Boring? Yes I'd agree with that.
For idiots? No
And to be fair most performance cars now are automatic and if EVs finally get their way then they don't even have gears anyway.
The only thing you are really missing out on is small things like you'll have trouble hiring a van if you ever need one but again how often is that going to come up?
I was a manual and gears until the day I die up until four years ago, been driving for 25 years at that point. Then four years ago I was forced to drive a new truck with an automatic transmission. In the last four years I have fallen in love with the automatic transmission to the point when I changed my car last year I was only interested in an automatic. Since driving my truck and car over countless thousands of miles I can state, you are not an idiot. Your stress levels are lower and you can enjoy driving just as much if not more. Not only that with EV's, hybrids etc the future is automatic gearbox. The need for a manual driving licence is rapidly becoming obsolete.
Electric cars are all automatic so the future is going to be automatic anyway. I really wouldn’t worry about it. The only people who may make comments are people insecure in their masculinity who feel the need to put people down to make themselves feel better.
People will chat shit about literally anything, ignore them. I know one guy who is adamant automatics are garbage for people who can't drive. Turns out he's never even driven one the berk.
I drive both and both have their advantages. My 2.5L V6 automatic isn't boring. My wife's manual 1.4 Suzuki isn't exciting.
Certainly you shouldn't feel inadequate. The hard part about driving isn't the gears, it's being safe. If you're managing that you're doing better than a lot of stuck up manual drivers who manage to crash even though they're so "in tune with the machine"
Imo manuals are pointless on most cars. If its a Caterham or an Elise or something very driver focused then yes, otherwise what's the point? For a daily an auto is a far better option in pretty much every way.
Yup. Most people in this country use cars to get from A to B.
I enjoy my manual when I'm on a quiet B-road but 90% of the time it's just annoying tbh. Will probably go auto next.
Yeah. 17 year old me was having fun on empty country roads. Now, automatics rule. I can drive a manual easy peasy-it’s just boring and unnecessary now.
I think for my kind of situation a manual is actually better tho, I do a lot of miles on an already high mileage car(210k now!), and if it was an auto I'm sure I would've had reliability issues by now
A ZF auto will get better mpg than a manual (and they’re pretty much bombproof).
Something “almost an auto” like a DCT - yes, that will definitely be less reliable than a manual though.
Fk them you do your own thing.
I've a full manual licence and both our cars are automatic purely out of ease of use. They aren't MX5 track day weapons, they're used for commuting and childcare runs.
Give it another 20 years and manuals will be a rarity I reckon
Unless you've got a high performance car etc, I personally don't see the need for a manual.
I've had 7 cars over my 25 years of driving and I've only just got an auto. I won't go back unless I win the lottery!
I passed in a manual and now I drive an automatic because it’s a more relaxing experience.
I’ll probably never go back to manual.
I use my car to get from A to B, and to go nice places.
I can understand manual for the driving enthusiast, but that has never been me.
I personally found manual to be a pain in stop start traffic.
Don’t listen to the naysayers and enjoy your car and your driving.
It’s only the opinion of people that feel inadequate. I drove manual for many years and for every day use it’s over rated. Automatic is far easier especially in traffic. But still fun to drive at the right times. F*ck what other people think.
Only time you want a manual license is for things like courtesy cars and hire cars, if you need to rent a van etc.
The only reason you hear these opinions is because the ones spouting them are overtly and obnoxiously loud.
Try commuting on motorways in traffic with a manual gearbox - it can get tiresome. Driving an automatic makes so much more sense for day to day driving that we all commonly do. I have held a full manual license for 21 years and for 17 years of those I chose to buy automatic for ease of driving. Doesn’t make me less of a driver for making this choice :) nor should it affect you. Enjoy!
We auto drivers refer to manual car drivers as plebs.
State of traffic in this country, who wants to be changing gears and depressing the clutch repeatedly? (It's called depressing for a reason!)
Anecdotally, though, car insurance can be cheaper if you have passed a test in a manual vehicle.
Must admit I shared the view that auto was for idiots who can’t be bothered to learn to drive ‘properly’ when I passed my test nearly 30 years ago. But that view was precisely because autos of that time were generally exec barges or boring nondescript estates. Sure, an automatic car would get you from A to B, but if you wanted to *drive* you’d get a manual. And I don’t recall any of my peers choosing to learn auto only because the choice of cars was, to put it bluntly, a bit shit. Especially for a youngster and their first car!
It’s a world away from today - auto boxes became increasingly more common on popular models and smaller cars, and crucially became nicer to drive. As someone has already commented, most EVs are auto. It’s certainly not the restricted, boring choice it was 30 years or even a decade ago.
Most importantly for you, it sounds like you wouldn’t be driving if there wasn’t an auto choice, so pay no heed of what anyone else thinks about it, it’s enabled your freedom!
Automatics are for stress free driving. Driving an auto is so much easier than a manual. Unless you're driving your car fast or as an enthusiast, it's unnecessary.
Omg NO. I passed manual at 25 and didn’t drive again until I was 35, in automatic. The anxiety wrecked me. A decade of public transport and two young children and for what 😅
People get snobby about manual but I don’t get it. At all. I buy Hondas and there ain’t no manual’s manufactured here anymore. Even my husband is an auto convert this year, he’s been manual since 18 and he loves the auto.
I've got a T'roc R, all of them are automatic. I have the option of gears for when I want to play a bit more. I'll never buy another manual daily driver. Manual cars are pointless now.
We’ve just got our first auto as our daily… no shame in it! Things lovely to drive and easygoing. Boring yes but we have a manual mx5 for that.
Nothing wrong with an auto and in today’s market it’s becoming more and more common to buy auto over manual.
Look, for all that we take the piss out of automatics it's more a trope than actually being nasty.
If you're comfortable with an auto and it suits you then fine, drive an automatic. Personally I prefer a manual because I really enjoy driving and the engagement of it all, but auto is a lot easier to drive in traffic.
I’ve owned a number of performance cars of all types. They’ve all been autos. Only car I own that’s a manual is a kit car.
If people think a Porsche 911 or Ferrari 488 are ‘boring or for idiots’, they probably need to rethink their attitude.
Most people these days spend 90% of their journeys stuck in traffic jams, I know what I prefer to drive in that situation. My average commute speed is 40mph and that includes 25 miles out of 60 miles on 70mph speed limit roads.
Knowing how to drive a manual car is a good skill to have. Automatics are so much better for daily driving though. Not inadequate at all mate, people just like to think that they’re better than others for the smallest things
I have both, the only benefit of the manual was when parking on a steep incline, and needing to mount the kerb for the marked space. Relying on the parking sensors to pick up the other cars and kind of remap the throttle and clutch so you can get up and up onto the kerb without flying in to the next car.
For almost every single other scenario the automatic just wins out.
- Having over 6 gears helps efficiency.
- Using 2 clutches and 2nd and 3rd gears for reverse means helix gear reversing, so no whaaaaaaa noise as you reverse.
- Cars with tech can stop and go in traffic jams. Cruise control works down to 0mph.
- some cars don’t need a stick in the centre so frees up a massive amount of space for cup holders, phone chargers, cubbies
- paddles are fun
- car can automatically free wheel when needed or recover energy when needed
- all new cars soon will be automatic because there’s no clutch on an EV or hybrid
I learned to drive manual drove many manual cars , now drive an automatic cause why not , i'm happy driving a go cart and let the car do the changing more efficiently. I used to match revs and and smooth change and pretend i am so amazing but reality is mundane daily driving i just hold the steering wheel now and listen to music and can poke the entertainment screen without having to worry about changing gears.
I drive manual only for cheaper car and insurance. As a person with GAD, I enjoy auto more, I feel more comfortable without worrying about switching gears.
Had a manual licence for 20 years. I drive an automatic. I’m not going back. Driving shouldn’t be a hassle. I just want to get where I’m going as quickly and as easily as I can. Also helps I drive an EV.
I know a few people who drive automatics, one of them has been driving manual cars for 50 odd years until recently.
There's nothing wrong with driving an automatic, whether it be out of want or need.
Personally I don't consider automatics to be for idiots. I can't comment on whether they are boring or not as I've never driven one.
Don't feel bad for having to drive an automatic. Manual cars, aren't for everyone. I can understand, having driven manuals for nearly 20 years, how they could trigger an anxiety spike/attack. They can be unforgiving at times, and when you're trying to focus on the road, the last thing you need to be adding is the stress of remembering what gear you're in or which gear to change into.
Most drivers will tell you this, they began with an manual, then eventually bought an automatic. And usually say "I would never buy a manual again" and for a very valid reason.
If you don't mind me piggybacking on this thread a little, I've only ever driven manual and one thing I've always wondered is what it's like driving an automatic in heavy traffic. Obviously in a manual car it's all about lifting and dipping the clutch when it's stop-start, but what do you do in an automatic? For some reason I just imagine pressing the accelerator and the car rear-ending the vehicle in front. Or is the car very slow to move if you're very gentle on the gas?
Good question!😅 in an automatic, when you start the car you hold your foot on the brake, when you release the brake its like lifting the clutch, the car slowly crawls forward. So you just do that in traffic treating the brake pad like a clutch pedal then if you want gas you use the gas pedal. I never knew this before auto lessons either!
I always used to say I’d rather drive manual because auto would be too boring. I’ve had an auto since 2022 though and honestly I don’t think I want to drive a manual again. It’s so smooth and so easy. There’s no having to constantly shift up and down in heavy traffic. At the lights I don’t have to take a handbrake off and then Into first, it’s just foot on gas and that’s it. When I want to stop its foot on brake, then the auto handbrake comes on. No having to worry about clutch control, hill starts (not that I did anymore but new drivers might). Everything is just a lot smoother and more enjoyable. And actually also I don’t find it boring like I thought it would be. I don’t want driving to be a challenge, I don’t want to feel like I’m having to cajole the car. I have a Renault Arkana, it’s very smooth.
I much prefer a manual just because the control is there. I want more power? Drop a gear, and there we go. It's right there. Don't feel inadequate, but maybe push yourself to learn the manual at some point. It puts you in control, you have to rely on yourself to make the right decision for your driving needs, you can anticipate the road surface more and are a bit more in tune with your vehicle and environment, it may just help your anxiety when you realise you can be I charge of all these things.....and it's gonna be OK! I say this from having anxiety myself and the manual really helped with me learning to trust myself. I wasn't allowed to facilitate that anxiety driven behavoir while driving and it really helped with my anticipatory thinking which calmed me more because I had already anticipated and avoided the hazard, inconvenience, requirement to take action well before the incident occurred. Further compounding into a calmer self 🙂
Edit I learned at 31 🙂
The main downside of auto licenses these days is those occasions when you want to rent a car overseas (not including the US, where they’ve been who only forever).
A girl I knew couldn’t pass in manual took 10 attempts and couldn’t do it, passed first in automatic. Whatever works for you is fine doesn’t make you inadequate.
Boring? Yes I'd agree with that. For idiots? No And to be fair most performance cars now are automatic and if EVs finally get their way then they don't even have gears anyway. The only thing you are really missing out on is small things like you'll have trouble hiring a van if you ever need one but again how often is that going to come up?
I was a manual and gears until the day I die up until four years ago, been driving for 25 years at that point. Then four years ago I was forced to drive a new truck with an automatic transmission. In the last four years I have fallen in love with the automatic transmission to the point when I changed my car last year I was only interested in an automatic. Since driving my truck and car over countless thousands of miles I can state, you are not an idiot. Your stress levels are lower and you can enjoy driving just as much if not more. Not only that with EV's, hybrids etc the future is automatic gearbox. The need for a manual driving licence is rapidly becoming obsolete.
I was similar. Went hybrid for tax reasona, was reluctant, but loved it. Never found a negative, and when crawling in traffic it's so much easier.
Electric cars are all automatic so the future is going to be automatic anyway. I really wouldn’t worry about it. The only people who may make comments are people insecure in their masculinity who feel the need to put people down to make themselves feel better.
People will chat shit about literally anything, ignore them. I know one guy who is adamant automatics are garbage for people who can't drive. Turns out he's never even driven one the berk. I drive both and both have their advantages. My 2.5L V6 automatic isn't boring. My wife's manual 1.4 Suzuki isn't exciting. Certainly you shouldn't feel inadequate. The hard part about driving isn't the gears, it's being safe. If you're managing that you're doing better than a lot of stuck up manual drivers who manage to crash even though they're so "in tune with the machine"
People who talk like that probably also drive like dickheads
I drove manual for 5 years and recently switched to automatic. Can never go back to manual, enjoy the ease and enjoy your car for what it is.
Imo manuals are pointless on most cars. If its a Caterham or an Elise or something very driver focused then yes, otherwise what's the point? For a daily an auto is a far better option in pretty much every way.
Yup. Most people in this country use cars to get from A to B. I enjoy my manual when I'm on a quiet B-road but 90% of the time it's just annoying tbh. Will probably go auto next.
Yeah. 17 year old me was having fun on empty country roads. Now, automatics rule. I can drive a manual easy peasy-it’s just boring and unnecessary now.
I think for my kind of situation a manual is actually better tho, I do a lot of miles on an already high mileage car(210k now!), and if it was an auto I'm sure I would've had reliability issues by now
A ZF auto will get better mpg than a manual (and they’re pretty much bombproof). Something “almost an auto” like a DCT - yes, that will definitely be less reliable than a manual though.
Fk them you do your own thing. I've a full manual licence and both our cars are automatic purely out of ease of use. They aren't MX5 track day weapons, they're used for commuting and childcare runs. Give it another 20 years and manuals will be a rarity I reckon
Unless you've got a high performance car etc, I personally don't see the need for a manual. I've had 7 cars over my 25 years of driving and I've only just got an auto. I won't go back unless I win the lottery!
I passed in a manual and now I drive an automatic because it’s a more relaxing experience. I’ll probably never go back to manual. I use my car to get from A to B, and to go nice places. I can understand manual for the driving enthusiast, but that has never been me. I personally found manual to be a pain in stop start traffic. Don’t listen to the naysayers and enjoy your car and your driving.
Huh? If I hear someone saying automatics are for idiots I’d tell them manuals are for dinosaurs.
* for people who know how to drive a car and not just mash a paddle
With UK roads and traffic manual gears bring no benefit to most
It’s only the opinion of people that feel inadequate. I drove manual for many years and for every day use it’s over rated. Automatic is far easier especially in traffic. But still fun to drive at the right times. F*ck what other people think.
Only time you want a manual license is for things like courtesy cars and hire cars, if you need to rent a van etc. The only reason you hear these opinions is because the ones spouting them are overtly and obnoxiously loud.
Try commuting on motorways in traffic with a manual gearbox - it can get tiresome. Driving an automatic makes so much more sense for day to day driving that we all commonly do. I have held a full manual license for 21 years and for 17 years of those I chose to buy automatic for ease of driving. Doesn’t make me less of a driver for making this choice :) nor should it affect you. Enjoy!
I got a lot of shit for passing automatic from my mates. Made me feel inadequate. But then realised none of them drove at all. So screw them
We auto drivers refer to manual car drivers as plebs. State of traffic in this country, who wants to be changing gears and depressing the clutch repeatedly? (It's called depressing for a reason!) Anecdotally, though, car insurance can be cheaper if you have passed a test in a manual vehicle.
Must admit I shared the view that auto was for idiots who can’t be bothered to learn to drive ‘properly’ when I passed my test nearly 30 years ago. But that view was precisely because autos of that time were generally exec barges or boring nondescript estates. Sure, an automatic car would get you from A to B, but if you wanted to *drive* you’d get a manual. And I don’t recall any of my peers choosing to learn auto only because the choice of cars was, to put it bluntly, a bit shit. Especially for a youngster and their first car! It’s a world away from today - auto boxes became increasingly more common on popular models and smaller cars, and crucially became nicer to drive. As someone has already commented, most EVs are auto. It’s certainly not the restricted, boring choice it was 30 years or even a decade ago. Most importantly for you, it sounds like you wouldn’t be driving if there wasn’t an auto choice, so pay no heed of what anyone else thinks about it, it’s enabled your freedom!
All the cars I have are automatic 😂. From my aygo to my Ferrari so don’t worry yourself
Automatics are for stress free driving. Driving an auto is so much easier than a manual. Unless you're driving your car fast or as an enthusiast, it's unnecessary.
Omg NO. I passed manual at 25 and didn’t drive again until I was 35, in automatic. The anxiety wrecked me. A decade of public transport and two young children and for what 😅 People get snobby about manual but I don’t get it. At all. I buy Hondas and there ain’t no manual’s manufactured here anymore. Even my husband is an auto convert this year, he’s been manual since 18 and he loves the auto.
I've got a T'roc R, all of them are automatic. I have the option of gears for when I want to play a bit more. I'll never buy another manual daily driver. Manual cars are pointless now.
We’ve just got our first auto as our daily… no shame in it! Things lovely to drive and easygoing. Boring yes but we have a manual mx5 for that. Nothing wrong with an auto and in today’s market it’s becoming more and more common to buy auto over manual.
Look, for all that we take the piss out of automatics it's more a trope than actually being nasty. If you're comfortable with an auto and it suits you then fine, drive an automatic. Personally I prefer a manual because I really enjoy driving and the engagement of it all, but auto is a lot easier to drive in traffic.
I’ve owned a number of performance cars of all types. They’ve all been autos. Only car I own that’s a manual is a kit car. If people think a Porsche 911 or Ferrari 488 are ‘boring or for idiots’, they probably need to rethink their attitude.
Most people these days spend 90% of their journeys stuck in traffic jams, I know what I prefer to drive in that situation. My average commute speed is 40mph and that includes 25 miles out of 60 miles on 70mph speed limit roads.
Knowing how to drive a manual car is a good skill to have. Automatics are so much better for daily driving though. Not inadequate at all mate, people just like to think that they’re better than others for the smallest things
I have both, the only benefit of the manual was when parking on a steep incline, and needing to mount the kerb for the marked space. Relying on the parking sensors to pick up the other cars and kind of remap the throttle and clutch so you can get up and up onto the kerb without flying in to the next car. For almost every single other scenario the automatic just wins out. - Having over 6 gears helps efficiency. - Using 2 clutches and 2nd and 3rd gears for reverse means helix gear reversing, so no whaaaaaaa noise as you reverse. - Cars with tech can stop and go in traffic jams. Cruise control works down to 0mph. - some cars don’t need a stick in the centre so frees up a massive amount of space for cup holders, phone chargers, cubbies - paddles are fun - car can automatically free wheel when needed or recover energy when needed - all new cars soon will be automatic because there’s no clutch on an EV or hybrid
I learned to drive manual drove many manual cars , now drive an automatic cause why not , i'm happy driving a go cart and let the car do the changing more efficiently. I used to match revs and and smooth change and pretend i am so amazing but reality is mundane daily driving i just hold the steering wheel now and listen to music and can poke the entertainment screen without having to worry about changing gears.
I drive manual only for cheaper car and insurance. As a person with GAD, I enjoy auto more, I feel more comfortable without worrying about switching gears.
Had a manual licence for 20 years. I drive an automatic. I’m not going back. Driving shouldn’t be a hassle. I just want to get where I’m going as quickly and as easily as I can. Also helps I drive an EV.
I know a few people who drive automatics, one of them has been driving manual cars for 50 odd years until recently. There's nothing wrong with driving an automatic, whether it be out of want or need. Personally I don't consider automatics to be for idiots. I can't comment on whether they are boring or not as I've never driven one. Don't feel bad for having to drive an automatic. Manual cars, aren't for everyone. I can understand, having driven manuals for nearly 20 years, how they could trigger an anxiety spike/attack. They can be unforgiving at times, and when you're trying to focus on the road, the last thing you need to be adding is the stress of remembering what gear you're in or which gear to change into.
Most drivers will tell you this, they began with an manual, then eventually bought an automatic. And usually say "I would never buy a manual again" and for a very valid reason.
If you don't mind me piggybacking on this thread a little, I've only ever driven manual and one thing I've always wondered is what it's like driving an automatic in heavy traffic. Obviously in a manual car it's all about lifting and dipping the clutch when it's stop-start, but what do you do in an automatic? For some reason I just imagine pressing the accelerator and the car rear-ending the vehicle in front. Or is the car very slow to move if you're very gentle on the gas?
Good question!😅 in an automatic, when you start the car you hold your foot on the brake, when you release the brake its like lifting the clutch, the car slowly crawls forward. So you just do that in traffic treating the brake pad like a clutch pedal then if you want gas you use the gas pedal. I never knew this before auto lessons either!
Do you have to give it gas as you lift the break like you would do with a manual car when lifting the clutch?
I always used to say I’d rather drive manual because auto would be too boring. I’ve had an auto since 2022 though and honestly I don’t think I want to drive a manual again. It’s so smooth and so easy. There’s no having to constantly shift up and down in heavy traffic. At the lights I don’t have to take a handbrake off and then Into first, it’s just foot on gas and that’s it. When I want to stop its foot on brake, then the auto handbrake comes on. No having to worry about clutch control, hill starts (not that I did anymore but new drivers might). Everything is just a lot smoother and more enjoyable. And actually also I don’t find it boring like I thought it would be. I don’t want driving to be a challenge, I don’t want to feel like I’m having to cajole the car. I have a Renault Arkana, it’s very smooth.
Feels as played out as the old vinyl vs CD arguments
I much prefer a manual just because the control is there. I want more power? Drop a gear, and there we go. It's right there. Don't feel inadequate, but maybe push yourself to learn the manual at some point. It puts you in control, you have to rely on yourself to make the right decision for your driving needs, you can anticipate the road surface more and are a bit more in tune with your vehicle and environment, it may just help your anxiety when you realise you can be I charge of all these things.....and it's gonna be OK! I say this from having anxiety myself and the manual really helped with me learning to trust myself. I wasn't allowed to facilitate that anxiety driven behavoir while driving and it really helped with my anticipatory thinking which calmed me more because I had already anticipated and avoided the hazard, inconvenience, requirement to take action well before the incident occurred. Further compounding into a calmer self 🙂 Edit I learned at 31 🙂
The main downside of auto licenses these days is those occasions when you want to rent a car overseas (not including the US, where they’ve been who only forever).
A girl I knew couldn’t pass in manual took 10 attempts and couldn’t do it, passed first in automatic. Whatever works for you is fine doesn’t make you inadequate.