Before Mr Boo and I made the decision to have children there was something that I had to accomplish first… learning to drive. Mr Boo never wanted me to be one of those mums juggling a baby, pushchair and shopping on and off buses. So back in 2005 I set about learning to drive and by the end of August I had taken and passed my driving test.
At the time Mr Boo had a blue Ford Escort, however it wasn’t the family car that I wanted so we decided to trade it in and get a Citroen Xsara Picasso. Considering we didn’t have Roo until 15 months later you can tell I like to plan in advance.
Since getting that Picasso we have upgraded to a diesel, but nevertheless it was another Picasso… Why? because I know that car it is one of a handful of cars I have ever driven. It is my driving comfort zone, this does not make it my ideal car but it’s almost like my comfort blanket.
Challenging my driving comfort zone
I have always driven a manual car, I learnt in a manual, all the cars/vans I have ever driven have been a manual. So when I took delivery of an ice white Volvo XC60 last week I joked with the delivery man about it being an automatic and he replied ‘it is an automatic‘, I honestly thought he was pulling my leg… turns out he wasn’t.
Geartronic
However those clever people at Volvo have it all worked out… Their automatics are not just any old automatic, oh no, they are a Geartronic. Which allows the option of driving the car in either automatic mode or manual (just without having to use a clutch). A fully versatile car that can be used by both types of drivers.
The delivery driver was so helpful in explaining the basics of start/stop etc and even gave me a little driving lesson down the seafront to make sure I was happy with the car, who won’t be happy it is after all a gorgeous looking car. Most importantly he was happy for me to test drive the car in both manual and automatic modes to see which I was more comfortable with.
An automatic convert?
After only a quick drive in the XC60 I could see the benefits of driving in automatic mode, the ease of pulling away, slowing down, and general drive. Could I be a convert? If I could just remember not to use my left leg I think I really could be!
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