Automatic or Manual Transmission

What is the difference between Automatic and Manual Transmission?

When booking your car with Budget Car Rental you will be given a choice of manual transmission
or automatic transmission. Here is some information on your options.

Automatic Transmission

An automatic car will shift gears automatically for you. As there is no need for a clutch pedal, an automatic car will only have an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal. For this reason it can be easier
to drive an automatic. With an automatic transmission the brakes need to be used more often in order to have more control of the car. We have a wide range of automatic transmission cars on our fleet:


  • Economy Automatic 2 Door
  • Intermediate 4 Door Automatic
  • Full Size Automatic 4 Door
  • 4x4 in both manual and automatic
  • Luxury car in both manual and automatic
automatic transmission

Manual Transmission

A manual car requires you to shift gears up and down yourself. For this reason a manual car has three pedals, a clutch pedal, a brake pedal and an accelerator pedal. A manual car can be a little more complicated to drive than an automatic car and so may need some more practice. Manual transmissions are usually more fuel efficient than automatic transmissions. We have many manual transmission cars on the fleet:

  • Economy 2 Door
  • Compact 4 Door
  • Intermediate 4 Door
  • Full Size 4 Door
  • Station Wagon
  • Minibus
  • People Carrier
  • 4x4 in both manual and automatic
  • Luxury car in both manual and automatic
manual transmission