When you decide to learn how to drive, making a choice between learning driving in a manual or an automatic car becomes your primary concern.
Automatic vs Manual Driving
The major difference between the two is that automatic cars don’t have a clutch pedal. Generally, manual cars have five or six gears and a reverse gear. This gives you full control over car’s performance.
There are usually four modes in automatic cars:
-
Reverse – R
-
Park – P
-
Drive – D
-
Neutral – N
Unlike the manual car, automatic car selects the appropriate gear itself as per the vehicle speed and road conditions. The driver needs to worry only about whether he needs to go forward, backward, stop or park the car. It is easier to drive in repetitive stop-and-move or slow-moving type situations. Nowadays, majority of the companies manufacture automatic type in most of the countries.
At the same time, one must not ignore the fact that automatic ones are more expensive than their manual counterparts and have higher repair costs.
On the other hand, manual cars are less expensive than automatic cars and often have lower repair costs. Moreover, the driver has more control over the car. However at the same time, it can get tiresome in heavy traffic where it becomes more engaging for the driver. It requires quite precise control and a good amount of experience to drive manual cars in hilly areas.
Automatic and Manual License
The process for getting both the types of licenses is almost the same. The only difference being taking your driving lessons as well as driving test in the type of vehicle you choose. You need to specify your choice of vehicle and take the lessons accordingly. This will determine which type of vehicle you will be driving.
Acquiring license for an automatic car implies that you need to learn in an automatic car only and appear for an automatic driving test. It is generally believed that learning to drive in an automatic car is easy relative to learning in a manual car. Manual cars have additional clutch movements and gear transitions that are required to be learnt along with other traffic and road rules. It can get a bit confusing for learner drivers in the beginning. Therefore, automatic cars are a good alternative.
It is quite significant for the learner drivers to understand and learn the traffic and road rules specifically before appearing for their driving test. These rules like for example, being aware of traffic signals, complete stopping at stop signs, giving way to pedestrians etc. remain the same irrespective of the type of car. However, the similarity between automatic and manual learning is that getting well versed with the road rules is required in both the cases. Although a different set of skills is required for both, but the knowledge of rules is essential in both the types of cars to clear your driving test and then actually driving your own vehicle on the road.
How to choose between the two?
The choice between the two depends on your style of driving. If you have no problem in pressing the clutch pedal on and off continuously and can switch between the gears hassle-free, then manual car might be better for you.
If you want to drive with a lesser fatigue and easily, then an automatic car could be a better option.
Start your driving journey in whatever type of vehicle that suits you. Book your lessons with VDS and learn from our professional and expert instructors.
