It’s still so importantespecially in rural and suburban areas, where the car is often the only possible mode of transport, in addition, the license is a real gateway to the world of work. What we have seen in recent years is that a review of a car with an automatic clutch box is increasingly in demand, especially in cities! Normal, between sales of automatic transmission models are growing rapidly (6 out of 10 new, 3 out of 10 used), the end of thermals, announced for 2035 (which will mean the death of manual transmissions), as well as the arrival of buggy lovers (Ami, Ligier, Aixam, etc.) to driving schools, the automatic transmission license has not yet finished gaining fans…

Lower prices and fewer hours compared to a manual transmission…

Only with 13 hours of mandatory driving lessons before you can take the exam versus 20 hours for a manual transmission, the initial score is lower. The packages set by the driving schools (registration fees + driving lessons + costs for accompanying the practical test) revolve around €800 compared to around €1,300 on average for a classic B license. It often takes 25 hours to prepare for the final exam, compared to an average of 35 hours for a manual transmission car. Once the ticket is in their pocket, those who want to drive a car with a manual transmission must wait at least three months before following 7 hours of studycompared to 350-400 euros on average for a pedestrian bridge. Significant additional costs that, all things considered, could make the BEA permit as expensive, if not more expensive, than the classic formula.

…but lower success rate!

Since then, we often hear that the success rate is “much higher” than for the classic B license thanks to the automatic gearbox, we would focus more on the road and avoid all the distractions associated with the clutch… Imagine that everything is the other way around! While the overall success rate for the B permit (all submissions combined) was 56.8% last year, down from 2021 (58.4%). in the version with an automatic transmission, this figure is 48.2%! The difference, which can already be explained by the difference in hours between the two permits: less experience gained on the road, there is a greater risk of making a mistake on the day of the exam. Moreover, the examiners are – perhaps – even more implacable towards these candidates who decided to miss the connection.

The automatic transmission option is also particularly popular among city dwellers. – especially and mostly residents of the Ile-de-France region. However, the city in general and the Paris region in particular is an unforgiving environment where driving remains more challenging than elsewhere. evidence, Ile-de-France is the region with the lowest overall success rate for the B license (53.2%, compared to 64% in Pays de la Loire and… 70.6% in Corsica)…

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Driver’s license: Lifetime license soon to expire?

Driver’s license: what will change in 2023

Online driving schools: what are the advantages and disadvantages?