 28yrs old and had to do the Irish test on my return many years later and ago. I'd not given the auto option for learner/beginner/all drivers much thought until I saw the amount of small autos available and then thought about all the small autos on the rental market, home and abroad and the advent of EV's. Some main manufacturers are giving commitments to phase out production of internal combustion engine cars in the medium term. Then auto v manual may be a moot point. For sure loads of things are life skills and in that matter they are valuable. We could all compile lists and counter-lists. I don't know what the future holds but they're not putting cassette players, cd players in cars anymore and some manufacturers are contemplating no radios.
On another note, it doesn't seem that there's any saving on insurance for an auto V manual....so probably not considered safer.
Also, I think , in an urban setting, my experience has been that it's easier to drive in traffic in an auto and also to stay within the 30kph range....
 
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Blackrock1 said:
Manual is obsolete now basically, self driving cars will be 10 to 20 years. How learning to drive manual is a useful life skill baffles me (and yes i learned to drive manual and owned many manual cars). Its over, move on.

Why is driving manual well worth it in your opinion?
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A couple of reasons. One, I personally feel more in control with a manual and I think it's no harm learning what gear a car should be in and how to change gears to match your speed. Two, I believe manuals will still be around for at least 15 more years and I would not want my children to be unable to consider those as an option when purchasing a car. To say they are obsolete now is pure fiction.
 
I know a young person who was not offered a job when the employer realised they only had an automatic licence so would not be able to drive the company's manual vehicles.
 
Ceist Beag said:
A couple of reasons. One, I personally feel more in control with a manual and I think it's no harm learning what gear a car should be in and how to change gears to match your speed. Two, I believe manuals will still be around for at least 15 more years and I would not want my children to be unable to consider those as an option when purchasing a car. To say they are obsolete now is pure fiction.
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Not obsolete but heading that way. Almost 2 out of 3 new cars sold last year were automatic.

121,850 New Car Registrations in 2023; Electric Cars up 45%

www.simi.ie www.simi.ie

Having move to automatic 4 years ago, you'd have to drag me kicking and screaming back to a manual. So much easier.
 
thedaddyman said:
Not obsolete but heading that way. Almost 2 out of 3 new cars sold last year were automatic.

121,850 New Car Registrations in 2023; Electric Cars up 45%

www.simi.ie www.simi.ie

Having move to automatic 4 years ago, you'd have to drag me kicking and screaming back to a manual. So much easier.
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Obsolete means no longer in general use. What you have just confirmed is that over a third of new cars sold last year were manual. That coupled with the second hand market means manuals will continue to be on our roads for 20+ years - hardly obsolete!
 
Des Pondent said:
I know a young person who was not offered a job when the employer realised they only had an automatic licence so would not be able to drive the company's manual vehicles.
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Grand, but a lot of company reps I dealt with had their cars changed to hybrid, next some to auto and EV. So not heading backwards
Bus driving auto and electric. Amazon electric. More and more one direction. When the incentives come it's a tsunami. Particularly when company directors see savings. Prospective company vehicle not looming large in my near-term decision process though.
 
Ceist Beag said:
Obsolete means no longer in general use. What you have just confirmed is that over a third of new cars sold last year were manual. That coupled with the second hand market means manuals will continue to be on our roads for 20+ years - hardly obsolete!
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I didn't say they were obsolete, I said they were heading in that direction. It will accelerate over the next few years as demand will fall further for them (since less people know how to drive them). There are some people still have the old fashioned ring dial phones and VCRs in their house but trying getting a teenager to use one and they won't have a clue. Same will happen with manual transmissions.
 
Ceist Beag said:
A couple of reasons. One, I personally feel more in control with a manual and I think it's no harm learning what gear a car should be in and how to change gears to match your speed. Two, I believe manuals will still be around for at least 15 more years and I would not want my children to be unable to consider those as an option when purchasing a car. To say they are obsolete now is pure fiction.
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You feel more in control with a manual? what will you do in an ev where there are no gears?

if you like driving a manual thats great, its still not a reason to encourage a new driver to bother with it.
 
Blackrock1 said:
You feel more in control with a manual? what will you do in an ev where there are no gears?

if you like driving a manual thats great, its still not a reason to encourage a new driver to bother with it.
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I gave you two reasons, you have only provided one reason for discouraging learning in a manual and that reason is fiction. Anyway, I made my point and we're digressing from the OP so I'll leave it at that.
 
I passed my test 20 years ago on a manual. Since then I have had no real need for it: could have bought or rented an automatic at any point with no major inconvenience.

Like the vast majority of workers my employer does not provide me with a car so it’s been irrelevant.

(I personally prefer a stick but that’s something else!)

Trend is only going one way in the next 20 years and it’s away from manual. My kids will probably learn automatic and I wouldn’t advise them otherwise unless they are likely to drive for a living.
 
Mommabearof3 said:
I have 2 at home both novice drivers who passed last year. I waited to change my car which is a manual until they both passed their tests. I think it’s limiting to take the test on a manual car. While there are more EV’s on the road and automatics are my preferred driving experience I think you never know how things may pan out. For example work wise not all company cars are automatic who knows what job may take their fancy down the road I would not like my kids to miss out on an opportunity where a job requires a a licence not limited to automatics.
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I currently work in an industry (social care) where our care assistants and social care workers have to be able to drive a manual vehicle before they are permanently employed. All Company vehicles are manual and are needed to bring Service users places every day. While it may not stop them being employed on day one, they are given a certain amount of time to get their manual licence but get it, they must.

I'd prefer my kids to do the manual test first go and get it over with.
 
Ceist Beag said:
I gave you two reasons, you have only provided one reason for discouraging learning in a manual and that reason is fiction. Anyway, I made my point and we're digressing from the OP so I'll leave it at that.
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you didnt give two reasons, you gave a personal preference and a personal opinion, neither of which would inform why a learner now should start with a manual.
 
Blackrock1 said:
Are you seriously comparing education to an almost obsolete method of driving a car?
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That's a bit of a rediculous comment, but I suppose it supports your agenda, most motor vehicles on the road are still manual gear shift, more automatics.
 
Passed 3 rent-by-the-hour/day cars out on my walk this morning. In view of this discussion, I had to investigate. All small runabout and ALL autos. Although their website says the majority of the fleet is manual an update says that due to popular demand they're adding more autos. A young extended-family member did not own a car when in London and also used this type of service when on business on the continent. I noted an increase in this type of rental in Dublin too , when I drove round the city daily.
 
MrEarl said:
That's a bit of a rediculous comment, but I suppose it supports your agenda, most motor vehicles on the road are still manual gear shift, more automatics.
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agenda? What do you mean agenda, since when is an opinion an agenda.

The majority of people buying new cars today buy automatics, in increasing percentages year over year, manual transmissions are old tech and wont be required into the future. I learned 25 years ago to drive in a manual, it made sense then, now it really doesnt.
 
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