Ask the expert: Is it worth learning to drive in a manual these days?
Dear Alex,
Our son turns 17 this year and will be learning to drive. Is it still worth him learning to drive a manual, given the push towards electric cars? My husband and I both drive automatics, but we could buy a cheap manual runaround for him to practise in – though insurance would still be an issue.
– KH
Dear KH,
My gut feeling is that it’s still worth having the ability to drive manual cars on your licence. We’re still not yet at a point at which the majority of the cars on the road are automatic, and we won’t be for a while. What if he gets a job in which use of a pool car is a requirement? If that car were a manual, he’d be unable to use it. And if he wants to hire a car, he may end up having to pay more to specify an automatic.
Perhaps the way to do it, instead of getting a runaround to help him learn, is to help him buy his first car ahead of time instead. Offer either to buy the car for him if he pays for the insurance, or if you can’t afford to do that, you could propose to loan him the money. That way, he gets a manual car to learn in, and can then continue to drive a car with which he’s comfortable once he’s passed.
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