Should I learn to drive with a manual gearbox or an automatic? Many learner drivers ask themselves this question, especially since the automatic-only entry in the licence was abolished. So you can sit the practical driving test in an automatic and still drive a manual car. At first glance that sounds very tempting, but it can also have certain drawbacks. Which ones? That is what this article is about.
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Driving a manual with an automatic licence?
If you took the Swiss car test in an automatic before 1 February 2019, you received an entry in your licence. That entry allowed you to drive only vehicles that are not manual.
It is exactly this restriction, the so-called «automatic entry», that has been lifted. You can also have the entry in your licence deleted retrospectively.
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Learning to drive in an automatic
Until not long ago almost every learner driver took the road to their licence in a manual. Mostly because after the practical test you could also drive an automatic, but not the other way round. But also because it used to be said behind closed doors that the people taking the automatic test were the ones who did not have what it takes and were out of their depth with the clutch and the gears.
Not much is heard any more of these prejudices, which were of course wrong. More and more learner drivers take their driving lessons in an automatic. It is easier and you need fewer lessons, so the common belief goes. More on the pros and cons of an automatic against a manual below.
Why the change in the law?
Like so many sectors, the motor industry has been through a great deal of change in recent years, and has more still to come. Cars where you have to change gear by hand are increasingly a thing of the past. More than half of newly registered cars in Switzerland have an automatic gearbox, and in the mid and upper price segments in particular the manual option is now rarely available, or only on request.
The change in the law was also decided with a view to the ever more popular electric vehicles, which are driven by a completely different drive and transmission technology and in which there is no gear changing at all. The hope is to give electric mobility a little push. Because if you have already driven electric in your lessons, you are more likely to buy an electric car yourself. According to ASTRA (the Federal Roads Office), more and more driving instructors are also switching to electrically powered driving-school cars.
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Pros and cons of manual and automatic
For learning to drive you have two options, manual or automatic. So you have to decide. The advantages and disadvantages of each type of gearbox are listed here:
Advantages of a manual
- Switching from manual to automatic is far easier than the other way round. So you are considerably more flexible if you learn to drive in a manual car.
- You have to drive more deliberately and more attentively. As a result you develop a deeper feel for the car and acquire a confident, assured driving style.
- You can control your fuel consumption more actively and more effectively. Driving in an ecological way is considerably easier to put into practice.
- And bear in mind, to come back once more to the greater flexibility, that many used cars and hire cars have a manual gearbox.
Disadvantages of a manual
- You may be a little out of your depth at the start, because keeping an eye on the other road users on top of changing gear, working the clutch, braking and steering can be a great deal in certain situations. But you will get used to it very quickly and settle into a routine.
- And of course the «hill start». The nightmare scenario of many a learner driver. But that too is purely a matter of practice, and with a bit of feel and a bit of calm it is not as difficult as you sometimes hear.
Advantages of an automatic
- In most cases a learner driver needs considerably fewer lessons when taking the road to their licence in an automatic. That can save you a lot of money.
- Especially in the first few lessons, when even a little is too much, you can concentrate better on the traffic.
- At the practical driving test you only have to concentrate on driving, which improves your chances of success.
- Hill starts are no longer a challenge.
- You may be someone who gets stressed quickly and easily thrown. In those situations concentration often drops off too, which can be particularly dangerous when driving.
Disadvantages of an automatic
- If you learn to drive in an automatic and take the car test in one, switching to a manual car is considerably harder.
- You have your licence, which means you are expected to be able to move a vehicle safely in traffic. But if you are driving a manual for the first time, you may put yourself and other road users in danger.
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Myths about automatics
There are three areas in which myths about the automatic gearbox persist stubbornly. Let us clear them up:
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Manual or automatic, which is better?
For many new drivers the matter is more or less settled. They take their lessons and their test in an automatic. That trend is unmistakable. Why put yourself under stress «needlessly»? Stress in traffic, stress from other road users. And then the clutch and the gears on top. No, why would you? «After the practical test I can drive a manual car anyway.»
What most learner drivers care about first and foremost is having the licence as fast as possible. And at the lowest possible cost. There is nothing really to criticise about that attitude. Time and driving lessons are expensive. But you may want to ask yourself a more fundamental question, quite apart from whether you learn in an automatic or a manual: «Do I want to learn to drive, or to pass the driving test?» Once you have your licence you are, as a road user, solely responsible and accountable for what you do. So it is in your own long-term interest that you can handle a car safely and according to the rules.
«Which is better, automatic or manual?» There is no simple answer. Everyone has to answer that question for themselves. If you want your licence as quickly and cheaply as possible, you should go for the automatic gearbox. But if you want to be more flexible in the long run, the manual may be the better decision.
Tip: you can of course also take your lessons in a manual car and sit the practical test in an automatic. That way you can get comfortable with the manual gearbox under your instructor’s care, without putting yourself under extra stress during the test drive with the examiner.
Which is better? Manual or automatic? You will find more in this video and in this one.
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How many lessons until the automatic driving test?
In Switzerland no driving lessons are compulsory. In principle, though, you can expect considerably fewer lessons if you take them in an automatic than in a manual. But even that rule of thumb varies a great deal from learner to learner.
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Cost of an automatic driving licence
The cost of an automatic driving licence comes to around 2’660 francs. That makes a licence in an automatic vehicle just under 1’000 francs cheaper than a licence in a manual. Because fewer lessons means lower costs. The costs vary a great deal from person to person, though. There are also instructors who charge more for a lesson in an automatic than in a manual car.
We have also written an article giving a detailed overview of the cost of a driving licence.
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Is driving an automatic easier?
At the beginning it is certainly easier to learn to drive in a car with an automatic gearbox. The gear changing is done for you. All you have to concentrate on is the other road users and the road. Pulling away, especially on a hill, is child’s play in an automatic too.
But once you have built up a certain routine with the manual gearbox, which happens very quickly for many learner drivers, the clutch and the gears will no longer challenge or wear you out.
For the practical driving test it can certainly be an advantage to go for an automatic. There you want to make it as easy as possible for yourself and eliminate every additional stress factor, however small. A great many learner drivers have also got their licence in a manual car without major problems. So it remains a very individual decision.