hauxwell Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 I’m not sure if many people learn to drive in cars with gears these days. If I had to take my test in a automatic car then I’m sure I would fail it. My car is a manual one. The only automatic car I have driven in my lifetime is one of those bumper cars at the fairground and a automatic buggie type car to drive round Catalina which is a small island near California. Then I got stopped by the sheriff for driving on the wrong side of the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longcol Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 (edited) 10 minutes ago, hauxwell said: I’m not sure if many people learn to drive in cars with gears these days. If I had to take my test in a automatic car then I’m sure I would fail it. My car is a manual one. The only automatic car I have driven in my lifetime is one of those bumper cars at the fairground and a automatic buggie type car to drive round Catalina which is a small island near California. Then I got stopped by the sheriff for driving on the wrong side of the road. When we come over to the UK I sometimes drive the sister in laws automatic because it has a tail lift for the mother in laws motorised wheel chair for when we take her shopping. Spend the first ten minutes feeling for the gear lever with left hand and clutch pedal with left foot! Much prefer manual. Edited January 11 by Longcol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hauxwell Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 4 minutes ago, Longcol said: When we come over to the UK I sometimes drive the sister in laws automatic because it has a tail lift for the mother in laws motorised wheel chair for when we take her shopping. Spend the first ten minutes feeling for the gear lever with left hand and clutch pedal with left foot! Much prefer manual. I might change my car next year. If I do I’m sure I will buy another manual car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longcol Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 (edited) 35 minutes ago, hauxwell said: I might change my car next year. If I do I’m sure I will buy another manual car. Same here - plus even though I live in France where they drive on the right I'll want a r/h drive car. French roads are usually pretty empty, even motorways outside weekends in June and July - usual , apart from near cities, is one car 100 yards in front and one 100 yards behind. Also in countryside round where we live some roads are narrow and a r/h drive lets me get right into the edge of the road. Wouldn't want a l/h drive car back in England - when I come back I see more traffic on the M27 between Portsmouth docks and M3 turnoff by Southampton - about 20 miles - than I do in the 400 mile journey from home to the boat from Caen in Normandy. Edited January 11 by Longcol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_DADDY Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 42 minutes ago, hauxwell said: I might change my car next year. If I do I’m sure I will buy another manual car. I'm hopefully changing my car late this year or early next. Switching from a manual to an automatic so my daughter can drive it too. And personally I prefer driving an auto anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echo beach Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 1 hour ago, Longcol said: When we come over to the UK I sometimes drive the sister in laws automatic because it has a tail lift for the mother in laws motorised wheel chair for when we take her shopping. Spend the first ten minutes feeling for the gear lever with left hand and clutch pedal with left foot! Much prefer manual. So do I Longcol. I’ve tried my youngest son’s automatic Kia Sportage and wasn’t won over. I feel that I have more control with a manual gearbox. Automatics are for the lazy folks as far as I’m concerned. They cost more and there’s more to go wrong with them. I fear however that the way things are going we’ll have no choice in future unless we keep the vintage manual models roadworthy! echo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hauxwell Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 (edited) 9 hours ago, The_DADDY said: I'm hopefully changing my car late this year or early next. Switching from a manual to an automatic so my daughter can drive it too. And personally I prefer driving an auto anyway. I read were more people are learning to drive in automatic cars than manual, it’s the way forward as we slowly move towards electric cars. I’ve never driven a automatic but I’m sure it’s easier than having to worry about changing gears, there is a bit of a skill in driving a manual tho, it’s sad that it’s going to slowly disappear. I’ll just have to embrace change as the world moves forward. All the best to your daughter when she learns to drive. Edited January 12 by hauxwell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJRB Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 My days of enjoying driving for the hell of driving are long gone.No desire for multiple gear changes and drives into Derbyshire other than of necessity I was totally converted to automatics having been loaned a 12 year old Toyota Yaris whilst my Saab was in for service. A lot of a contrast but driving the length of Penistone and Halifax Road in the usual traffic made my next car an automatic. Like driving a dodgem car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockers rule Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 Given the choice Big Auto every time, and if it's LHD even better 🧐. No ones mentioned 'Floppy paddles' (a close relation to 'Sloppy Padders 🤣) (sorry Padders 🧐 ). Love driving LHD on our roads. Overtaking is so easy. Nose the car out to overtake, when HTSBO shouts 'LORRY' pull it back in and try again later 🥴 easy 😀 Keep safe out there, drive like you stole it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carosio Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 How about steering-column change? The Cortina Mk 1 I drove had one, also the Fletcher's bread van I drove. A friend had a Heinkel Kabine bubble car, you can see the tiny gear change lever just above the wheel arch. https://i.imgur.com/HXtnm9q.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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