Manual or Automatic: Which Should You Learn for Your Driving Test?

Manual or Automatic?

With automatic cars becoming more and more popular (one in four driving tests is now predicted to be automatic by 2026, thanks to the rise of electric vehicles and easier learning for many people), the big question is: manual or automatic? Both are brilliant choices, but they come with different advantages and drawbacks. Let’s break it down in a friendly way to help you decide.

Learning in a manual car (with a clutch and gear stick) gives you complete control and the most flexible driving licence.

Main advantages of manual:

1. Full licence freedom: Pass in a manual and you can drive both manual and automatic cars for life. Pass in an automatic only? You’re restricted to automatics.
2. Better control in tricky situations: You can select the right gear for hills, slippery roads (snow, ice, heavy rain, very common in the UK), towing or overtaking.
3. Often more fuel-efficient: Manuals usually use less fuel because you control the engine revs yourself.
4. Cheaper lessons generally: Manual cars and instructors are more widely available, so lessons tend to cost less.
5. Builds excellent coordination: Mastering the clutch sharpens your overall driving skills.

Potential downsides:

1. Steeper learning curve: Coordinating the clutch, gears, accelerator and brake takes more practice (often 10–15 extra hours for beginners).
2. Risk of stalling early on: Very common in traffic or on hills until you get the feel for it.
3. More tiring in stop-start city driving.

Many learners find manuals challenging at first but completely natural after a few weeks. Our patient instructors make the whole process enjoyable and build your confidence step by step.

Automatics (no clutch, the car changes gears itself) are growing fast and suit lots of new drivers perfectly.

Main advantages of automatic:

1. Easier and quicker to learn: You can focus purely on road awareness, steering, signals and safety without worrying about gears.
2. Less stress for beginners: No stalling at junctions or hills, ideal if you’re nervous or want to progress faster.
3. Smoother in traffic: Urban driving (heavy West Midlands traffic!) feels much more relaxed and less tiring.
4. Perfect for modern cars: Many new vehicles (especially electric and hybrids) are automatic only.
5. Often fewer lessons needed: Learners pass more quickly as they concentrate on core driving skills.

Potential downsides:

1. Licence restriction: An automatic pass means you can only drive automatics (unless you retake the test in a manual later).
2. Slightly higher lesson cost: Fewer automatic instructors and cars mean lessons can be a bit pricier.
3. Less control in some conditions: You can’t manually select lower gears for extra grip on very slippery roads (though modern automatics cope well in most situations).

Interestingly, DVSA statistics show that manual test pass rates are often a little higher (around 50% compared with 44% for automatic in recent years), but that’s largely because many people choose automatic when they want the easiest route.

• Go manual if: You want the most flexible licence, plan to drive older or second-hand cars, enjoy having control or prefer cheaper lessons in the long run.
• Go automatic if: You’re a complete beginner, feel anxious about coordination, live in heavy traffic, want to pass more quickly or plan to buy an electric or hybrid car soon.

• Over 90% first-time pass rate
• Friendly, patient instructors
• Lessons seven days a week including evenings
• Modern dual-controlled cars
• Regular mock tests on real local routes
• Intensive courses available

Whichever you choose, our goal is always the same: to get you passed first time, safe and smiling!

Ready to decide and book your first lesson? Visit www.sdsdrivingschools.co.uk or call 0800 086 8797. You can also message us on WhatsApp at 07432 800 800. We’d love to chat about what suits you best and get you on the road to freedom.

Here’s to your driving success, you’ve got this!