Should I learn how to drive a manual or automatic car?
Posted by Much_Yesterday642@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 93 comments
I’m considering practising driving to get my driving license here in the UK. Back in my home country I used to drive an automatic car but we drive on the other side of the road.
Would you advise me to learn how to drive an automatic car or a manual one?
I’m leaning towards learning how to drive an automatic one but I have some friends in Europe and they all drive manual cars, it would be nice to be able to drive their cars if we go on long road trips.
Any thoughts?
DiscombobulatedMix20@reddit
Do lessons in manual first even if your intention is to drive automatic. The reason is that with a manual licence, you get a slightly lower insurance quote on automatics compared to an auto-only licence.
Your instructor will be highly trained to support you driving manual. If your instructor recommends that you switch to automatic, learn auto. If your instructor says that you are making good progress in a manual, stick with it.
At the end of the day, it is your choice. No one (other than certain job roles) can mandate you to learn manual.
PennyBunPudding@reddit
It just makes sense to do manual as you don't really gain anything from only auto other than it being easier but it's only really clutch control that you skip and that isn't more difficult than just naturally practising as you learn
InternationalRide5@reddit
Manual, on the basis that if you can drive manual you can also drive an automatic.
If you pass your test in an automatic you cannot drive a manual in the UK unless you resit the test in a manual.
Also -
- if you ever need to drive a van for work, or moving stuff, they tend to be manual and will be for some time
- you have a wider choice of cheaper cars, especially second-hand, in manual
However -
- automatic cars aren't as expensive as they used to be
- they're getting more common and this will feed through to the second-hand market
- electrics are all auto.
doc1442@reddit
Wrong, electric cars aren’t automatic. They just don’t have gears. Not the same thing.
PennyBunPudding@reddit
☝️🤓
YetAnotherInterneter@reddit
Don’t be so pedantic! “Automatic” covers a wide range of transmission types.
There’s robo-automatic which is essentially a manual transmission and a robot changes gears for you.
Double clutch which pre-selects the next gear for you.
Continuously Variable Transmissions which gets rid of the gears replacing them with belts and pulleys.
And then there are electric motors, which simply convert electricity into kinetic energy using magnetic fields.
Yes they all work very differently to one another and have their nuances. But broadly speaking they are all automatic from the driver’s perspective.
And in terms of licensing, they are all valid for an automatic-only license. And that’s what matters to OP’s question.
InternationalRide5@reddit
They are for licence purposes. If you have an automatic (Class B Auto) licence you can drive an electric vehicle (apart from the very few, usually classic retrofits, that still have a manual gearchange).
ben_jamin_h@reddit
If you learn manual, you can drive manual and automatic cars.
If you learn automatic, you can only drive automatic cars.
Automatic cars are slightly more expensive to buy.
In the future, as electric cars become the standard, you won't need a manual license, electric cars don't generally have gears.
I personally learned to drive manual just so that I would be able to drive any car (in case of a zombie apocalypse, obviously)
Upstairs-Quail5709@reddit
Manual as then you can drive manual and automatic.Take a test in an automatic, you can only drive automatic
WitShortage@reddit
Learning manual teaches you much more about how to drive a car than learning auto. Personally, I think the more you know about the machine you’re controlling, the better position you’re in.
WiseBelt8935@reddit
Always learn in a manual. That way, you can drive both afterwards, which is always useful.
A lesser reason is that you will be judged for having an automatic only licence
C2BK@reddit
Younger people are far more accepting of those who take the "easy" route of an automatic only license, but as an older person I can confirm that for our generation it does have a stigma.
This is because (apart from a small % with disabilities) only the very worst drivers that had typically failed their test numerous times resorted to taking their test in an automatic, so yes you will absolutely be judged by many older people.
WiseBelt8935@reddit
I’m only 27, and one guy I knew had one. The first question was immediately, ‘What, you can’t drive?
ArcTan_Pete@reddit
My daughter has an automatic license. Recently their family car had a fault and was out of action for a week. I offered to let them borrow my car... but... I found out her husband also has an automatic license.
They had no car for a week, while mine was sitting unused
Luv2Rant26@reddit
I’m learning in a manual but honestly I wish I’d learnt in automatic, I’ve made more difficult for myself 🥲
PracticeNo8733@reddit
I mean, if you're really not getting on with it you can always switch to learning in an auto.
Luv2Rant26@reddit
I mean I’m not doing bad with it, I’ve got my test coming up very soon! It’s just I’ve realised how easy learning in an auto must be! 🤣
LaraH39@reddit
Honestly? Automatic.
They see easier to pass in, all cars are moving to automatic. They're going TU be stopping selling petrol cars in about five years, it benefits you none to learn in a manual.
PracticeNo8733@reddit
Got any evidence that's true in general? It might be for some people but in general pass rates are significantly higher in manuals. Now, correlation is not causality so that doesn't prove manuals are easier, but it doesn't suggest autos are easier either.
LaraH39@reddit
Pass rates sew higher because more people sit tests in manuals...
It's far easier to concentrate on the road, manoeuvres, hill starts, hazards, even roundabouts and corners when you're not trying to ensure you don't stall and don't have to focus on coming down through gears.
PracticeNo8733@reddit
No, the rate (ie percentage), not the absolute number
Not my experience, and I wasn't a natural driver or into cars or anything. And a lot of other people seem to say the same thing. But as I said in my top level comment, if someone really is having trouble with it then it may make sense to switch to learning automatic - I just don't think that should be the default choice for someone before they've even tried.
GlitchingGecko@reddit
I passed in an automatic for medical reasons (left side weakness). I can technically drive a manual, but it gets tiring very quickly, and I didn't want to risk it when it takes so long to get a test.
I'd say if you CAN do manual, then do it. You'll get a lot more options and choices for cars, and once you've done it, it's for life. It also makes things like rental vehicles much simpler. You can then choose to buy an automatic if it's more comfortable for you, and you'd still be able to drive your friends cars (with the proper insurance ofc).
Low_Bandicoot2030@reddit
Learn manual if you can, if only to have the option to drive manuals in the future. But honestly that probably won't be that important in a few years. Auromatics are becoming more and more common, and no EVs are manual, so there's going to be less and less need to be able to drive manual as time goes on.
I've driven manual for the past 7 years, but last year I got an automatic and there's absolutely no way I'm going back now. It is so so much better like this.
montyrattus@reddit
If you only learn on an automatic then you can only drive an automatic, if you learn in a manual then you can drive both.
AdministrativeShip2@reddit
That said. I learned on a manual, all my cars have been manual.
I literally have no idea about how to operate an Auto.
Medical-Fox2471@reddit
You just put it in drive it moves forward on its own, accelerate and brake
It’s very easy
Beer-Milkshakes@reddit
And the growing scenario. Drive auto once and never drive manual again.
montyrattus@reddit
Better to have the option to drive manual than not.
doc1442@reddit
Why? Basically every car is going to have no gears anyway in 5-7 years.
OnPointTip1@reddit
Based on what?
doc1442@reddit
The whole no more ICE cars thing. Electric cars don’t have variable gears.
OnPointTip1@reddit
Ah, fair point
SPUDniiik@reddit
Same arguement was made when I passed 12 years ago. Until there is an international agreement to ban petrol engines, it's always worth a manual licence.
YetAnotherInterneter@reddit
More like 50-70 years!
tulki123@reddit
Probably not relevant for OP but work hire cars are still often manual. Also when I moved house and hired a van it was manual still.
A lot of cheap “starter” cars are manual too. You are right though that most new cars are auto (thankfully)!
doc1442@reddit
Cool, then if OPs job need him to drive they can pay for the relevant training or advertise appropriately.
PracticeNo8733@reddit
Yeah, that's definitely how it'll go.
twister-uk@reddit
Maybe true for new cars, once the ban on ICE takes effect, but it'll take a good couple of decades before that fully filters through the national stock of vehicles available on the used market or still in everyday use by people you might end up wanting to borrow a car from, or take turns driving if you're sharing a journey with them.
So at some point in the future, we'll reach the tipping point where getting a manual licence genuinely is more of a niche requirement than a necessity, but I'd say we're still some way off of that just yet.
balk_man@reddit
Not everyone buys a brand new car though
tothecatmobile@reddit
No new cars. But there will still be plenty of manual cars around for a long time.
Why limit yourself?
Beer-Milkshakes@reddit
Absolutely. I have the option to take out a credit card with a 15k limit. I will never ever plan to, but the option is there
OilAdministrative197@reddit
Yeah like pretty much all cars with be autos with electrification in probably 10 years. I’d do manual but if you think it’s too much effort just sack it off. Autos way easier and more fun tbh.
InspiringGecko@reddit
Not necessarily. I prefer manual but have driven an automatic multiple times.
MiddleElevator96@reddit
Nope.
markvauxhall@reddit
Only time I've ever found myself needing to drive a manual in the last 15 years, inc overseas travel, is when renting a van.
It's an extremely edge case.
PracticeNo8733@reddit
Yeah, but the benefit/convenience of being able to when you need to can be disproportionately valuable. (Particularly if you spend any time in certain less economically developed areas.)
Spottyjamie@reddit
Automatic, less wait for a test
Plus its mental how folk younger than me seem to sneer by claiming automatic is some new fangled thing yet my first car in 1996 was automatic before they were even born
PracticeNo8733@reddit
I don't think anyone here is saying "manual" because autos are bad or "new fangled" (autos go back a lot further than 1996 though they definitely had more disadvantages in olden times). They're saying it because even with the growth in autos it still gives significantly more options.
ATSOAS87@reddit
My job is collecting cars at the end of a lease.
I've driven more cars this month than most people will drive in their life time.
The majority of cars I pick up are automatic, and I can go weeks without collecting a manual car.
The only vehicles you'd be limited in accessing are vans, but generally having an automatic only license isn't as much of a burden as it once was
daniluvsuall@reddit
Lots of vans are auto now
i_live_by_the_river@reddit
Auto all the way. Everyone always says manual in case you need to drive a manual one day for some reason, but I've never been in that situation and probably saved a load on driving lessons.
PracticeNo8733@reddit
I don't get that argument. I'm not into driving, certainly not a natural, etc, but learning clutch and gears was reasonably quick and about the easiest part of learning to drive in my book. And I've heard similarly from other people. It probably does add a lesson or three on average but I suspect not a whole load.
daniluvsuall@reddit
I’d normally say learn a manual but I’m fairly sure from now on most cars are going to be automatic, if you struggle to multi task then I’d do that.
My partner passed a few years ago, similar situation and we decided to automatic.
Unless of course you’re super into cars then a manual gives you a choice of everything
Decent_Confidence_36@reddit
Learn to drive a manual, auto is basically half a licence and costs more but if your struggling with manual then just go auto, most modern cars are auto
HashDefTrueFalse@reddit
If you do auto you can only drive auto. If you do manual you can drive both. Autos are less common and slightly more expensive here. Whilst I would absolutely drive autos, I personally wouldn't consider doing the test in one without a very good reason, or you're just limiting yourself unnecessarily.
Unhappy_Clue701@reddit
But they aren’t less common any more though. They make up about 80% of new car sales, and looking on Autotrader, almost two thirds of all their adverts (which as you’ll know are mostly used vehicles), are for auto gearboxes. Less than a third of all new vehicles even have a manual gearbox option when buying. The age of the auto gearbox is, finally, well and truly here. And quite right too - they are faster, easier, and more economical all at the same time.
HashDefTrueFalse@reddit
New car sales, sure. I've not looked it up but I'm sure you're right. I would still think that most of the cars being driven on UK roads right now are manual based on my own experience. Anecdotally I know only a few people with an auto, and I'd be surprised if anyone could honestly say they personally knew more auto drivers than manual. A quick google says that 70% of cars currently registered to be on the road in the UK are manual, but I can't say that's definitely accurate, obviously.
Dedward5@reddit
Look at the stats for second hand cars under 5 grand though.
Impossible_Round_302@reddit
Manual. Insurance for a automatic car is more expensive on a automatic license, as if you only have a auto license they assume you are a worse driver. Along side the fact auto would limit you from a lot of cars especially second hand
Islingtonian@reddit
100% manual at this point in time! It gives you many more options
Unhappy_Clue701@reddit
Not really. Right now, on AutoTrader, about 62% of all 457,000 cars for sale are automatic. New cars are up at about 90%. Some people have their head in the sand on this, and think autos are something odd and unusual - like they were in the 1980s. Within the blink of an eye, manual cars will be knackered old heaps found only on Facebook Marketplace for £500.
PracticeNo8733@reddit
100% is significantly more than 62%. And that's not counting hiring vans etc.
PracticeNo8733@reddit
Manual should still be the default option to learn for the able-bodied, for the advantages mentioned elsewhere in the thread. For most people, manual doesn't add much difficulty or learning time compared to auto. However, if you have real problems with it and can't get on with it, then switch to auto.
Gr3yC4t@reddit
Manual easily. If you want an automatic after you pass, then that's fine. But if you want to drive your mate's car home, rent a card on holiday, etc, and it's manual, you're can't legally.
AffectionateJump7896@reddit
Manual. You'll need to drive a van when you move house, a hire car on holiday etc.
If you only had an auto licence you'd buy an auto car (more expensive to buy and maintain, but easier to drive), and 99% of the time you'd be fine. But there'll be a time every couple of years when you wish you could drive a manual. I would recommend giving yourself the flexibility.
Scrombolo@reddit
You used to drive an automatic, but you're thinking of learning how to drive an automatic?
Eh?
Unhappy_Clue701@reddit
Probably drove abroad, in a country where licences can’t just be transferred.
generichandel@reddit
A lot of hire-cars are manuals, bear that in mind.
Unhappy_Clue701@reddit
Not for long. Most hire cars are only on the fleet for 9 months to a year before being moved on. Very soon indeed the ability to even order a manual will disappear, and the rental fleets will all be automatics too.
postexitus@reddit
The argument for manual is getting thinner, but I always advocate for getting the license for it as you may have to drive a manual at some point in your life (emergency, rentacar, getaway).
cbawiththismalarky@reddit
I was always on the side of learning manual first, but increasingly I feel it's less relevant
SmileAndLaughrica@reddit
Manual, it’s usually easier for a manual driver to learn automatic than the vice versa. Once you can drive manual an automatic car is like a go-cart
doc1442@reddit
Mans never driven a go kart
SmileAndLaughrica@reddit
Tbf you clocked me
Asleep-Software-4160@reddit
There's no reason not to learn manual unless you just can't get the hang of it. It's a superior licence that provides more options. Try it; if you can't crack it fall back on automatic.
Specland@reddit
Learn to drive manual, that way you'll always have options. If you restrict yourself to auto only you could fall fowl of your decision later in life.
Also, if you buy a manual it could save you money as they have less issues then an automatic.
Indigo-Waterfall@reddit
If you learn to drive manual you can drive both manual and automatic. If you learn automatic you can only over drive automatics.
memojo1979@reddit
I don't drive, but the advise given by my parents (to myself, my brother, and now to my kid) was always to learn and pass your test in a manual. You can then choose between manual and automatic. But, if you learn / pass in an automatic, you're limiting yourself to either only automatic cars, or to needing to pass a manual test in the future if you want a manual car.
If you're learning / re-teaching yourself to be on the left side instead of the right, you might aswell learn to drive manual at the same time. Deal with both differences together, seeing as both will feel strange to begin with.
Hearing the point when gear change is needed was 1 of the few things I found very easy when I was having driving lessons. I stopped the lessons because I view things in the mirrors the wrong way around, as in I see things on the left as being reversed (and as being on the right) and vice versa (maybe linked to being able to read upside down / back to front / mirror imaged), and decided that the several seconds and total concentration on the mirrors alone that it took me to work it out (often still getting the wrong answer, even though I know that if it looks like its on the left of the mirror it IS on the left of the car) wasn't safe enough for me to drive.
Front_Society1353@reddit
Manual. You cant guarantee you wont need it. Might be the case you get a job that requires driving a manual or something
ZippyLondon@reddit
Auto. I passed my test (here in the UK) in 1982. As soon as I discovered autos, I’ve not looked back.
f8rter@reddit
Manual
moonlight_xpress@reddit
I'm glad I've learned in a manual because a lot of people I know have manuals, and I'd be able to drive their cars if needed. May never have to do that but I'd rather be able to if needed.
motific@reddit
My recommendation is definitely manual at least for the next 5-10 years mainly because of vans.
If you ever need to hire a van to move house, or have to drive one for work in the next 10 years then there's a good chance you'll need a manual licence.
If you find yourself needing to tow a trailer (as I do now, though I never planned to) then there's one all-electric van that will tow it, most automatic transmissions hate the extra load, and so a lot of vans sold today are still manual.
Plus automatic licences are still seen by insurers as "didn't have the skill to pass manual".
No_Chemist2922@reddit
Manual gives you more options when you're traveling overseas, and gear shifting techniques are transferrable if you intend to learn how to ride motorcycles in the future.
MiddleAgeCool@reddit
Learning to drive a manual is hard. You're going to stall. You're going to really struggle to change at the right time. Since you're learning it'll be another thing you have to do when performing a manoeuvre and getting the biting point on the clutch will take concentration for everything else. It sucks.
Then, one lesson it will all just click and you'll not think about it. You won't notice, but you'll just feel the biting point. You'll not give any thought as you go from 1st to 2nd and up to 3rd. You'll laugh at how you used to think it such an easy skill gave you so much trouble.
Stick with it; learn in a manual. Not least when you come to by a second hand automatic, the sound of the gear changes will be noticeable if they're not happening at right time.
Iwasjustbullshitting@reddit
Ask me 10 years ago I would of said manual.
If you're struggling with manual then automatic isn't the end of the world, especially now with electric cars and wider choice of automatics on the market.
cold_tap_hot_brew@reddit
I’ve never driven an automatic but I can without needing to learn a new skill. The opposite isn’t true for automatic drivers.
Give yourself the option, learn manual.
BVOP83@reddit
I’d say automatic. They’re far more common than they used to be, it’ll be quicker and easier to get your license and the future does not lie with manual cars. You’d be putting yourself through extra stress with no real gain. Now if you’d asked this 10 years ago, my answer would’ve been different
Rare-Quantity5503@reddit
Automatic. Manuals are in the bin.
iamabigtree@reddit
If you can learn in a manual then do so. Often easier said than done but for driving today manual gives more choices. (FWIW I've been on auto/EV for 10 years)
alex21dragons@reddit
Definitely manual. It seems harder in principle and there's a little more time to get used to it but once you do you just change gears and work the clutch without even thinking about it. And you're then qualified to drive an automatic as well. Manual cars are still more economical to drive too, even if autos are more efficient than they used to be.
NerveAffectionate318@reddit
The way cars are going , manual will be a thing of the past soon. So I can see the argument for automatic only.
However , I do think driving a manual makes you a better driver overall.
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