Manual lessons · Oxford
Manual Driving Lessons in Oxford
Pass in a manual and your licence covers every car on the road, automatic included. We build clutch control on quiet streets first, then take it into Oxford traffic once it is in your hands rather than in your head. Pick up from home, work or college across the city, and a female instructor is available on request.
✓ Manual and automatic taught by the same qualified instructors, at the same price.
One licence, every carFemale instructor on requestEarly and late slotsOxford (Cowley) test centre
New driver intro offer
From £40
First hour
£40
Two hour first lesson
£80
10 hours prepaid
£400
A one time offer for new learners in Oxford. Standard Oxford rates apply after that, and they are the same for manual and automatic. DVSA theory and practical test fees are not included.
750+Learners passed
in Oxford
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Why manual
One licence, no restrictions
Why Oxford Learners Still Choose Manual
A manual licence keeps every option open. It asks a little more of you at the start, and gives you more back for the rest of your driving life.
A
One licence covers everything
Pass in a manual and you can drive both manual and automatic cars. No restriction on the licence, and no second test to sit later on.
B
More cars are open to you
Hire cars, work vans, company vehicles and whichever family car you end up borrowing. A manual licence never limits which one you can be insured on.
C
Clutch control is worth having
Hill starts, slow manoeuvres and moving off on a slope. Once it is in your hands you stop thinking about it, and it transfers to any vehicle you drive afterwards.
D
It costs the same as automatic
We charge one rate for both, so the decision is about what you want from your licence rather than what you can afford this month.
What the extra layer actually is
Manual usually takes a few more hours than automatic, because there is one more thing to coordinate. Here is where those hours go, so you know what you are paying for.
- 1Finding and holding the biting point without looking down
- 2Moving off uphill, downhill and at an angle
- 3Changing gear early enough for junctions and roundabouts
- 4Keeping the clutch out of it during slow speed manoeuvres
- 5Recovering calmly from a stall, which every learner does at first
Prices
Manual costs the same as automatic
Manual Lesson Prices
One rate for both. These are our standard Oxford prices, and prepaid blocks work out cheaper than paying lesson by lesson. DVSA theory and practical test fees are not included.
New learners can start on our one time introductory offer: £40 for a first hour, £80 for a two hour first lesson or £400 for ten hours. NHS staff and students pay a discounted rate on production of valid ID. Lessons in Wolvercote, Cumnor, Harcourt Hill and the OX2 9 side of Botley (OX2 8 and OX2 9), Kidlington and the OX5 villages (OX5), Wheatley, Abingdon and Bicester are charged at our out of area rate, from £90 for two hours. We ask for at least 48 hours notice to cancel or move a lesson.
Manual or automatic
An honest comparison
Which One Should You Learn In?
There is no right answer for everybody. Here is the trade off, put plainly, so you can decide before you book rather than after.
| ManualOne licence, every car | AutomaticFewer things to manage | |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | One licence covers both manual and automatic cars | Your licence is restricted to automatic vehicles |
| Cars you can drive | Wider choice of hire cars, vans and company vehicles | Covers electric and hybrid cars, which are almost all automatic |
| What you learn | Clutch control transfers to any vehicle you drive later | Nothing to coordinate, so more of your attention stays on the road |
| Time to test standard | Usually takes a few more hours to reach test standard | Often takes fewer hours to reach test standard |
| Also worth knowing | Costs exactly the same as automatic with us | Suits nervous learners and drivers with mobility considerations |
Still not sure? Undecided learners are usually better off starting in a manual, because it keeps every option open and nothing is wasted if you change your mind. If it is not working for you after a few lessons you can move across to automatic lessons and keep everything you have learned about observation, junctions and road position. Going the other way, from automatic to manual, means sitting a second practical test.
Across Oxford
Where we teach manual
Manual Lessons Across Oxford
We pick up from home, work or college anywhere in the city. Oxford is a good place to learn a manual, because it gives you hills, hold ups and hill starts within a few minutes of most doorsteps.
Cowley
EAST OXFORD · OX4
The Oxford (Cowley) test centre is here, on James Wolfe Road. Stop start traffic on the Cowley Road is where clutch control stops being a theory.
Headington
EAST OXFORD · OX3
Headington Hill and the hospital traffic give you real hill starts on a real gradient, which is the part most manual learners worry about.
Summertown
NORTH OXFORD · OX2
Quiet residential streets for your first hours on the clutch, with Banbury Road a couple of minutes away when you are ready for traffic.
Marston
NORTH EAST OXFORD · OX3
Marston Ferry Road and the Cutteslowe roundabouts, useful for changing down early and getting your gear choice right on approach.
Botley
WEST OXFORD · OX2
The Botley Road and the A34 junctions. Good for holding a gear through a long queue and for confident lane changes.
Kidlington
NORTH OF OXFORD · OX5
Quieter roads to get comfortable, then the A4260 and the ring road when it is time to take it into Oxford.
Also covered: Iffley, Jericho, Littlemore and Blackbird Leys. Wolvercote, Cumnor, Harcourt Hill and the OX2 9 side of Botley (OX2 8 and OX2 9), Kidlington and the OX5 villages (OX5), Wheatley, Abingdon and Bicester are covered at our out of area rate.
What we offer
Lessons that fit around your week
More Than Weekly Lessons
Whatever stage you are at, there is a sensible way in.
Intensive manual courses
Twenty, thirty or forty five hours planned around a target test date. Best suited to learners who can commit to several lessons a week.
Automatic lessons
If the clutch is not for you, the same instructors teach automatic at the same rates, and switching across is straightforward.
Refresher lessons
For drivers who passed in a manual years ago and want their clutch confidence and their hill starts back before driving alone again.
Student and NHS discounts
Discounted rates for students and for NHS staff on production of valid ID, with early and late slots for shift work.
Pass Plus after you pass
Structured practice in motorway, dual carriageway and night driving once you have your licence, and it can reduce some insurance premiums.
Learning to drive questions
Theory test, provisional licence, how many hours you need and what happens on the day. The common questions, answered properly.
Is this you?
Learners who do well in a manual
Manual Lessons Suit
Learners who want the full licence with no restriction on it
Anyone who will need a van or a company vehicle for work
Learners who expect to borrow or buy a family car that is manual
NHS staff and shift workers who need lessons early or late in the day
Students who want to pass inside one term
Drivers coming back to a manual after years away from one
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Manual Driving Lessons: Your Questions Answered
Is manual harder to learn than automatic?
It asks more of you in the first few hours, because you are learning clutch control and gear changes on top of everything else. Most learners find it stops feeling difficult sooner than they expect. Once the biting point is in your hands rather than in your head, the rest of the lesson is about the road, exactly as it would be in an automatic.
How many manual lessons will I need?
The DVSA puts the average for a learner at around 45 hours of professional tuition plus private practice. Manual learners often need a few more hours than automatic learners because there is one extra skill to master. How often you drive between lessons makes more difference than anything else, and your instructor will give you an honest view once you have had a few.
Do manual lessons cost more than automatic?
No. We charge the same for both. A two hour lesson is £85, ten hours prepaid is £420, twenty hours is £820, thirty hours is £1,200 and forty five hours is £1,760. New learners can start on a one time introductory offer of £40 for a first hour, £80 for a two hour first lesson or £400 for ten hours.
Will I practise on the Oxford test routes?
Yes. The DVSA no longer publishes official test routes, so no instructor can tell you the exact route you will be given. We cover the area around the Oxford (Cowley) test centre instead: the Eastern Bypass roundabouts, Garsington Road, Between Towns Road and the residential streets used for manoeuvres, until none of it feels new.
Can I switch to automatic later if manual is not working?
Yes, and nothing is wasted. Everything you have learned about observation, road position, junctions and roundabouts carries straight across. The only part you leave behind is the gearbox. It is worth knowing that switching the other way, from automatic to manual, means sitting a second practical test, which is why undecided learners are usually better off starting in a manual.
Can I request a female instructor?
Yes. A female instructor is available on request. Tell us when you book, or call 01865 763458 and we will arrange it.
Do you run intensive manual courses in Oxford?
Yes. Intensive manual courses run from twenty hours up to forty five hours and are planned around a target test date. They suit learners working to a deadline, but they only work if you can commit to several lessons a week, so we will tell you honestly whether it is the right choice for you.
How do I book my first manual lesson?
Book online through our booking page, or call 01865 763458 and speak to us directly. We will ask where you are up to, agree a pick up point that suits you, and get your first lesson in the diary.
At a glance
Oxon Driving Tuitions teaches manual driving lessons across Oxford, including Cowley, Headington, Summertown, Marston, Botley, Iffley, Jericho, Littlemore and Blackbird Leys, with pick up from home, work or college. Manual and automatic lessons cost the same. Standard Oxford rates are £85 for a two hour lesson, £420 for ten hours prepaid, £820 for twenty hours, £1,200 for thirty hours and £1,760 for forty five hours. Lessons in Wolvercote, Cumnor, Harcourt Hill and the OX2 9 side of Botley (OX2 8 and OX2 9), Kidlington and the OX5 villages (OX5), Wheatley, Abingdon and Bicester are charged at the out of area rate, from £90 for two hours. New learners can take a one time introductory offer of £40 for a first hour, £80 for a two hour first lesson, or £400 for ten hours. NHS staff and students pay a discounted rate on production of valid ID. A female instructor is available on request. Standard lessons are two hours long, and we ask for at least 48 hours notice to cancel or move a lesson. DVSA theory and practical test fees are not included. Passing the practical test in a manual gives a full licence covering both manual and automatic cars. Lessons run Monday to Friday from 7am to 9pm and Saturday from 9am to 6pm. Practical tests are taken at the Oxford (Cowley) test centre on James Wolfe Road, OX4 2PY. Call 01865 763458 or book online.
Ready to Start in a Manual?
Tell us where you are up to and we will find a slot that fits. First lesson, coming back after a break, or final polish before the test.