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Learning to drive a manual having driven an automatic

  • 15-11-2012 12:00pm
    #1
    TwoMums2Be
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 776 ✭✭✭


    I'm looking for opinions on how difficult it is to get the hang of the clutch & gears when you have driven an automatic.

    When learning to drive I initially did lessons in a manual & got on ok but we switched cars to an automatic & I then learnt to drive & did my test in an automatic.

    Now we are looking at buying a second car (manual) & I'd appreciate opinions on how easy the transition will be. I have no intention of just hoping into a manual & away I go - I would learn to drive it properly first! Has anyone done it & how did you find it?

    I don't have a license issue (you know how it is) & my car will remain the auto but I will need to be able to drive the manual in time :) we'd just get another automatic but the car we want has one of those stupid electronically controlled manuals - is it a bird, is it a plane, it's certainly not an automatic!

    Thanks Folks :)


Comments

  • #2
    Super hoop
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 253 ✭✭Super hoop


    TwoMums2Be wrote: »
    I'm looking for opinions on how difficult it is to get the hang of the clutch & gears when you have driven an automatic.

    When learning to drive I initially did lessons in a manual & got on ok but we switched cars to an automatic & I then learnt to drive & did my test in an automatic.

    Now we are looking at buying a second car (manual) & I'd appreciate opinions on how easy the transition will be. I have no intention of just hoping into a manual & away I go - I would learn to drive it properly first! Has anyone done it & how did you find it?

    I don't have a license issue (you know how it is) & my car will remain the auto but I will need to be able to drive the manual in time :) we'd just get another automatic but the car we want has one of those stupid electronically controlled manuals - is it a bird, is it a plane, it's certainly not an automatic!

    Thanks Folks :)
    If you did your driving test in an automatic car YOU CANNOT drive a manual.your not licensed to do so.that aside,clutch control is the main thing you need to learn to drive a manual car.have a manual and automatic cars here and i love the auto,but i did my driving test in a manual car.
    Why did u do your test in an automatic car?


  • #3
    TwoMums2Be
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 776 ✭✭✭TwoMums2Be


    Super hoop wrote: »
    If you did your driving test in an automatic car YOU CANNOT drive a manual.your not licensed to do so.that aside,clutch control is the main thing you need to learn to drive a manual car.have a manual and automatic cars here and i love the auto,but i did my driving test in a manual car.
    Why did u do your test in an automatic car?

    I have an unstricted license & there have been numerous threads over the years on the subject. Because of the license I own I am therefore licensed to do so - that's not the advice I'm looking for & as I said I have every intention to learn to drive a manual with a fully licensed driver before setting out on my own. As others in my situation have tried to get a provisional for a manual & have not been allowed due to the fact that they hold a full license as far as the system is concerned you end up in an awkward position but it is what it is!

    Thanks for the advice re clutch control being the main learning curve :)

    I did my test in an automatic because we own an automatic, I had a test date in a month hadn't done any driving in some time so did lessons, practiced, tested & passed with flying colours in my automatic. I knew that I should have been restricted, the tester even told me so but the only restriction my license has is that I have to wear glasses (on which I was borderline so the optician asked if I wanted her to put down that I needed them). I'm not irresponsible but I've ended up with a full unstricted license by no fault of my own!


  • #4
    Super hoop
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 253 ✭✭Super hoop


    TwoMums2Be wrote: »

    I have an unstricted license & there have been numerous threads over the years on the subject. Because of the license I own I am therefore licensed to do so - that's not the advice I'm looking for & as I said I have every intention to learn to drive a manual with a fully licensed driver before setting out on my own. As others in my situation have tried to get a provisional for a manual & have not been allowed due to the fact that they hold a full license as far as the system is concerned you end up in an awkward position but it is what it is!

    Thanks for the advice re clutch control being the main learning curve :)

    I did my test in an automatic because we own an automatic, I had a test date in a month hadn't done any driving in some time so did lessons, practiced, tested & passed with flying colours in my automatic. I knew that I should have been restricted, the tester even told me so but the only restriction my license has is that I have to wear glasses (on which I was borderline so the optician asked if I wanted her to put down that I needed them). I'm not irresponsible but I've ended up with a full unstricted license by no fault of my own!
    Lucky you having an unrestricted licence after doin your test an an automatic car.as i said before,controlling the clutch for gear changes is the main difference between the systems.once ya get the hang of it you'll be grand.
    Happy motoring !!


  • #5
    TwoMums2Be
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 776 ✭✭✭TwoMums2Be


    Thanks Super Hoop, I never expected an unrestricted license but I ended up with one. I never drove alone with a provisional (when I was legally allowed to) & I will learn to drive a manual before venturing on my own. I take driving seriously :)

    In fairness it's an odd situation to have ended up in but heck that's Ireland for ya :rolleyes:


  • #6
    Del2005
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,100 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    TwoMums2Be wrote: »
    I'm looking for opinions on how difficult it is to get the hang of the clutch & gears when you have driven an automatic.

    When learning to drive I initially did lessons in a manual & got on ok but we switched cars to an automatic & I then learnt to drive & did my test in an automatic.

    Now we are looking at buying a second car (manual) & I'd appreciate opinions on how easy the transition will be. I have no intention of just hoping into a manual & away I go - I would learn to drive it properly first! Has anyone done it & how did you find it?

    I don't have a license issue (you know how it is) & my car will remain the auto but I will need to be able to drive the manual in time :) we'd just get another automatic but the car we want has one of those stupid electronically controlled manuals - is it a bird, is it a plane, it's certainly not an automatic!

    Thanks Folks :)

    Just get some lessons in a dual control car, then when you get confident start using your own.


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  • #7
    jackofalltrades
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,253 ✭✭✭jackofalltrades


    TwoMums2Be wrote: »
    we'd just get another automatic but the car we want has one of those stupid electronically controlled manuals - is it a bird, is it a plane, it's certainly not an automatic!
    What's the car your looking at getting?


  • #8
    TwoMums2Be
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 776 ✭✭✭TwoMums2Be


    jackofalltrades wrote: »
    What's the car your looking at getting?

    Peugeot 5008


  • #9
    jackofalltrades
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,253 ✭✭✭jackofalltrades


    The gearbox seems to have a fully automatic mode.
    It does seem to get a lot of mixed reviews, so I'd probably test drive one to see what it's like.

    http://www.motortorque.com/peugeot-5008-estate-(2010-on)-car-review-7255.aspx
    The EGC unit has neutral, drive or reverse modes plus a sideways position to push the lever into to engage the sequential gearchange option. This Tiptronic type mode can also be operated from steering column mounted paddles.

    I found the EGC unit to be slow in operation in auto mode and it hung onto gears too long during acceleration and didn't engage fifth or sixth gears soon enough on winding country roads.

    Driving these automated manual 'boxes' takes a different driving style and the accelerator needs to be 'feathered' at the change points to get the smoothest performance.


  • #10
    TwoMums2Be
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 776 ✭✭✭TwoMums2Be


    jackofalltrades wrote: »
    The gearbox seems to have a fully automatic mode.
    It does seem to get a lot of mixed reviews, so I'd probably test drive one to see what it's like.

    http://www.motortorque.com/peugeot-5008-estate-(2010-on)-car-review-7255.aspx

    We have test drove a Picasso with the same engine & gearbox combo. It's fully auto just leaves the gearbox to do what it thinks it should. If you accelerate with any kind of urgency the car lurches forward at each gear change - we have very short acceleration lanes on to the motorway here & I just don't think the box is up to the job. Even at normal acceleration it doesn't change gears seamlessly, if technology can't change a manual box quick enough for the driver not to notice then they need to go back to the drawing board :)

    I have a cvt box in the jazz & whatever you ask it to do, it does perfectly smoothly :)


  • #11
    Xers
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28 ✭Xers


    As the review says its sem-auto transmission... so you have to learn it that way... no clutch thing.... so if want to use gears you have to change it according to speed i think....i'm not sure why u need to do it when u have been driving automatic.... once u just used to the car it will be fine i think..


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  • #12
    TwoMums2Be
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 776 ✭✭✭TwoMums2Be


    Xers wrote: »
    As the review says its sem-auto transmission... so you have to learn it that way... no clutch thing.... so if want to use gears you have to change it according to speed i think....i'm not sure why u need to do it when u have been driving automatic.... once u just used to the car it will be fine i think..

    We are planning on buying a manual 5008 not the automatic - hence my question of learning to drive a full manual having been driving a full automatic :)


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