Manual vs automatic car: which is better?

In a car, the transmission (often called the gearbox) acts as a conduit through which power produced by the engine is supplied to the wheels, using a system of gears and gear trains. Different gears are used to send the right amount of power to the wheels to help the car operate smoothly at a given speed. 

Modern cars offer two transmission types – manual and automatic. Vehicles with manual transmissions, or stick shifts as they are sometimes called, require you to manually change gears while driving the car. These cars have three pedals: brake, accelerator, and clutch. You must use the clutch pedal to change gears. 

While enthusiasts find it exhilarating to have additional control over their cars through manual gear shifting, new drivers often find it complicated to use both their legs independently to press the accelerator and the clutch while driving. 

Automatic cars are typically considered easier to drive as the gear shifting is automatically controlled using sensors or some mechanical parts in the automatic gearbox. There’s no clutch to operate, and you don’t need to focus on changing gears, which means you can focus on the road ahead and enjoy the drive. 

Coming to the question, “Which car is better to drive, manual or automatic?” or if it’s better to buy one over the other, there’s no straightforward answer that is correct for everyone. 

Even though more people are buying automatic cars than before and carmakers are slowly phasing out manual transmission in cars – it’s hard to say that one is better than the other. Both manual and automatic cars have their pros and cons, and any choice in favour of either is generally a matter of opinion. 

Manual vs automatic is a long debated topic, and the answer is subjective. If you’re learning to drive, you may find it easier to drive an automatic car, as there's no need to synchronise the accelerator, clutch pedal and gear stick. However, if you are a car enthusiast and prefer to have complete control of the vehicle, you’re likely to prefer a manual car with a lever to manage its performance or speed. 

From a safety point of view, both manual and automatic vehicles offer active safety features, but an automatic vehicle might be considered safer in heavy traffic conditions, as it puts less stress on the driver. In a manual car, the driver needs to focus not only on the road but also shift gears constantly to keep pace with the traffic. Since safety is the first priority, you could compare ANCAP Safety ratings of different cars to pick a safe and reliable model. This is an important step, irrespective of the transmission you select for your car. 

You should also consider purchasing the right level of insurance cover for your car. It's mandatory to buy a compulsory third-party (CTP) insurance cover to drive your vehicle legally on Australian roads. Additionally, you might want to consider a policy that covers you for third-party property damage. You could also buy a comprehensive insurance cover that helps with the cost of repairing your own vehicle if it suffers accidental damage.