Ladies and Moms (ok Dads too) - Manual or Automatic for my baby girl and why!
 

My daughter, who is very responsible and gets good grades in school, has had her license for 6+ months. She's a good driver, confident even in traffic, and is ready for her very first car. New or used is easy...used. stick or automatic is the current debate. Mom, and most people say automatic, but most of them don't know how to operate a manual. Dad, on the other hand (the guy paying for it) wants to get her a manual. My reason is very simple, I want her to know how to drive a manual. I believe that it is an important skill that will serve her all of her life, and an enjoyable one at that. My opposition claims safety concerns and fear she'll get in an accident. My daughter wants an automatic, further complicating matters, but I feel she will thank me later. Ultimately I will make the decision that I feel is best for my kid, but as part of that decision-making process I'm welcoming input. So with that as background, what would you as a parent decide and why. I'd also be interested in hearing from the ladies, do you drive a manual or wish you knew how? Thanks in advance for your input.

Truth is manuals are going the way of rotary dial phones...and land lines. And most importantly, "My daughter wants an automatic..."

I'm a guy... I would also teach her to drive on a manual if you already have one and then let her make an informed decision. I'd also tell my wife that driving manual gives one better control of the car, thus making it safer long term, because you have more control over the operation of the engine through the transmission.

So, while I might not force her to drive manual by buying her a manual car, I'd force her to learn on one of the other vehicles in the house that is a manual. I'd make it a requirement.

The best reason for this is probably that, if she's living with you and needs a car for an emergency situation, and the only one there and functioning is your Nismo, for example, she should have to know how to operate it, just in case.

2v1
should probably go with automatic :ugh2:

I would have her enjoy what she would want, And if thats an auto? then so be it.

If she wants to learn, And is interested in a manual? Get her a beater manual to learn on.

As you see Im looking at what she would want NOT what I would want.

Remember she's the one driving it and she wants it manual? she'll ask for it.

You could always teach her later on :driving:

You see, but should the kid get to decide? Most kids would pick the easier path. How many kids want to learn more than bare minimum? And this is a skill that will make them a better driver long term and give them flexibility if the only car available is a stick.

Again, I'd buy her whatever, but I'd still insist she learn stick, just to learn it, especially if you own a manual vehicle already.

I'm in the "Buy Her An Auto And Teach Her To Use A Manual Too" camp. Knowing how to drive a stick is a valuable skill but, as others have pointed out, it is no longer as important as it used to be. 30 years ago, I'd have said she NEEDED to know how to shift - not so much nowadays.

As far as manual-gives-more-control: maybe if you are an experienced driver but not so much for a beginner. When my daughter started driving, we got her an auto (her preference) and I taught her how to drive a manual using my old Mustang. She's no expert with a manual but she can at least drive one if the need arises.

I think this can go either way, but if your daughter wants an auto and will hold it against you if you get her something she dislikes, is it worth the trouble?

I think if you can, try to teach her manual anyway early on, and if she is ok with getting a manual now, it would be cool. It's far better to learn young when you have parents right nearby who can provide assistance than to do it at 30 years old when you're on your own and your career can't survive breaking a car or being timid with manual later. And it later sucks when a) your friend needs help and has a manual so you can't help them, b) fall in love with a car that is manual (z, sportscar, jeep...), c) prepared for other vehicles like a bike or anything else that is manual, d) can drive those cars if you need to for whatever reason (favors for the boss/clients, test drive something, designated driver.

Will she get into an accident? It's possible, if she rolls into someone, stalls and the person behind hits her, etc. I doubt she would get into an accident based on proper manual driving, not any more so than an auto.


(Disclaimer: I've never driven manual.)

I say auto since its her first car and he daily the manual can be a bit grooling in heavy traffic. Also I'm 22 loved driving manual cars all my life, but never commited to a manual Daily Driver till a few monthes ago. I've gone threw about 9 cars trading them in. Every 6 monthes to a year. So I mean if she's just not feeling it now let her get auto. You still have your Z to teach her on if your really interested in her learning.

If anything she will just be down that she can't dump the clutch once she gets used to the car I know one of my guilty pleasures with the car is swinging the back end out on a turn when no ones around to see or crash into :p lol

My issue isn't manual vs auto, yeah, manual is a GREAT skill if you're stuck in Alaska with 2 friends who broke their legs, and you ONLY have this one manual car, and you need to drive them to the hospital...
Then again, in that scenario, you stall a few times and you mash the gas on every gear change and you're on your way...

Only reason I see behind manual, it's 10 times harder to text and drive


Oh, better life lesson than auto vs manual, make sure your daughter knows, AND is willing to change a tire, I know PLENTY of people... (Don't want to say women...) that couldn't change a tire to save their life... I just heard about a story that my friends aunt put duct tape on get leaky tire... Yes, on the outside of the tire...

I twisted my dad's arm into making sure my little sister's first car was a manual. It makes you pay a lot more attention to driving. She ended up loving it after the first week. Since then, every car she's bought has been a manual.

This is exactly my thinking. I think that driving a manual as her first car will give her a much more valuable experience than driving an AT. If you fear that she will hold it against you that you didn't get her an automatic, give her an option to trade it for an automatic when she heads off to college or something. Hopefully, by then, she will realize how awesome is it :tup:

People that get a free car don't get to hold anything against anybody. ;)

People don't. Women do though