In the UK if you pass your test in a automatic you can't legaly drive a manual so the majority learn and pass in a manual that way you can drive either type in the future.

As others have said before to Americans reviewing this subject, having a manual car in America is a natural ‘Anti Theft Device’ - as most Americans wouldn’t know how to steal it and drive it away!

I passed my test at 17 and in 40 years of driving, I only drove an automatic once. It was so weird. I kept going for a non existent clutch. I'll stick to manual!

If you spend a lot of time sat in traffic then automatic is probably the way to go, but if you really want to feel the car, and feel like you're in control, and you have roads that twist and turn, with elevation changes, then manual is definitely the way to go, it puts the FUN back into driving!

I'm surprised that American tourists are allowed to hire a manual car in the UK if they've never driven one. Crazy!

As far as I'm concerned, manual IS driving

Finding the biting point on a clutch can be difficult at the start but it soon becomes natural.

I've always driven a manual. I hate automatic I find them boring 🤭 nothing like changing gears when you're building up speed it's a different experience. Automatic feels like driving a child's go kart 😄

I am British (learnt to drive manual) and moved to Tennessee. I bought a car from a large chain but wanted a manual and had to have my little car brought in from Texas because that was the nearest place they had a 'normal' car.

With manual gear boxes you can adjust your gear for the situation. Eg in ice and snow drive at low revs in high gear to reduce wheel spinning and down hill drive in lower gear to apply extra engine breaking so manual gears give you an extra element of control.

You can take your test at 17 in the UK.

Hi , JT. Here in the UK with a manual car, we have more control you are driving the car, not the car driving you.

It's manual because you need to be able to drive properly on our bendy, narrow, busy & hilly roads, & changeable weather conditions. The clutch is the plate disc between the gearbox & the drive shaft, which the clutch pedal operates. The precise control is much better in manual drive cars, because you can go down or up the gears quickly as needed, where an automatic does not. You can only drive a manual in the UK if you pass a manual test, an automatic test pass does not allow you to drive a manual transmission. Automatic transmission is not good enough in some situations, for example on snow & ice or very wet conditions. Roads in the US are generally wider & straight for long stretches & much easier to drive. You could have self driving cars in the US most of the time, this would be much more difficult in the UK or Europe.

I recently heard on the radio that a lot more people are taking their driving tests in automatic rather than manual cars in the UK because of electric cars growing in popularity. It's more difficult to hire an automatic car here because not so many people, until recently, drive them. Remember if you only passed to drive an automatic you are not allowed to drive a manual car in the UK. It would be illegal to do so. I don't know about other European countries but I should imagine they have similar laws. British driving licences specify what someone can drive and it's mainly based on the driving test one took.

Automatic cars were actually only used for disabled people in uk and posh people but when u say im going to learn to drive then you just expect a gear stick 😂😂

Hiya JT , Im 60 now and have mostly driven manual cars here in Birmingham UK , i experimented with a couple of Automatics over the years but to be honest i couldnt take to it , it felt like driving a bumper car (Dodgem i think you guys call em lol) it felt detached from the car , whereas with gears you are in tandem with the cars reactions and performance 🤣🤣

Hi, in Britain passing your driver's test in a manual car allows you to drive a automatic, if you take a driving test in an automatic , you are not qualified to drive a manual

In England we learn to drive at 17. Stop calling a liquid gas, Jeremy Clarkson mentions this in clips of Top Gear when he has a go at americans. Gas is used to heat houses cook on the hob and in the oven.

I've driven both and, given the choice, I'd always pick a manual. The way you can balance the gear against the engine power against the way the road is moving is an absolute joy. Driving an automatic always feels a bit disconnected and chaotic by comparison to me.

Two major reasons for driving a manual car. It is a much more involved driving experiance. If you drive a manual you are able to drive economically. Whereas in an automatic, gear changes are fixed at certain points in the rev range.

we all tend to think of automatics as a disabled car, were here in the UK, we have two licences you can get a manual licence and you can drive an automatic car, but if you get a automatic licence, then you cannot drive a manual car

Driving a manual, is REAL DRIVING 😂

I was taught to drive in the RAF, so my first drive was in a crash gearbox Land Rover. (You need to double-declutch to change gear up or down..) So when I drove a syncromesh, it could cause problem, as I was listening to the revs and 'slamming' the gears! I did pass my civilian test in an automatic geared car as I had sustained injuries to my left leg whilst serving, which made using the clutch awkward...

We drive manual vehicles because we can, you have far more control over a manual car than an automatic one

It's common knowledge that a manual gearbox is superior for driving 'off-road'. Given the state of British roads, its like driving 'off-road' when you're driving on ANY road. THAT'S why we prefer manual cars.

In the UK if you learn & pass your test in an automatic your license will reflect that and you won't be allowed to drive a manual but those who learned & passed in a manual can drive any car. Hybrids and electrics are automatic so the numbers for new cars might well be different. I've driven an automatic a few times and found my left leg kept moving to press the clutch as the engine sound came towards changing gear even when the pedal was missing. They were good at straight line acceleration but felt weaker going out a corner where I could change gear and use the power better.

A car with a clutch is a real drivers car , you decide when to change gear or if you want to wheel spin etc, you are in control

I passed my test in a manual in 1980's UK, first drove an automatic in early 2000's from Atlanta to Nashville, I found it pretty easy to switch but with one caveat, in a manual, assuming you are in the correct gear the power kicks in as soon as you hit the accelerator, in an automatic there's a delay, you automatically tend to push the accelerator further which leads to a surge and when the power does kick in you get more than you wanted, 20+ years later now living in the US with a few 100K miles driving here I still sometimes instinctively do that, my wifes face usually drains of color when she hears the roar of my 3L V6 Outlander engine roar

I passed my test in 1976 in a manual, I had to drive a friends automatic and I hated it. Such a lazy way to drive and I never felt like I was in full control. I became Department of Transport Driving Instructor in my early 30's and this was my main Job for over 20 years. I also taught Advanced Motoring and not once was I ever asked If I taught in an Automatic car.

Car insurance is compulsory in the UK - you get a criminal record and your car confiscated if you don't have any Needless to say, the insurance companies have a field day fleecing the motorist But those who drive automatic cars end up paying 50% more in car insurance premiums than those who drive manuals - with similar specs/terms That's because manual drivers are seen as more skilled and competent and safer by the insurance companies (and also, repairs to a manual often cost less) - they operate on statistical facts that seem to bear this out

I grew up in the UK and live in Canada now. I learnt to drive in a manual and didn't drive anything else. One day I went over to my dad's and he had one of those "new fangled automatics" This was very rare in the 70's. He gave me the keys and I jumped in. Started her up looked at the shifter and decided on D. Set off and then without thinking I pushed my left foot down to change gear and hit this big assed brake pedal. Nearly went through the windscreen. After that my left foot was planted on the firewall. Lived in Canada for 43 years now and driven an automatic for most of that.

I'm British, I drive a manual transmission car it's common for us but in saying that automatic transmission is becoming rather popular here in the UK nowadays

Toyota is working on a manual transmission for electric cars. In reality, it is still one continuous gear, but it responds to the clutch and gear shifting of the driver to make it feel manual.

In the UK only around 2.7% of learners sit their test in an automatic car and so then restricted to automatic cars only.. the rest take a manual test then can drive both manual or automatic.

Driving a long distance on a motorway/autobahn/highway is the same experience in more manual and automatic... you get up to speed and then cruise in the top most efficient gear. One thing the video didn't not was automatic petrol/diesel engines produce more CO2 emissions than their manual counterparts. The big one for me though is manual is more FUN, you are in control of the car, you can climb better than an auto especially in snow. Just after I passed it snowed in my village and I picked up the guy I went to work with and I approached the hill slowly. He told me to reverse and get a run up and then stay in the highest gear that the car would turn the wheels. We got out of our little valley no problem in my little 1.4l front wheel drive car and then had a free run to work. Manual is more fun and entertaining to drive as you have to be present with the car and the journey... driving across the Western side of the US covering 2.5k miles I was so bored on the roads but also in the twisty roads in Yosemite, California Highway 1 there was no input before or out of the corners, also US drivers just seem to look at their bonnets/hoods and not anticipate a corner so breaking during a corner oh my days. My wife has video of me watching sawing at their steering wheel and braking mid-corner which is a loss of control while travelling at 10 mph with me crying "why are you here, how did you pass your test, you are a flipping incompetent flipping driver". Still the best time was when we had stopped at Carmel-by-the-Sea, and after sightseeing and refuelling the SUV for the drive to LA, a McLaren and a Ferrari pulled up filled up with petrol with a girl as a passenger and set off, the should was beautiful. Ten minutes later we caught them up on the coastal highway, and followed them for another five miles... I thought they were brake testing me initially but no it was the look at the bonnet/hood/sawing at the wheel driving at each bend no matter how open and easy it was... another video of me laughing at them being shocking drivers wasting the cars they had loaned to impress their lady friends. When a dirt look over point arrived they both pulled over and we passed them and they immediately pulled out... after the second corner I never saw them again and I wasn't driving above the speed limit.

Some people actually like driving. I love it. Manual gives you total control of the vehicle. If you don't like driving, get an automatic.

I loved the video please come to Yorkshire ill show you how to drive manual. Heel and toe down shift, rev matching, left foot braking and most importantly how to enjoy driving on a windy mountain road 😁

As a Brit, I swore by automatics because I could use left foot braking, which was much faster because you could get on the brakes later and accelerate earlier. Since I've gotten older and cost has replaced speed as the priority, I tend to prefer the control you have with a manual. The ability to keep a higher gear and skip gears is more economical and if you want speed, you just have to change gears quicker and learn how to use heel-and-toe. The real annoyance of automatics is driving commercial vehicles, which tend to be manual, because you'll do a LOT of gear changing.

I’ve driven both types and will always go for a manual drive, one reason is if you have to brake quickly going down the gears does slow you down faster than just using the brakes, as I’ve had to do quite a few times mainly because of idiots pulling in front and breaking.

I'm a Brit and since i passed my driving test at 17 I've always driven manual cars

Traditionally in the past UK, automatics were extremely expensive to repair and thus difficult to sell.

There is a channel called Motorcoach world where the guy is a chartered bus/coach driver from Illinois. He said in one video that in the 80s/90s the buses were manual as the drivers had experience driving manual cars before driver training. From the late 90s onwards, the new recruits first venture into manual was the buses and it showed by the amount the clutch replacements they ended up doing. So after they switched to auto.

I drive a Lorry for a living & we have both types. I always ask for the Manual as I can’t stand driving Autos, you have so much more control with manuals rather than waiting for the auto to respond.

I had been driving for 10 years before i drove an automatic car. I came to a traffic light and went to dip the clutch before breaking and nearly put everyone through the windscreen. I forgot there is no clutch pedal and proper stomped the break!

I've driven automatic a couple of times, and it's never been a problem. However, I still much prefer manual. A big part of it for me is that I feel it makes you more aware as you drive. You have to remain more switched on as you have to consider what's happening ahead and how that effects what gear you need.

I passed my test at 17, 41 years ago and have only had 2 automatics in that time, one was a jaguar S type and the other was an old vauxhall,it took some time to get used to.

All my cars here in the UK have been manual up until I got an electric car two years ago. Earlier this year i had to hire a car in Ireland that was manual and it took me a few minutes to get back in the swing of it. I do miss changing gears, but the electric car has only one forward gear and one reverse gear so there's nothing to change.

I've driven an automatic once when my dad bought one, it being an MG Magnet c.1964. Then we went to the US on holiday three times, and my hubby drove the automatic then, and the first time we visited, we met up with some Americans in a park, and the lady driver had bought herself a truck (as you Americans call them (not lorries)), it was a manual, and she asked us how to do an uphill start in it, as she would touch her footbrake to let the drivers behind her that she could roll back. We explained that this is the time when you really have to use your handbrake (emergency brake(?)). And proceeded to show her. The pity was, that she didn't have her car with her, so we could show her uphill starts, not only forwards, but backwards as well. Anyway, in your country, its better to use auto as you drive mostly on straight wide roads, over here in the UK and most of Europe, we have narrow roads, lanes, tight turns and corners, so its actually quicker to change up/down gear than an automatic would. In the UK, the earliest you can get your licence is 17

The most American thing I've read today: " what's a clutch" 😂😂😂😂

I used to swear by driving manual, my past two cars have been automatic. I won’t go back to manual now unless it’s a old classic restoration. Automatic is lazy driving but I love it. My work van is manual though so I drive both transmissions everyday.

As someone who grew up with manual gears in the 80s in the UK i must admit ive never been a fan, as soon as i found out automatic existed that was my go too and loved it, and it seems in 2024 more young drivers in the UK are choosing automatic , and with all electric cars being auto it looks like manual will eventually become obsolete or very rare at least in a decade or so

I’m in the UK and drive an automatic. It’s really difficult to find automatics here. Automatics definitely use more fuel than a manual. Automatics also are more expensive than the same manual model.

Ive only driven an automatic once and it felt so weird not having that extra control.

When you have past your driving test in Germany, gaining cat B through to cat C + E. have driven right hand drive and left hand drive vehicles. when you have driven both manual and automatic cars, when you have driven manual and automatic trucks, throw in a twin splitter as well. when you have also driven a left hand drive truck in the UK and when you also have cat H, FLT and Reach truck. sorry. what was the question? On the odd occasion when I hire a car, I get asked if an automatic ok? Just read that first bit again. Have to bung in this additional edit. Automatics also have a clutch. it just that you don't get to use it when you want to.

I not only drive a manual but can drive both right and left hand drive manual transmission when I visit my brother in France. You can get your licence in the UK at 17 . I'm not sure about the rest of Europe.

I've had manual cars all my life (UK) until, I had problems with my left knee after football injuries when I was younger. Doctor said to get an auto to save having to have an operation. So here I am 10 years later on my 2nd Auto gearbox. Even without a bad left knee I'm not sure I would go back to a manual now. Wait until kids start passing their driving test in EV's & will therefore not be allowed to drive a manual (UK).

I’m from the uk,been driving 18 years,passed in a manual,both gearboxes have there place,in a sports car around country roads the manual has more enjoyment but an auto for everything else ,that said I’ve got it backwards as my daily van is manual and my weekend audi rs6 is auto 😂

Best of both worlds is a dual-clutch transmission that can be switched between automatic and manual with the flappy paddles on the steering wheel.

Liter? Wasn't that Felix, who was in some of the James Bond films? We fill up with litres in the UK - but we still work in gallons for consumption!

When i was learning to drive my driving instructor had a manual and my girlfriend had a automatic, so i drove both. My own cars have all been manual. In the next few years i will probably have to change to a automatic even though i dont want to, but because of disabilities sometimes driving is now becoming painful. I love driving. I dont know why anyone would want a car that drives itself. The freedom of driving is a gift. I will also say i was 30 before i learnt to drive because my area has really good transport, bus stops 2 min walk from my house and literally across the road from the train station.

17 to drive here :) it's crazy how easy it would be to get an American girl , speak let her hear my accent and tell her I drive manual she's literally gagging for it ;) 😂

Due to the increase in plug in hybrids here in the UK a lot of new cars are now automatic as the car decides what is best

I learned to drive in UK and had driven a manual the whole time. I ended up with an automatic courtesy car for a day and no one explained to me that you only have to use one leg. I pushed the break down with my clutch leg, automatically down to the floor at high speed and almost bust my nose on the dashboard and left my lungs half way down the motorway. I'll stick to manual!

I’ll tell what JT. I took my manual car in as it had a big problem of just cutting out. They lent me an Automatic. Never driven one in my life. The amount I wanted too change gear going home, I nearly gave myself a concussion!!!!!! Cos as we were coming upto a roundabout or junction. My left foot went straight too the brake, which I thought was the clutch. You press harder on the clutch than the brake. Nearly killed myself so many times. With massive breaking. It was a wild ride home for sure. 🙈🤣😅💕❤️👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

Yeah, I drive a manual Land Rover. It has high and low box, and an overdrive, so technically 16 gears, but only about 10 are really usable (You can't use low box or first or second high with overdrive.) Yes, that means I have three levers. Four if you count the one for engaging four-wheel drive in high box.

In the UK at least, over 65% of new cars are auto - the tide is shifting quickly. Newer cars tend to be heavier anyway, and the transmissions have got a lot better in the last couple of decades. On top of that, EVs are a rapidly increasing market share, and are (inaccurately) classed as automatics.

The reason is because of the hills...you need more control of your gearbox when going up or down steep roads..

I'm a retired mechanic, so I've driven just about every kind of transmission there is. I've nothing against autos, many of them provide a very pleasant driving experience, but for my own car I choose manual, mainly because they cost less to buy and run. My 6-speed diesel Kia Ceed averages nearly 60 mpg, all year round, and was around £1000 cheaper to buy than the auto version.

In the Netherlands the age to get a drivers license used to be 18 but nowadays it's 17 and a half. But you need to pass your theoretical exam before you can do your pratical exam to get your drivers license. You do your drivers lessons at a licensed driving school in their cars which has a double set of pedals. When you do your practical exam in an automatic transmission car you get a drivers license to drive in an automatic and you aren't allowed to drive in a manual transmission car. The otherway around is not a problem.

Driving long distance on a major road is the same in either. In a manual you just stay in the highest gear the whole time. The biggest difference would be at traffic lights and stop signs, because when you're driving in the US and you're not on a highway you have to stop a lot.

In the US big, high torque engines were common. Early auto trans were inefficient so needed a big engine. Small displacement engines common in EU wouldn't work with auto trans. Now auto trans are effectively a computer controlled manual box so are as efficient for small cars.

I passed at 17 in a manual but drive automatic now due to joint problems with my left leg, but love driving both. Just personal choice 🤷🏻‍♀️

Cant stop seeing Mickey Mouse or taking you seriously, when your headset was on the side of your hat at the start lol

I really struggle with manual, I'd deffo do auto

Driving mainly manuals I can jump into any other car and within a mile drive it like I've driven it for years. I do now drive an auto but that's because it's a jaaag and has to be auto. Now, autobox's are heavy so it adds more strain on the little 1-1.6 litre engines that are common in the UK. In the UK you can get a manual licence which allows you to drive an auto but if you get an auto license you can't drive a manual.

I'm really short (just under 5') and I struck out time and again in a manual (struggled to reach both pedals at the same time 😂), until one instructor suggested I learned in an automatic. It made such a difference. Passed my test first time. It was so much easier for me.

A lot of new cars are auto's but with flappy padles that can be used as a manual - but no clutch

ive actually sent you the british highway code and theory test. its just cleared customs so will be with the po box soon

I passed my test in a manual and have always driven manuals. 2 years ago at 41 my grandfather passed away and left me his car which was automatic. My insurance went from £640 a year to £960 and I couldn't understand why until I started reading these comments. I have business insurance and i thought it was because I now had a newer car which is probably part of it but the fuel consumption is so bad in this car too and yes repairs are more. So much more expensive to have an automatic and because of the fuel consumption being worse so much worse for the environment. I do miss driving a manual car. Such a difference in the driving experience

In the uk you have the choice to learn manual or automatic.... Most people do the manual test because then you can drive both. Mine is a manual car. My fiance has a ford ranger and a Mustang 🐎 that are both automatic. He also did an manual test so we can both drive any of our cars

Well, we have four cars here, a 1973 VW 4 speed manual, a 2000 Audi 6 speed manual, a 2014 Citroen 5 speed manual, and a 2018 Toyota 6 speed manual, I'd never buy an automatic, but did run a V8 Automatic for 12 years on LPG, until the UK Government made LPG not make any sense anymore as a fuel.

I wasn’t aware that most Americans can’t drive a manual car. I’m American, I’m 66 years old and I can drive a manual.

currently am doing driving lessons, there isnt really a difference its just the gear and cluch essentially push your car forward

I live in the UK and passed my test in a Automatic car which was so easy to do...downside I'm only allowed to drive automatics, I can just bout drive a manual but prefer a Auto.

I learned to drive in a manual car, and age 45 I have never owned a n automatic…although the one time I drove in the US my biggest problem was changing gears with the wrong hand (Our steering wheel is on the right side of the car, thus we use out left hand to change gear). It’s easy though…You start the car, and move off In first gear. You change gear (This is how I was taught when I was learning to drive)… Change to 2nd at 10 mph 3rd 20 mph 4th 30 mph 5th 50 mph 6th (If you have it) 60mph

I wanna see JT drive an old manual car with a standard clutch, it is heavier and more prone to stalling than the new clutch systems. Yeah I see the point with auto when it comes to doing shopping but straight roads are for manual😁

It's 18 in Belgium, and 17 here in the UK.

uk here i had a automatic back in the 70's also If you passed your driving test in a manual vehicle, you're qualified to drive in both manual and automatics. However, if your test was taken in an automatic, you probably hold a Category B Auto licence, meaning you must retake your test in a manual vehicle. New cars are subject to the standard 20% tax rate.

Drove manuals for 30 odd years last two cars have been Autos (current one is both) Manual is great for driving experience. Autos for traffic and hill starts. On longer motorway journeys there's no difference. As I spend a lot of time in traffic, auto is perfect. On the open road I can switch to manual mode and have some fun but over all automatic is easier to live with day to day.

Manual cars are more fuel efficient (Automatics transfer power through fluid) and the driver has more control of the car. I’ve seen so many automatic cars get stuck in awkward situations

I much prefer manual , you feel more in touch and in control of the car..

Yo JT I hope you and Anna are good, I love your videos so leaving a comment to help the metrics. Much love from the UK

I driven automatic for 20 years! for the first few weeks I imagined I had a clutch and as I didn't I kept hitting the brake!!

I passed my test in January ❤ I'm so glad I can drive manual, I have the option to get an automatic car in the future but if I would've passed in a auto then I'm not legally allowed to drive manual. I have a couple of friends who was trying to learn manual, failed nearly 10 tests and finally got an instructor with an auto car. They both passed their first test after that 😂😂 Also, you should react to a British driving test both theory & practical tests. American tests compared to ours are ridiculously easy & it blew my mind when I first watched videos on KZfaq 😂😂

"When I turned 18 I went to get my driving licence" thats the issue there. Very rarely you would have a UK 18 yr old saying I went and got my motorcycle learner licence and thats really sad.

I found automatic to be much less fun to drive than my manual. I compare it to coffee. I have an espresso machine where I choose the grind, fill the portafilter, tamp, extract and steam the milk so on and so froth (haha, oh my). Where I wouldn't be happy with a Nespresso machine. If I had only ever had Nespresso, I guess I'd just be like "Oh well, that's as good as coffee gets" and not really get too into it too much. But then, you have to be able to enjoy the coffee. Just like the roads, there's no point in getting good at making yourself coffee if you never get to enjoy it so like you say. If it was highway driving all the time I'd have a fall asleep at the wheel vehicle too.

One reason Europe was slow to use automatics was that automatic gearboxes with torque converters use a lot of power so were not very efficient with our smaller engines a lot of the newer automatics are essentially a manually gearbox that changes gears electronically so no not need the heavy torque converter

I passed my test at 17 back in the 70s and learnt and drove manual until 2009 and I've only driven auto since then. Back in the 70s the design of auto boxes was such that they sapped a lot of power out of the engine on what were generally low powered cars, which is one reason they weren't widely used. Modern engines and modern auto boxes are so much better that it's not an issue any more.

I started driving around 1980s in my mid thirties - my parents never drove as we lived in a small town with frequent buses literally outside the front door. I learnt on a manual car, with a professional instructor, and have never driven an automatic. I currently drive a small 1 litre Toyota with front wheel drive and a five-speed gearbox. It's equally happy on motorways, in town, and on little winding country lanes. I have never driven an automatic and at my advanced age have no intention of trying. When you're used to a manual it does become pretty automatic - you really don't think about it, it's body memory. This car is not quite as easy to drive as its predecessor as the engine is very small and the gears quite widely spaced - the last was quite happy to move off in second from a short stop at a junction or similar, this one doesn't like it. It also struggles a bit on steep hills which can occasionally need dropping into third to maintain speed. But if I ever get another car it will definitely be manual. At my age I can't face learning how to drive differently.

Passed my driving test at 17 in a manual car I'm now 34 and have only ever driven 1 automatic car all the rest have been manual 😊 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿