Automatic driving lessons are a great option and increasingly popular in Cork and across Ireland. There are plenty of reasons why people choose to take their driving lessons in an automatic car. Whatever your reason MN Phoenix Driving School is here to help!

MN Phoenix Driving School invested in a lovely little Hyundai I10 dedicated automatic car for you to learn in. Our qualified driving instructor, Michael specialises in delivering automatic driving lessons. He will help you gain experience, prepare for your driving test and complete Essential Driver Training (EDT) hours. Our outstanding approach to teaching and helping students pass their driving test has seen us gain over a hundred 5 star Google Reviews. So, we are a team you can trust to help you pass your automatic driving test.

The number of lessons you’ll need depends on the reason you are looking, but whatever the reason we can help. Our qualified driving instructor provides automatic EDT, reduced EDT, Pre-test, Basic or refresher driving lessons.

EDT driving lessons in an automatic transmission car

Every learner driver must undertake the EDT Lessons prior to taking your driving test in Ireland. We deliver comprehensive 12 EDT driving lessons programmes in our Automatic cars. EDT Lessons are part of the RSA’s Graduated Driver Licensing scheme. Completing your essential driver training course will help you to understand what it means to be a better safer driver. You”ll practice your driving skills in a structured way that is focussed on your own learning needs and become a better safer driver.

Reduced EDT driving lessons in an automatic transmission car

Drivers from outside of Ireland can take take reduced EDT lessons in our automatic car if eligible. Find out more about your eligibility here. Basically you must hold a current and valid full car licence from a country that does not have a licence exchange agreement with Ireland. Our reduced EDT programme is a condensed version of the regular EDT plan and can be taken in an automatic or manual car. Most MN Phoenix Driving School students complete the reduced EDT programme in a couple of days. However, this is just an average. You can choose to spread the lessons out over a longer duration if preferred.

Pre-Test driving lessons in an automatic transmission car

If you’ve already taken EDT Lessons then you can book as many pre-test lessons with MN Phoenix as needed. An automatic pre-test driving lesson will give you the preparation needed to make the driving test day much less stressful. It will increase your chances of passing your automatic driving test.

Basic driving lessons in an automatic transmission car

If you are complete beginner looking to learn to drive an automatic car before embarking on the EDT Driving Lesson syllabus then you can book our beginner driving lessons. They provide a great way to improve your driving confidence, make sure that your driving is of the highest possible standard, and give you the best chance of passing your RSA driving test.

Refresher driving lessons in an automatic transmission car

Finally, if you have already passed your driving test and are just looking for refresher driving lessons in an automatic car then please get in touch. We get many students who opt for a couple of refresher driver lessons in our automatic car just to boost their confidence before purchasing or driving an automatic themselves.

If you are having difficulties managing the gears in a manual car, you may find that taking automatic driving lessons is a faster route to your licence. Many people find it easier to learn to drive in an automatic. This is because for many pupils the hardest part of learning to drive is getting the car into gear, perfecting the clutch control to find the ‘biting point’ and selecting the right gear.  All these element need to be learnt to drive manual cars which usually have up to five gears. Not everyone can use or process the manual gears so find automatic driving lessons much simpler and straight forward.

With an automatic car all you need to do is put your car in ‘D’ for ‘drive’ and off you go!  There is less to master in an automatic car, so some learners find it easier. By skipping the process of learning to use the gears some people also find it quicker to pass their test. And the quicker you pass your test, the less money you’ll spend on driving lessons.

We have had some pupils who struggled with gears switch to our automatic lessons and generally they much preferred automatic driving lessons.

You can take your RSA driving test in an automatic vehicle. Once it is time to take you driving test there is actually little difference between taking it in an Automatic or Manual car. The route will be the same and tester will be looking for the same issues, but the big bonus in an automatic is that you won’t have to think about the gears.

There are advantages and disadvantages to learning in an automatic car. As there is no clutch pedal it’s almost impossible to stall. This can be big benefit for nervous learner drivers, as stalling in traffic can be stressful, and leave the driver flustered. Therefore an automatic car may be easier to drive and take the pressure off nervous drivers, especially the more congested roads in Cork City and in busy town centres like Mallow. Learning to drive in an automatic also means you won’t be able to accidentally shift into the wrong gear or grind the gears, which can fluster nervous drivers. Some people also prefer automatic transmissions for city driving as it gets rid of the frequent gear changes caused by busy traffic.

Automatic driving lessons are great for many people as it can be an easier and faster way to pass your test.

However, it is worth noting that if you pass the driving test in a car with automatic transmission, your driving licence will only allow you to drive a car with automatic transmission.

If you pass your driving test in a manual car you will be licensed to drive both automatic transmission and manual cars in that category. If you decide you want to drive a manual later on, you’ll have to re-sit your driving test in a manual car.

Research has shown that 30% of all new cars in Ireland are now automatics. Over 19,000 automatic car were purchased in Ireland in 2019 alone with BMW, Audi and Toyota being the most popular. Automatics are only likely to become more popular as the push for electric cars increases over time, so there has never been a better time for taking your driving lessons in an automatic.