Stick-shift vs automatic for learner

Not what I said, you'll have a personal vehicle you just won't be driving it.

my kids are learning on manual - my son is an apprentice so for work it's something that may benefit him in the future…

daughter of a friend of mine passed her automatic test last year, but is doing the manual test later this year as she wants to change her car and manuals (seemingly) are cheaper than automatics

Two years with substantially more than 50% of new cars being automatic means that there is already a considerable number on the second hand market. And that's just going to get more and more prevalent. No need for "Daddy" to put his hand in his pocket for a 2014 Nissan Leaf or Renault Zoe. Go look on DD for automatics. No shortage of ones to fit any budget.

And yes, it's not like filling out a form. Never said it was. Do you normally state the obvious as if it was the writings of the great philosophers?

Well it does actually matter. People will drive what is the majority of vehicles of their time. For us it was manuals, for kids now, the majority of new cars are autos. As time goes on, it will have completely reversed from what it was in our time. My youngest doesn't see the point of getting a manual license.

Its marginal right now, there is still a case for learning manuals because the majority of affordable used cars are still manual transmission

In 5 years time, this will be different, so only enthusiasts will want to drive them, and the insurance on manual cars will probably be a lot higher so most people won't want them anymore.

You have to pay for the 12 lessons anyway, might as well get the full value out of it. There are skills that you'd pick from learning in a manual that give you more finesse as a driver.

That's quite a negative view but given the ever deteriorating standard of driving you could be right.

Light commercial vehicles are still being sold new here with manual transmissions mainly. For a young driver learning now, these small diesel vans will be the biggest stumbling block if you don’t have a manual test passed. If they end up in any blue collar job, have to make deliveries or visit customers etc. Even a part time job during college for the “young professional” cohort will likely end up faced with a manual at some point. This is even more prevalent in rural areas. Anything manual sold new now will be around for 10+ years.

Yes.

Why not learn how to drive them. It will probably make you a better driver too.

Not sure how learning to drive a manual car would make you a better driver. My recent experiences of novice drivers on the road are two of them driving on the same stretch of motorway well in excess of the speed limit, another in the overtaking lane of a motorway doing less than 100kph with nothing in the inside lane and when I got closer to it, changed lanes without indicating.

Yesterday saw one turn right on a roundabout without indicating and a few days ago another going straight on a roundabout whilst indicating to turn right. And the same day, a novice merged onto a motorway and continued to move across to the overtaking lane where there was a car they didn't see until the last minute. No indicator of course.

Having less things to do in the car should allow for more situational awareness. I say should because nothing's a given and it certainly wouldn't fix the speeding.

DD probably has more used stock than Carzone these days. 43,000 of 91,000 listed as automatic using the search filter. This would be under 50% which is probably more realistic given the average age of the car fleet. It will be a very different landscape in 5-10 years.

Haven't had a manual car since 2017. 2 ev household now. Kids approaching driving age. They will be learning in a manual and taking the test as such. Whether that means actually buying one, not so sure yet.

You pretty much did. You specifically quoted me and then gave the "form filling" reply. It was directed at me and what I posted.

"Get licensed if needed" isn't like filling in a form or something. It's the full learner permit and full test process.

Those EVs were examples of more than ten year old cars that don't need Daddy's money to buy. I'm sure there are a lot more in every possible powertrain, but you knew that.

My faux pas but you get the idea. I’m in a LHD rental at the minute whilst abroad.

👍 A lot more manual cars here too. Potentially a pain renting abroad too for an auto license holder.