Manual Vs Automatic

When learning to drive you need to choose manual or automatic transmission.

Manual cars

In the UK, manual cars have always been the favourite. Manual cars give you the sense of fully controlling the car. You have three pedals, gas brake and clutch. The gas and brake are the same in manual and automatic cars. The gas gives you power to go; the brake slows or stops the car. You use the clutch pedal for slow manoeuvring control and changing gear.

Once you have mastered your clutch control, brake control and steering, you can manoeuvre the car confidently, on hilly terrain, through town and out on the open road.

With a little practice you will be changing gear effortlessly as you hear the engine revving up, you instinctively change up a gear. With a manual car you can change down to a lower gear for more control around a bend or for more power to get up a hill or to accelerate quickly.

When you feel the car slow down you change down. When going down a steep hill you change down to a lower gear so that the engine braking will help you control the speed of the car. You become at one with the car and enjoy the sensation of driving.

Automatic cars

Automatic cars tend to be the lazy option. If you want to learn to drive quickly without the hassle of learning the skills of driving a manual car. It is simple, you put the car in drive and the gears change automatically. You just press the gas pedal to go and the brake to slow down or stop, you do not have a clutch pedal to worry about.

The steering takes a little practice. Once you learn how to feed the wheel you just look ahead and the steering comes naturally as it does in a manual car.

You do not really feel as connected to the car, but you are not a passenger, you still need to pay attention to the road. Automatic cars are not as efficient as manual cars, but there is far less skill involved in driving an automatic car.

It comes down to personal choice. What do you want out of a car?