Cars & Transportation Learning to drive manual

[PP34]

I've accumulated around 100 hours of driving experience over 2 years driving an auto car, and am at the point where I've got to brush up on some things and then go for a license

A recent talk with a family friend has me wanting to learn manual and get a manual license rather than an auto one.

I tend to agree, and was wondering being someone who obviously is more advanced than a learner starting learning manual from scratch, would it take me much time to get the hang of not stalling, hill start, using the stick, clutch and so on?

I'm aiming to get my license pretty soon and was thinking how much this would set me back in doing so.

 

[edgie]

Which state?

In NSW, manual license is granted with the progression to green Ps, so better of just getting your auto license and waiting it out. Then you're free to learn at your own comfort.

 

[WCErevival]

Depends. Some people pick it up easily and some dont. I would definitely try getting the manual license if I were you so you aren't limited later on.

 

[Gibbsy]

Imo it really doesn't matter, if you have an auto car as your first car you'll never really find yourself needing to drive a manual at all. I would say 90% of my mates have auto cars and I can count on one hand the amount of times I've driven a mates car in the three years I've had my license.

Plus once you get your full license there's no restrictions, so you can learn manual at any time without having to pass any tests.

 

[PP34]

Which state?

In NSW, manual license is granted with the progression to green Ps, so better of just getting your auto license and waiting it out. Then you're free to learn at your own comfort.

Victoria.

Imo it really doesn't matter, if you have an auto car as your first car you'll never really find yourself needing to drive a manual at all. I would say 90% of my mates have auto cars and I can count on one hand the amount of times I've driven a mates car in the three years I've had my license.

Plus once you get your full license there's no restrictions, so you can learn manual at any time without having to pass any tests.

Don't you think it would be something that's difficult to learn in your mid 20s though if you've already got a license?

 

[Plugger35]

I learnt to drive a manual car before I drove an automatic which is piss easy if you can drive manual.

I'd imagine it would be a lot harder trying to drive a manual if you've started off only learning to drive an automatic, getting the hang of using the clutch/changing gears takes a fair bit of practice but you'd at least have all the road awareness skills from driving an automatic.

There aren't that many manual cars around these days though so it's not really necessary to learn how to drive a manual unless you're participating in The Amazing Race, not being able to drive manual or stick as the Yanks call it has cost many a team.

 

[undefined]

Just get your auto's as soon as possible - you can learn stick at a later date if you're still keen to do so.

Some might disagree, but if you're intent on using your license purely as a way of getting from A to B (while driving a fairly standard vehicle), there's not much point in wasting time learning a whole new skill.

Your life will change as soon as you pass your test. Get it done, not having a driving license as an adult is sad & pathetic, with all due respect.

 

[Jobe Watson]

Don't you just get a dual license (auto + manual) when you graduate from your Ps in Victoria anyway? Why not just get your autos now and learn manual later when there is less time pressure?

 

[Doss]

My strong advice would be to get your manual licence straight off.

 

[Gibbsy]

Don't you just get a dual license (auto + manual) when you graduate from your Ps in Victoria anyway? Why not just get your autos now and learn manual later when there is less time pressure?

Correct and agreed

 

[BotsMaster]

Yep better to learn to drive manual while you're still on your L's.

I don't understand this mentality of only getting an auto license because you will only drive auto? Why limit yourself?

Don't you just get a dual license (auto + manual) when you graduate from your Ps in Victoria anyway? Why not just get your autos now and learn manual later when there is less time pressure?

What time pressure?

 

[Scotland]

My strong advice would be to get your manual licence straight off.

This.

I'd rather not share the road with people who can't drive a manual car.

 

[Jobe Watson]

What time pressure?

He only has 20 hours left to log before he can go for his Ps. If he wants to get his Ps as soon as legally permitted (as a 18-20 year old uni student, I'd say they are almost a must) then learning manual and gaining enough road experience with a manual car will significantly delay this process.

 

[Doss]

If he's got 100 hours up as it is (I'm presuming the requirement is still 120), then he shouldn't need that long to get a working knowledge of manual. At 100 hours, a learner should be pretty adept with the basics besides gears as it is.

Manual is weird at first, but you pick it up pretty quickly.

 

[BALKAN]

Learn manual ASAP. What if for some reason you need to carjack someone in a getaway and they have a manual?

 

[Spud Patrol]

What if you start dating a chick that drives manual, do you really want to be that guy?
Who am i kidding, she wouldnt date a dude that drives an auto anyway.

 

[Jobe Watson]

If he's got 100 hours up as it is (I'm presuming the requirement is still 120), then he shouldn't need that long to get a working knowledge of manual. At 100 hours, a learner should be pretty adept with the basics besides gears as it is.

Manual is weird at first, but you pick it up pretty quickly.

People with over 120 hours of automatic experience still fail their tests on the first (even second or third) go. Not sure adding the extra pressure of trying to do the test in a manual car with only 20 or so hours of experience will be entirely beneficial to him.

You can always resit the test later on if you're really desperate to get your manual (not sure why you would be).

 

[BotsMaster]

He only has 20 hours left to log before he can go for his Ps. If he wants to get his Ps as soon as legally permitted (as a 18-20 year old uni student, I'd say they are almost a must) then learning manual and gaining enough road experience with a manual car will significantly delay this process.

Okay then he can spend 2 hours with an instructor learning how to operate the clutch, hill starts with/without the hand brake, changing gears, etc.. and then spend the rest of the 18 hours on practicing.

 

[Jobe Watson]

Okay then he can spend 2 hours with an instructor learning how to operate the clutch, hill starts with/without the hand brake, changing gears, etc.. and then spend the rest of the 18 hours on practicing.

Fair enough. Hopefully he does well enough in those 20 hours to feel confident enough to pass a strict test where the tester is looking for any sort of mistake to mark you down/fail you.

I personally would want a lot more experience with a manual than that, because as I said people easily fail in automatic cars after 120+ hours of experience. All the practice in the world can't quite prepare you for the "shitting my dacks" feeling that comes over you during the test that can cause you to make simple mistakes.

 

[Freofalcon]

Everybody had manual licences when I was a teen.

If you had an auto licence, you were seen as a bit " special ".

 

[PP34]

I'm in no real rush, just aiming to have it by mid-year. If I ignore it now I can just see myself never bothering down the road. There have been a few casual job opportunities come up which could come up again.

I'm going to ring the instructor who gave me lessons and see what he thinks. Plan is for him to see how capable my driving is in the first place, and then work on the manual aspect.

 

[Loonerty]

I started learning in a manual and it was ****ing hard.
Drive auto for a few hours, got the hang of general driving and came back to manual - it was so much easier.

I think you'll be fine to learn it now. Might take a couple of hours worth getting used to the clutch and changing gears but it's really not bad.
It's pretty much second nature to me now, and I find driving an automatic uncomfortable because the first thing I do when I get in the car is to try and press down on the clutch. But it's not there.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

I don't know a single person who has a manual car. What's the point?

 

[Doss]

More control. Although on city roads it gets pretty annoying.

I'd say there's a higher proportion of cars being manual in country areas where traffic jams and the like aren't an issue.

On a windy, hilly country road, manuals are fun.

 

[Big Sauce 21]

I don't know a single person who has a manual car. What's the point?

I got the manual license but have hardly driven one since the test. So much better with an auto