Auto vs manual: same fee, different bill.
DVSA charges £62 for both. The difference is in the lessons (£3 to £6 more per hour for automatic), the typical hours-to-pass (fewer for automatic), and the licence you walk away with (manual = both, automatic = automatic only).
The cost comparison.
| Manual | Automatic | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DVSA fee (weekday) | £62 | £62 | — |
| Typical lesson rate | £35/hr | £40/hr | +£5/hr |
| Typical hours to pass | 45h | 35h | -10h |
| Lesson cost | £1,575 | £1,400 | -£175 |
| Pass rate (national) | ~50% | ~42% | -8 pp |
| Total to first-time pass | £1,671 | £1,496 | -£175 |
Hours to pass are averages; individual learners vary widely. Manual learners with prior driving exposure can pass in 30 hours; automatic learners can take 50+.
Manual
Pros
- Drives anything: manual, automatic, hire cars, work vehicles
- Most used cars are manual; resale market is broader
- Better employability for any role involving vehicles
Cons
- More skills to learn (clutch, biting point, gear changes)
- More common stalling and gear faults on test
- More lesson hours on average, so higher total lesson cost
Automatic
Pros
- Fewer hours of learning typical (no clutch / gear control)
- Fewer fault types possible (no stalling or gear-selection faults)
- Easier in heavy traffic and on hills
Cons
- Lower national pass rate than manual (DVSA transmission data)
- Licence restricted: cannot drive a manual without retesting
- Higher hourly lesson rates (£3-£6 more)
- Smaller second-hand car pool, though shrinking
Choose automatic if you struggle with clutch.
If you have done 10+ lessons and you’re still stalling regularly or mishandling gears, switching to automatic is often cheaper overall: you save the retake cost, and the extra hours you avoid more than pay back the higher per-hour lesson fee.
One caveat on the numbers above: automatic tests show a lower national pass rate than manual, but that mostly reflects who chooses automatic (often less confident or later-starting learners) rather than the automatic test being harder. Removing clutch and gear faults genuinely helps a learner who keeps stalling; it is the driver, not the gearbox, that the aggregate figure is really measuring.
If you need a manual licence for work (delivery, taxi, mechanic, anything that mentions company vehicles), stick with manual even if it takes longer. Reverting later is a full re-test.