Manual or automatic?

When it comes to learning to drive, clients have two options. They can opt to learn with a manual gearbox, or they can choose to learn with automatic gears. Most learners choose to learn manually, for holders of manual licenses are permitted to drive with automatic gears. Holders of automatic licenses, however, are not allowed to drive manual cars. So if you choose to learn manually, you will have greater freedom and choice when it comes to choosing which car to drive. Moreover, it is by no means impossible that one day you’ll be called upon to drive someone else’s car – in an emergency for example. As the majority of cars on Britain’s roads are manual, chances are this car will be manual as well, so if you only hold an automatic license you will be in trouble!

Given this, why do some learners choose to learn automatically? Well, automatic cars are undoubtedly much easier to master. Automatic learners will be able to obtain their driving license – though, remember, it will only be an automatic license – approximately twenty-five percent sooner than manual learners. So if you need to get a driving license as soon as possible – perhaps for reasons of work, or perhaps because your partner has suddenly lost his or her license – then opting to learn automatically might be a wise choice.

It is important to note here that although manual cars are harder to master, they are nothing to be afraid of! When we chat to clients at the beginning of their first lesson, many voice concerns about manual gears, but the truth is that once you’re used to them, they’re ridiculously easy to handle. All it takes is a bit of time.

So, unless you’re in a real rush to learn to drive, we recommend that you opt to learn with a manual gearbox.

We have instructors nationwide who specialise in both manual and automatic cars.