Over 50% of new cars registered in the UK this year have automatic transmissions - I wasn't expecting this to happen so quickly but hybrids and EV's are one factor as well as busier roads in London and cities/large towns, dual clutch transmissions and leasing/finance deals where the auto version of a car is not much more expensive per month than the manual..
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/analysis-are-manual-gearboxes-way-out
@vfrmedia In the first place you'd need a small fortune just to pay for the fuel :) On the other hand, you don't need to worry about narrow lanes too much - it's made of really thick steel ;)
@vfrmedia My original point however was a bit different - if you learn to drive in a bulky car with no power steering and plain hydraulic brakes, this teaches you *a lot* about the physics of driving ;)
@kravietz fair enough when you are young and have the knees for it or live in a quiet area but everywhere is just getting busier nowadays (even in the countryside and anywhere with cars parked on both sides of the road or a school nearby...)