Leeds Automatic Driving Lessons

Both manual and automatic are the types of transmissions or gears found in a car. You must change the gears yourself in a manual car. As the name suggests an automatic car will change the gears automatically when needed.

Driving a manual car is not something that everyone can learn, especially if the city is busy and you need to change gears and rely on clutch control a lot. You may have taken driving lessons in manual cars before but found it too difficult to handle the gears. A driver may also choose an automatic car because they are unable to change gears as easily due to a disability. These are just a few of the many reasons why you may find learning how to drive and passing your driving test much easier in an automatic.

What Is The Difference Between Manual Cars And Automatic Cars?

A car equipped with an automatic transmission changes the gears automatically for you. You will need to change the gears yourself if you drive a manual transmission car.

A manual car will have 3 pedals the brake, accelerator and clutch. They also come with a gear stick, used in conjunction with the clutch to change gears. The clutch is operated using your left foot while the other two are controlled with your right foot. To change gears, you press the clutch down. The clutch must be down in order to move the gearstick and select the right gear for you. The majority of manual cars will have a clutch pedal, however, some cars can replace the pedal with a trigger or a button on the gearstick.

An automatic car does without a clutch because the gears are changed automatically. As the vehicle accelerates, it will automatically change the gears higher. When the car slows down or stops, the gears will automatically switch to the lower gear. In an automatic car it is not necessary to be proficient in coordinating the accelerator, clutch, and gear lever. This makes it easier to learn how to drive an automatic car rather than a manual. A footrest replaces the clutch and is used instead of a pedal. It is difficult for automatic cars to stall as they don’t have a clutch. Also, you won’t accidentally put the car into the wrong gear or grind the gears.

A Manual’s gear stick is different than an Automatic. A manual has one reverse gear and five, possibly 6, forward gears. An Automatic has four main operations. Although there are variations, the four main operations for the gear stick are (P) park (D) drive (N) neutral (R) reverse. These operations are fairly self-explanatory with the possible exception of neutral which can be used when you are stopped at traffic lights or in heavy traffic.

A second difference is that a manual car cannot move on the flat unless you use the accelerator. However, an automatic can be put into drive or reverse and it will glide along by itself. Although it won’t move very fast until your press the accelerator, it will still be moving. If you’re used to driving manual cars and want to switch to an automatic, this is something you need to remember.

A hilly area can make an automatic car a good choice. An automatic car is less likely to roll backwards when you are doing a hill start as you do not need to manually find the bite.

It comes down to your personal preference whether you drive in an automatic car or a manual. For some, driving an automatic is much easier. Some drivers like the extra control you get driving a manual car.