It’s not embellish to say that many people don’t really know the exact difference between automatic and manual cars. Take an example of the answer we get from a random drive who have been driving an automatic cars with a valid driving license for 3 years, “You don’t have to worry much about driving an automatic car. I usually put the gear selector to D and just drive it. For manual cars, it is quite troublesome because you have to deal with the clutch and shift gears all the time.” She definitely made her point but there are few more things about both automatic and manual cars you need to know.

8 Differences Between Automatic and Manual Cars

Learn the difference between automatic and manual cars will allow you to drive better. It will also give you adequate knowledge to make the correct decision when buying a new car. Basically, there are five main differences between manual and automatic transmission cars.

1. A manual transmission car has three pedals – clutch, brake and accelerator (gas pedal). An automatic transmission car has only two pedals – brake and accelerator.

2. A manual transmission car features a gear shift. It is also known as Stick Shift. You need to press the clutch in order to shift gears. An automatic transmission car features a gear selector where you need to put the car to D to drive it. The gear selector in an automatic car also has P (Parking), R (Reverse) and N (Neutral).

3. It is more complex to get started on a hill when driving a manual car compare to automatic car. In a manual car, the driver needs to control the clutch and shift gears manually. See learning to drive a manual car for more details. In an automatic car, the driver only needs to put the gear selector to D and drive it because the car will shift automatically for you.

4. You need to press the clutch and apply the brake to slow down or stop a manual car. As for automatic car, all you need to do is lift your right foot from the gas pedal to the brake to slow down or stop the car. Some people prefer automatic car because it is easier for parallel parking.

5. When it comes to pricing, all the manual transmission cars tend to be less expensive compared to automatic transmission cars because the transmission system is simpler. An automatic transmission consists of complicated technology thus is it more expensive to repair. You could save up few hundred dollars if you are buying a stick shift.

6. It is easier to do a burnout in manual car compared to automatic car because you can control the wheel spin with clutch. See how to do a burnout for more details.

7. Automatic cars bring more advantages when you are driving in traffic jam because you don’t have to keep shifting gears like the manual cars. Driving a manual transmission car in traffic is simply gruelling.

8. Manual transmission cars typically gives a better gas mileage. This is because the driver can control the car based on the road conditions. Also, you can rev your engine to the redline in a manual car but you can’t do it in automatic cars. Redline is the maximum RPM value a car engine is able to handle.

Most cars on the road today are automatic transmission because they are easier to drive especially for people who are learning to drive a car. In conclusions, there are advantages and disadvantages of both manual and automatic cars. All you need to do is understand the difference between automatic and manual cars and go for the one that suits your needs the best.