Automatic vs manual driving lessons

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It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Book driving lessons. Home Learning. Should I learn to drive in a manual or an automatic? By David Motton. April 26, What is an automatic? What are the benefits of learning to drive in an automatic? For a driver with a disability, an automatic gearbox may be essential. Why should I learn in a manual instead? So, should I learn to drive in a manual or an automatic? Previous article Should I get black box insurance?

The pros and cons. Should I buy an automatic or a manual after passing my test? Book a dual control car Back to Latest News. Business Reservations: We accept the following payment methods. Visa Mastercard Maestro PayPal. Check out our reviews on Trustpilot. The electronics are programmed to take factors such as the road type and your speed into consideration, then change gears accordingly. As the extra job of switching gears is taken away, it does give you more time to focus on skills such as observation and manoeuvres.

Although automatic vehicles do make life easier, many drivers are rather dubious, simply because it does feel as if you have less control over the car. One of the biggest culprits for stalling is clutch control. Explaining the difference in gears leads us on well to the clutch as the two come hand in hand. The clutch is there to allow you to change gears, so if there are no gears then there will be no need for a clutch pedal; therefore you cannot stall in an automatic vehicle.

The tricky thing about the bite points is it only takes a slight release with the clutch just a fraction too high to stall. There will be no need to practice finding the bite point in an automatic vehicle, all you will need to do to set off is release the brake and move over to the acceleration, the process will feel smooth. As there will be no need to spend time practising using the clutch, your instructor will focus on using the time to perfect skills such as manoeuvres.

One of the most significant downsides of learning without a clutch pedal is that if you ever wanted to switch to driving a manual vehicle and re-start driving lessons, it is likely to take you longer to get to grips with the bite point than it would for someone with no driving experience. When talking overall costs, opting for a manual car will be cheaper.

Although you may be able to pick up an automatic car for a relatively low price, repairs tend to be considerably more expensive. As manual cars are far more common than automatic cars and are easier to find, manual cars are generally more affordable and easier to maintain.

The gearbox technology is less complex than an automatic car, making repairs affordable, too. Manual cars are typically faster than automatic cars as they are better at transferring power from the engine to the wheels.

Manual cars have also got a reputation for their ease of control compared to automatic cars, particularly in difficult driving conditions. The only real disadvantage to driving a manual car is that they can initially be a little trickier to get to grips with compared to automatic cars.

With that being said, once you get the hang of the gears and clutch, driving a manual is extremely easy. Automatic cars are slightly easier to drive and are more convenient. As you only need to change gears when reversing or parking, it does offer a smoother ride with minimal hassle to allow you to concentrate on driving. If you do need to learn quickly, then an automatic might be the best choice for you.

As repairs are more expensive on automatic cars, this does mean that it might not be the best option for you as a new driver.