FOX Driver Training | Automatic Driving Tuition In Sheffield

FOX Driver Training now only offers automatic driving lessons. So why choose automatic?

Practicality

In an automatic vehicle you simply put the car into drive, take your foot off the brake and away you go. No juggling three pedals with two feet, no holding the biting point to prevent rolling backwards, no fear of under or over-revving and no endless shifting between gears in stop-start traffic. And perhaps best of all….. absolutely no need for anxious glances in the mirror while you wait for the traffic lights to change - because you can’t stall an automatic - you simply point the car in the direction you want it to go and it will go. The car will be under your complete control from lesson one. Does that not sound a little less stressful? As someone who enjoys driving I fully appreciate the appeal of a manual gearbox - but these days it’s best suited to driving for pleasure on quiet roads. For commuting, for working, for navigating safely through our modern, congested roads, it’s very hard to argue that an automatic vehicle isn’t the more comfortable, more convenient, less-stressful option.

For the learner this ease of control is excellent news. Not having to devote so much attention to co-ordinating what the hands and feet are doing means you’ll have noticeably more time to observe other traffic, to identify dangers and hazards and to concentrate on making good, safe decisions. I have over 17 years experience teaching pupils in manual vehicles and I honestly believe that learning to drive in an automatic is the safer option; it can lead to better observation routines, improved all-round awareness and decision making, and crucially, increased driving confidence.

Let’s also not forget that when we remove all the lesson time spent practicing clutch control, gear selection and all the accompanying physical co-ordination, that the majority of pupils who learn to drive in an automatic vehicle reach test standard much more quickly, having taken significantly fewer lessons. And getting your hands on that all-important licence sooner isn’t the only benefit, because while automatic driving lessons are typically a little more expensive than manual ones, by taking fewer lessons in total most will find that learning in an automatic actually works out cheaper overall.

At the time of writing there are over half a million outstanding driving tests still waiting to be conducted due to the effects of COVID and the lockdowns, and so with waiting times for lessons and tests at a record high, surely safer, quicker and cheaper sounds good?

Changing times

While the US and large parts of Europe have long embraced the convenience and comfort afforded by automatic driving, the UK has stubbornly clung to the the clutch and the manual gearbox as the only way to drive. However, the balance is finally shifting. The UK government recently announced that it was bringing forward the ban on the sale of new diesel and petrol cars to 2030. The hybrid and the electric car are no longer the things of the future, they are the here and the now - and all hybrid and electric vehicles are automatic.

And it’s not just hybrid and electric cars that are automatic - almost all makes and model of car currently have an automatic version available in their line-up, even the base models. At the other end of the scale you’ll find that the majority of high-end hot hatchbacks, executive saloons, 4x4’s and modern sports cars are all semi-automatic; this means that gear changes are completed using the flick of a lever or a paddle, without the use of a clutch. These vehicles can also be driven on an automatic licence.

Still not convinced…. then how about some figures: In 2020 the sale of new automatic vehicles overtook the sale of new manual cars for the first time, accounting for 54% of the total new car sales that year. And this trend is only set to continue as many cars manufacturers have publicly announced that they have stopped developing traditional petrol and diesel engines.

And finally

Many of the traditional arguments against having an automatic vehicle come down to cost. Two points are worth considering here:

Firstly, buying and insuring an automatic vehicle is currently more expensive than buying and insuring the same vehicle with a manual gearbox, however this gap is likely to narrow in the coming years. Manufacturers have typically sold manual vehicles in much greater numbers, this means that development costs are spread much wider, resulting in a lower purchase cost. As automatic gearboxes become more common and production numbers increase - as figures show they are - automatic production costs will also be spread over a wider number of sales, and that price gap will reduce. This will also have a positive impact on that increased insurance premium, as will the looming 2030 deadline.

Secondly, it’s important to look at the bigger picture. Lets remember that learners often pass their test in an automatic having taken fewer lessons. If for example we suggest a person who chooses to learn in an automatic passes their test having taken 20 less hours of paid tuition, and if the average cost of a manual lesson is £30 per hour, then that person would have saved £600 to offset the increased purchase and insurance costs. And this figure could easily be much higher for some, especially if we factor in failed tests and re-tests.

It’s easy sit and debate the pros and cons of automatic versus manual, but while we’re doing this it should be noted that those vehicles that spend their entire working life on the road - the buses, the bin lorries, the HGV’s and all the little supermarket home-delivery vans - these vehicles are already all automatic. Not a manual in sight. Big companies that are in the business of reducing costs and maximising profit have recognised that in the long-run it makes both practical and financial sense to go automatic. So shouldn’t regular drivers be doing the same?

I think it’s also important to remember that taking lessons and passing your test is just a starting point. You’ll have a lifetime of driving ahead of you to work out what works best for you. Some people will likely pass their test in a manual car and then never drive one again. Alternatively, if you pass your test in an automatic you can always upgrade your automatic driving licence to a manual one at a later date. And you won’t lose your automatic licence if you don’t pass the test in a manual - so there’s no risk involved. It could even be considered good standard practice to progress this way: first learn to drive and pass in an automatic, then gain some independent, day-to-day driving experience while benefiting from the ease of control of an automatic, before finally having some additional training and taking a manual test if you think it is something that you need.

Ultimately of course, what you decide to do is down to personal choice. Try to consider all the options and then work out what will best suit your requirements. And if you do decide that automatic is suitable for you, then feel free to get in touch with FOX Driver Training and arrange a lesson.