Automatic cars and young learner drivers

[galway_blow_in]

At one time, they were significantly more expensive, prone to damage & not cheap to repair.

If you've grown up learning to drive on a tractor and / or farm car, you tend to stick with what you know

That was decades ago, relative to other countries, we had a remarkable aversion to them long after problems were eradicated, probably due to being an island nation though New Zealand is far more remote yet when I lived and worked there in the late ninties, circa 40% of cars were automatic, in Ireland at the time it would have been probably 5%

 

[galway_blow_in]

They also told us electric cars were cleaner and cheaper. Turned out to be lies. Electric cars are very expensive. Costly to run. If you've an accident the insurance companies write them off over the battery. Hertz had to write off millions in relation to a bad investment in them. Not sure now if they will buy mostly manuals, I always request a manual at Dublin airport.

My youngest is doing driving lessons in a manual this week, both our cars are manual, one is a soft hybrid the other is 19 years old, ideal for learning. Thank goodness we kept it. Don't care what dint they do to it. Already had to fork out for a broken tail light, coming home after work and could see our white pillar, and of course never told me ! It's got lovely white markings now on it, another child burst the tyre reversing too fast over the curb, had to get two new tyres because the law here is they have to be 'balanced'.

I didn't realise until the children started to drive that my old car doesn't have a 'hill start' which they learnt at the driving school, so I do them completely differently (with the hand brake). Luckily I decided not to teach them so they wouldn't have my bad habits from learning to drive a tractor when I was about 10.

Electric cars like ICE cars vary in price, a Tesla model 3 RWD is cheaper than the best selling car in the country ( Hyundai Tucson)

An MG4 can be bought for circa 30k

 

[Blackrock1]

Electric cars like ICE cars vary in price, a Tesla model 3 RWD is cheaper than the best selling car in the country ( Hyundai Tucson)

An MG4 can be bought for circa 30k

indeed, when people say EVs are expensive, compared to what?

 

[Zobeda]

indeed, when people say EVs are expensive, compared to what?

Compared to the budget that many first time car buyers have starting out maybe?

 

[Blackrock1]

Compared to the budget that many first time car buyers have starting out maybe?

you can get a nissan leaf for under 3k, but obviously over time as more of the fleet goes ev, the lower ends of the market will have more options. Remember someone has to buy new for you to buy second hand. Nowadays a new EV will be competitive against a similar ice if not cheaper.

 

[Bronte]

Not many women that I know chop wood.

All the women in my family know how to chop wood. There's no need for it anymore though. As wood can be bought chopped. I know very few men who can chop wood. My husband couldn't be trusted to put a nail in straight or in one very infamous incident put gloss paint for skirting on a wall. Many decades ago now. He stuck to the day job and we had marital bliss. As we are talking about cars, and not trees, his Irish driving license confounded the local council here, he has a cowboy license in most of the categories. Modern men probably don't know how to change a flat wheel.

 

[Bronte]

you should get your kids a vcr and a dvd player aswell, maybe a crt tv, just in case like.

Today one of the kids had to go to the airport to collect another one, to their disgust I said they couldn't go in the new car. Happily they are able to connect the new speaker I bought yesterday (JCR I think it is) to their phone to play music as the car has no radio. I do love my new car as the phone connects and I can do phone calls so easily. Plus it has sat nav. The children can't seem to find anywhere without sat nav or their phones.

 

[DannyBoyD]

know how to chop wood. There's no need for it anymore though.

Indeed, rather like the 'no need to learn manual gear change'

But still a useful skill to have when you don't have kindling

 

[Bronte]

Indeed, rather like the 'no need to learn manual gear change'

But still a useful skill to have when you don't have kindling

I have an axe for just such. Also had to chop some of the larger logs after we had to have a tree taken down and they were a bit big. Not so good if the metal bit flies off though, which was a thing I remember happening. There's no newspaper anymore either to fold into shape for starting a fire. This year we no longer have a fire. Less work and less cleaning. And we can also buy bags of cipinis, I presume they exist in Ireland.

Can't remember the difference between an axe and a hatchet though. When Putin nukes us all some of us will still be able to start fires. But none of us are able to fix EV's.

 

[Blackrock1]

I have an axe for just such. Also had to chop some of the larger logs after we had to have a tree taken down and they were a bit big. Not so good if the metal bit flies off though, which was a thing I remember happening. There's no newspaper anymore either to fold into shape for starting a fire. This year we no longer have a fire. Less work and less cleaning. And we can also buy bags of cipinis, I presume they exist in Ireland.

Can't remember the difference between an axe and a hatchet though. When Putin nukes us all some of us will still be able to start fires. But none of us are able to fix EV's.

happily evs dont tend to break down very often, assuming you are a competent mechanic and can fix a combustion engine, most of the stuff that breaks isnt in an EV.

 

[galway_blow_in]

Compared to the budget that many first time car buyers have starting out maybe?

Apples and oranges as there simply aren't enough used EVs to choose from in order to compare, within the context of new cars however, there is no substantial difference in price

 

[galway_blow_in]

All the women in my family know how to chop wood. There's no need for it anymore though. As wood can be bought chopped. I know very few men who can chop wood. My husband couldn't be trusted to put a nail in straight or in one very infamous incident put gloss paint for skirting on a wall. Many decades ago now. He stuck to the day job and we had marital bliss. As we are talking about cars, and not trees, his Irish driving license confounded the local council here, he has a cowboy license in most of the categories. Modern men probably don't know how to change a flat wheel.

I can change a flat tyre but confess to never having chopped wood, we were turf folk

 

[Mousehelp]

Dublin to Wexford return in my EV today for the cost of €4.84. I won’t be going back to an ICE anytime soon.

 

[mathepac]

Dublin to Wexford return in my EV today for the cost of €4.84.

Home charging?

 

[Mousehelp]

Home charging?

Yes. EV rate. Have solar also and could too up during the day if required but seldom so.

450 range on a good day so can realistically get to and from most places. Quick public top up may be required on longer hornets - long enough to get a coffee and use the loo. Have been very lucky and have only waited once for a charger and that was on the motorway when the neighboring garage had no power and hence the longer queue.

Did a day trip to Clifton during the summer so just had to plan to charge in Galway city en route but wasn’t an issue.

For me it has been a hugh cost saver. 7 year warranty means I don’t have to worry about the battery but have never had an issue with the car.

 

[DannyBoyD]

and this isnt one, its a thread about manual v automatic, as it happens EVs dont have gears so its a factor in the discussion.

Post #94 & #96 is entirely about EVs & the joys of same.

And back to topic; all arguments re driving test manual vs automatic have pretty much been proposed at this point.

OP - let us know what you end up deciding on & good luck to the youngsters doing their test!

 

[Zobeda]

The OP asked was is it a waste of time learning to drive in a manual transmission car.

I say no, but I do believe it is a limiting choice. It may well be the case that a person will never need, nor want, to drive a manual. If that's the case then the OPs question should be answered with a maybe, imho.

(Having retired from a PS role after over 30 years late last year I am intending to get certified as an approved driving instructor and start offering lessons as a sole trader in Q1 next year. For that purpose I will be purchasing a car with manual transmission and fitting dual controls. If someone wants instruction in an auto it is my belief that they will already own, or have access to such a vehicle. If they choose to engage my services it will have to be on the basis that instruction is carried out in their vehicle. I believe buying an auto and setting up as an auto only instructor would be too limiting - from a business pov - at this point in time.)

 

[galway_blow_in]

The OP asked was is it a waste of time learning to drive in a manual transmission car.

I say no, but I do believe it is a limiting choice. It may well be the case that a person will never need, nor want, to drive a manual. If that's the case then the OPs question should be answered with a maybe, imho.

(Having retired from a PS role after over 30 years late last year I am intending to get certified as an approved driving instructor and start offering lessons as a sole trader in Q1 next year. For that purpose I will be purchasing a car with manual transmission and fitting dual controls. If someone wants instruction in an auto it is my belief that they will already own, or have access to such a vehicle. If they choose to engage my services it will have to be on the basis that instruction is carried out in their vehicle. I believe buying an auto and setting up as an auto only instructor would be too limiting - from a business pov - at this point in time.)

Of course but that's a general customer you are serving , the OP is a specific case , automatic cars are a lot easier to drive and especially learn in as you only focus on steering etc

 

[Blackrock1]

Post #94 & #96 is entirely about EVs & the joys of same.

And back to topic; all arguments re driving test manual vs automatic have pretty much been proposed at this point.

OP - let us know what you end up deciding on & good luck to the youngsters doing their test!

Right so 2 percent of the posts of which one was an answer to a question hardly constitutes the hi jacking of a thread.

 

[Blackrock1]

The OP asked was is it a waste of time learning to drive in a manual transmission car.

I say no, but I do believe it is a limiting choice. It may well be the case that a person will never need, nor want, to drive a manual. If that's the case then the OPs question should be answered with a maybe, imho.

(Having retired from a PS role after over 30 years late last year I am intending to get certified as an approved driving instructor and start offering lessons as a sole trader in Q1 next year. For that purpose I will be purchasing a car with manual transmission and fitting dual controls. If someone wants instruction in an auto it is my belief that they will already own, or have access to such a vehicle. If they choose to engage my services it will have to be on the basis that instruction is carried out in their vehicle. I believe buying an auto and setting up as an auto only instructor would be too limiting - from a business pov - at this point in time.)

It's getting less and less limiting as time goes on.