Fri, 24 Oct 2025

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 What is driving the decision to learn in a manual or automatic car?

Learner drivers say a lack of automatic instructors and the higher cost of lessons pushes them to manual.
A growing number of young drivers are facing a dilemma: whether to learn and take their driving test in an automatic or manual car. With one in three cars on UK roads now being automatic, many believe taking the automatic test would be easier and quicker, but this may not always be the case. In reality, the pass rate for the manual test is higher than the automatic test, at 50.4% compared to 43.9%, according to DVSA figures. However, some learners feel they have no choice but to learn in an automatic due to a lack of instructors and higher costs associated with lessons in an electric vehicle. Young drivers are also being influenced by the ban on new petrol and diesel cars coming into effect in 2030, which is driving demand for electric vehicles that do not require manual gearboxes. This has led to some learners feeling pressured into taking the automatic test to be able to drive electric cars. However, this may limit their future options, as passing a manual test gives drivers more flexibility and freedom to choose between different types of vehicles. Caitlin Graham, who passed her driving test in a manual car after struggling to find an automatic instructor, says she would have preferred to learn in an automatic but it was not possible. Her sister, who learned in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, passed in just five months compared to Caitlin's almost year-long wait. Cleo Moseley and Luke Breaban-Cook both chose to learn in manual cars due to cost and availability of instructors, while David Robinson opted for an automatic test due to his dyspraxia making it difficult to control a manual gearbox. Motoring journalist Maria McCarthy says there is still a stigma around holding an automatic-only licence, but with the increasing number of electric vehicles on the road, this may not be as relevant in the future.
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