Depending on where you live and whether or not you are confident with using gears, then an automatic transmission may be a viable choice for you. It means you have less to worry about when driving and can focus all of your attention on road safety. Driving around town centres or built up areas means plenty of gear changes too but in an automatic, there’s no need to be concerned with any of this. Automatic transmission cars can take the headache out of driving and, when driving to a new area, means you can focus on the route rather than worrying about the gear box.
It’s easier and therefore faster to learn to drive an automatic but if you are considering taking lessons, it’s often more expensive for each driving lesson. Automatics are not just for beginners however, many qualified drivers prefer the simplicity of an automatic car and it means both hands can stay safely on the steering wheel. If you pass your test in an automatic, you are not able to drive manual cars so this limits your options and when hiring cars, automatics are likely to be very limited and this could mean a problem for the automatic only driver.
There are advantages to having a manual transmission too. They are cheaper to buy than an automatic and if you have a licence to drive a manual car; you can choose which you prefer- so much more choice. Lots of drivers deem that they feel more in control with a manual transmission and that it affords greater fuel economy too. For those that like to control their speed, a manual transmission is a better option.
Really it comes down to personal tastes, your driving needs and how much you want to spend.
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