How long will it take to learn to drive a Manual Car?

How long will it take to learn to drive a manual car?

This is a really common question. One which can be born of the lack of understanding on what's required of the learner driver.

The simple answer is your driving instructor won't really know the answer either.

Learning to drive is a totally individual experience. What it really boils to is how well the learner driver can adapt to the skills and the instruction given. The main differences come from the co-ordination skills required to manipulate a clutch and a gearstick, the judgement of the cars condition, when best to change gears up or down and the control you have over doing those things together and at the right time. Yes, it does take time to master and yes, mistakes will be made during that learning process but that's what your Driving Instructor is there for. To guide you towards a place where you are doing those things to a point where they are natural to you.

In our experience it can take anywhere from 20-30 hours on average. Sometimes it can take more, sometimes it can take less. Again, it's about how you adapt to the experience and the instruction. Everyone is different and everyone learns differently. From our point of view it is always a team effort with us working together towards that goal of you being comfortable and in control of the car at all times. After all, that's what your Driving Examiner will be looking for. The more naturally you drive the more calm and controlled it will feel and that's one of the 3 core ingredients (in my opinion) of passing a Driving Test. Which, at the end of the day, is your goal after all.

So, there is no real answer to "How long will it take to learn to drive a Manual car?" It will always come down to a number of factors:

• Your relationship with the car.

• Your relationship with your Instructor.

• How well you adapt to your lessons and what you are taught.

The actual operational part of driving is not that hard and once you've got the basics down the improvements will be incremental. The big work comes from applying those basics to the huge variety of situations to what you would normally consider daily driving tasks and including the aspects of safety that will turn you into a safe driver for the rest of your life.