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Comments
You can hear the engine note rise when its time to change gear, and if you don't notice that, you should be changing up when the thing sounds like it will blow up. Co-ordination is harder to get, especially co-ordinating gears and the clutch.
I used to drive an auto and I really don't see why people are so against them. I think you should go for the auto, and see how you feel. I qualified in a manual and have good clutch control, but even I prefer driving an auto, except on windy country lanes. Autos for motorways and city driving are better, and there's a reason why the Americans and the Australians laugh at people who drive manuals.
I don't know, I think the Holden Commodores and the Ford Falcons are pretty good.
I'd have one.
Thanks. I'll post again after Wednesday to say how it went. I'll give it a go, there are other options I spose. Maybe I can get to grips with an automatic and pass. Then have lessons in a manual and get to grips with the gear stick and clutch control and hopefully pass easily because that's all I'll have to concentrate on. Whooo knows
The only downer I found was the expensive repairs. I found I always had to take the cars to a garage where there was a diagnositic machine as it would always be some stupid sensor or a tiny component that had died. My automatics were really ancient when I got them though and repairs were to be expected
Yeah - you definitely should have some mastery of the gears etc by now.
Being a bit of a car nut, I'd say that Automatics are fine for day to day driving. It's only when you want to grab the car by the scruff of the neck and throw it along a challenging road (or take it on a track) that they are found lacking - although some of the recent ones with the flappy paddles go some way to addressing this.
I had an Audi TT 3.2 DSG Roadster for a month (after some numpty slammed into the back of my precioussssssssss) last May. The car itself was a pile of bollocks to drive, but the gear box was superb. Eerily smooth, and certainly the best at the time. The fully auto changes were seamless (and perfect for London rush-hour), and the flappy paddles gave you at least *some* fun when you wanted to play. Ultimately, for my tastes, I was just still too detached from the driving experience to want an auto just yet.
Aye - in the long run, for the most part an auto will be more than fine... and as people have said, for driving in traffic, there's no contest.
As you say, maybe if you pass the auto test and get your confidence whilst simply driving up, then perhaps you could progress onto a manual test...