Manual driving lessons

5 Reasons to Take Manual Driving Lessons

While driving a manual car isn’t as much of a rite of passage as it used to be, it’s still an important skill to master. Not only can it be more cost-efficient to run and maintain a manual vehicle, but learning how to drive a manual can also be helpful when travelling overseas. 

Main Reasons to Begin Taking Manual Driving Lessons

While learning to drive a manual on your own is achievable, hiring a manual driving instructor in Sydney and other Australian cities is highly beneficial: 

Reason 1: Qualified Instructors

Manual driving lessons give people access to a field of accredited instructors who are experienced in teaching newcomers and first-time drivers. 

The manual transmission instructors you find on EzLicence allow you to learn in their vehicles while you get comfortable with the basics. 

Sometimes, this may mean helping you learn the basics of steering and road handling. This includes potentially learning first in an automatic if you’re just learning to drive, so that you’re not learning too many new skills at once. 

Otherwise, you can jump right into the saddle with a manual car provided by a driving instructor.

Reason 2: Gain Confidence 

While manual driving lessons in Australia can cost anywhere from $70 to $150+ per hour, a driving lesson with a qualified instructor is an unparalleled investment. 

Not only will it give you confidence to get on the road and pass your test sooner, but it also equips you with a comprehensive understanding of what manual driving involves. 

Reason 3: Pass Your Test Sooner 

Most of the time, failing your driving test the first time around comes down to technicalities and simple mistakes that can quickly add up. A few driving lessons with a coach will equip you with the best tips to ace your test and avoid these common pitfalls. 

Additionally, in some states one hour of driving lessons equates to 3 hours in your logbook! This way, you can qualify for your next level of driving qualifications sooner rather than later.

Reason 4: Defensive Driving Techniques 

Not only are instructors familiar with the common pitfalls that often lead to a failed road test, but they can teach you defensive driving techniques. This means that once you pass your test, you have a much higher chance of avoiding an accident on the road. 

Reason 5: Comprehensive Knowledge

On top of all these key reasons, manual driving instructors can ultimately teach you how to master operating a manual car. They’ll guide you through everything from perfecting the gear shift, to hill starts and stops, and how to use the clutch and pedals. 

By learning under their direction, you can set yourself up for a future of successful and safe driving. Furthermore, by learning manual first, you can also easily adapt to an automatic vehicle at any point – two types of driving for the price of one! 

Advantages of Learning To Drive a Manual 

There are many advantages of learning to drive a manual car versus an automatic, including: 

1. Greater Control 

Because manual driving is, by definition, manual, it offers drivers more control over the vehicle and how it responds to changed road conditions. This is particularly true in environments that are hilly or mountainous. 

2. Efficiencies 

In many ways, manual driving is more efficient than automatic. For example, manual cars tend to be more fuel-efficient than automatic cars. Plus, they are typically less expensive to purchase and maintain. 

3. Flexibility 

Learning to drive a manual car may be more of a task than learning to drive an automatic vehicle. However, for globe-trotters, it can open up many roads internationally. Not only can it be cheaper to rent a manual car overseas, but there will be a greater range of cars available to you when you’re not limited to just automatic vehicles. 

Moreover, passing your driving test in a manual car opens you up to both an automatic and manual licence – but not vice versa. In many industries, learning to operate a manual car may also be a requirement. 

Ride By The Rules

Wondering if you can drive a manual on an automatic licence? The short answer is – it depends on the state: 

New South Wales & Victoria

If you’ve already got your licence and have attained it in an automatic vehicle, you’ll need to pass a manual driving test to transition to manual driving legally. 

You can read through our guide to NSW road regulations for P-Platers for more details. 

Western Australia, Queensland & The ACT

Similar to NSW and VIC, if you passed your driving test in an automatic but now want to switch to manual driving, you’ll need to take a practical test in a manual car to obtain a manual driving licence. 

Tasmania

The rules in Tasmania are slightly different: drivers who have an automatic licence are limited to automatic driving, but can request to have this restriction removed after three years, OR complete a manual driving test to have this lifted earlier. 

South Australia

In South Australia, you can drive a manual car right away, regardless of whether you passed your driving test in an automatic or manual car. 

Cruise Into Your Manual Driving Test With Driving Instructors From EzLicence

Ready to start those manual driving lessons in Sydney, Melbourne or beyond, and ace your test? 

EzLicence makes it easy to choose the right instructor for you. We provide essential details on instructors near you like photos, bios, vehicle details, ratings and reviews, price, and even the languages they can speak. With this, the right driver is easily accessible for our learners and their parents to browse. 

Find yours and book your first manual driving lesson with us today! 

FAQs 

How long does it take to learn manual driving? 

Typically, learning to drive a manual takes 10-15 hours of driving lessons to feel comfortable – although this can be reduced for new learners with some experience, and for automatic drivers. 

How much are manual driving lessons? 

In Australia, manual driving lessons cost between $70-$150+ per hour, but this will vary depending on the state, driving school, instructor and any packages offered.