There are lots of things to consider when you decide to learn to drive but one of the main things is, shall I drive in a manual or automatic car?
So, what is the difference?
Basically, it is all about the gearbox, in a manual car, you will have to operate the clutch and gears yourself, while an automatic car changes gears for you depending on your speed.
This means that manual cars have some extra controls that you will need to operate that simply are not present in automatic cars: a gear stick and a clutch pedal.
A manual pedal set-up. The pedal on the far right is the accelerator, the pedal in the middle is the foot break and the pedal on the left is the clutch.
An automatic pedal set-up. The pedal on the far right is the accelerator, the pedal in the centre is the break pedal. I know it looks like there is a third pedal on the left-hand side but that is actually a footrest for your left foot, which is mostly redundant when driving an automatic car.
Because of these extra controls, manual cars are harder to learn, which can lead to longer learning times.
Learning to drive and passing the driving test with a manual transmission means your licence will allow you to drive both manual and automatic cars.
While Automatic cars are becoming ever more popular most cars that are on the UK roads have use a manual gear box. However we should consider the increasing popularity of electric vehicles all of which are automatic, if current trends continue automatic vehicles will become the more popular option.
I hope this has helped and as always feel free to ask any questions you may have!
Keep driving, stay safe and I hope to see you next time.
Graeme Howard
Franchise manager
Union school of motoring
graeme@unionschoolofmotoring.co.uk