Which gearbox is right for me: Automatic or manual?
There are thousands of vehicles on the second-hand market that offer automatic and manual transmissions, but which gearbox is right for you?
The Cazoo editorial team
Published on 11 August 2025 | 1 min read
If you’re looking on the second-hand market for a car, you will be spoilt for choice with the amount of automatic and manual vehicles.
The reason we have the two options is to give buyers choice and what best suits their lifestyle.
However, with the uptick in hybrid and electric vehicles, automatics have started to overshadow the manual gearbox, so does that mean that everyone is in favour of driving with two pedals? Or, is driving a manual seen as archaic and isn’t popular with drivers anymore?
Well, if you’re unsure with which gearbox to choose on your next second-hand car, we’ve compiled a guide to everything you need to know about automatic and manual transmissions.
What is an automatic transmission?
An automatic transmission is the simplest and easiest way to drive a car.
As the name suggests, it automatically changes the car’s gears for you, taking the strain out of daily driving.
All automatics will come with a gear selector – whether it’s buttons or a physical lever – and will have letters such as ‘P, N, R and D’ on them.
Selecting ‘D’, stands for drive and allows the car to move off. The ‘R’ is for reverse, ‘N’ is for neutral, and then you have ‘P’, standing for park, which locks the car in place when you have finished your journey.
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What is a manual transmission?
The manual transmission has been around the longest and gives you more control over your vehicle.
The gear lever will be located in the centre console, to which you push the clutch pedal in and then you change gear by moving the lever.
Most modern cars will come with six forward gears and a reverse; however, older vehicles will have five gears and a reverse and lower-powered models will only have four with a reverse.
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Pros of an automatic
The biggest upside to driving an automatic is its ease. You don’t have to worry about changing gear as the gearbox will do all of the work for you.
It allows drivers to concentrate more on the road, and automatics have become in favour of older drivers due to their stiffer joints and arthritic ankles.
Also, most modern automatic transmissions are so efficient that they can now return similar economy and emissions to a traditional manual.
Cons of an automatic
The popularity of automatics and the higher production costs means that second-hand prices tend to be higher than manual cars.
For example, a 2020 Ford Fiesta with an automatic gearbox and low mileage is priced from £13,700; however, the equivalent car with a manual transmission is up for £12,000 – a £1,700 price difference.
Automatics take away driving engagement too, with those who love driving finding two pedals rather tedious and lacklustre.
Older automatics will also be heavier on fuel, will be more expensive to run, and will cost more to fix if they go wrong.
However, if you pass your driving test in an automatic, it qualifies you only to drive a vehicle with two pedals, as a manual car requires a lot more practice behind the wheel. This limits your capability for lots of different cars on the road and for some, that could be frustrating.
Pros of a manual
If you’re looking for a manual car, then prices tend to be a lot more affordable, particularly on older and smaller vehicles.
The manual gearbox is a much more involving experience. It allows the driver to take control of when they want to change gear, and it makes it easier to work out how to get the best fuel economy out of the vehicle.
Also, manual gearboxes make driving much more enjoyable, if you like driving, and certain car manufacturers have developed, designed and engineered some of the best gearboxes to improve driving experiences even further.
Plus, if you learnt to drive in a manual, it qualifies you to drive both manual and automatic cars, giving you greater access to every vehicle on the road.
Cons of a manual
One of the biggest issues with manual gearboxes is using them in stop-start city driving. Constantly going from first to second and then pressing the clutch pedal and moving the gear lever about can get wearisome over time.
Also, depending on the vehicle, replacement clutch assemblies can be an expensive repair due to the complexity of where the unit is positioned in the vehicle.
Plus, there are specific driving manoeuvres that are also trickier in a manual car. For example, doing a hill start requires skill to get the biting point on the clutch just right, and when parking, there is always the risk of stalling the engine if you don’t balance the clutch with the throttle – which doesn’t happen on an automatic.
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Which one best suits you?
It really depends on where and how you drive.
Don’t forget, almost every hybrid and all electric vehicles will be automatic, so you won’t have a choice.
But, if you do a lot of driving around town, and just need a vehicle to get about, then automatics make perfect sense as they’re a lot easier to use and can now be quite efficient.
However, if you enjoy driving, drive on the open road and want to feel more engaged with your car, then a manual gearbox is the preferred choice.
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