There is no simple answer to the question, and what car you finally decide to use for your driving lessons will depend on your circumstances and other issues that need to be factored in, but here is some general advice to help with the decision making process.
1. It is easier to learn to drive in an automatic car, and you will generally take fewer lessons than in a manual gearbox to be ready for the driving test.
2. Automatic driving lessons cost more than manual.
3. If you pass the driving test in an automatic car, you can't drive a manual transmission vehicle unless being supervised by a 3yr old manual licence holder not matter how long you have held a full automatic licence, and you have to take another driving test if you want to drive manual cars unsupervised.
4. If you are young (17-30) it is advisable to take the extra time to learn in a manual car unless there are medical reasons (reduced motability). You should treat the driving lessons as part of your career building process, the ability to drive a car is a life skill and you never know when it would be required. Being able to drive a manual car can enhance some job prospects.
5. Automatic cars are now more readily available than a few years ago, so it is not a disadvantage it used to be and many people who only need to drive for private use get by without ever needing to take manual driving lessons and upgrade their licenses.
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6. If you are much older, and have gone through half of your life without a licence, it is best to take automatic driving lessons if circumstances change and you need to be able to drive a car, it will be much easier and quicker to achieve your goal.
7. Don't be afraid at any point while learning to drive in a manual car to convert to automatic if the going gets tough. It is not a sign of failure, and it is your choice so don't let a driving instructor bully you into staying with manual.
8. Driving in a city like London, Birmingham or Manchester can be very stressful, automatic lessons could make concentration much easier, and improve the chance of passing the test especially for nervous students.
So whichever option you go for, drive safely, and remember every new driver is under probabtion for the first 2 years after passing the driving test, 6 penalty points and you become a learner again!
