Cost difference between manual and automatic cars after warning issued to people who have automatic licence

Have you been wondering why there's a difference in cost between manual and automatic cars?

It's probably not something that keeps you up at night but if you've been in the market for a new car at some point it's likely piqued your interest.

Yesterday we warned you that if your driving licence is automatic only it'd be coming back to bite you in the arse, or more specifically the wallet.

Automatics cost more to insure and Compare the Market reckons you'd be forking out an extra £760 compared to manual drivers, though whether you consider that worth it for not having to deal with gears and biting points is up to you.

There's a 'concerning' rise in insurance costs for those of you who only have an automatic licence, because what on earth isn't getting more expensive at an alarming rate these days?

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It's worst for motorists under the age of 25 who only have an automatic licence, as they're now paying an average of £2,803 a year for car insurance which is a staggering annual increase of £916.

However, that's not the only way going automatic is driving up the cost for motorists, as you've got to put more moolah on the table in the first place if you want an automatic and not a manual.

Put it this way, I hop onto the site of a well known car manufacturer which shares its name with a part of London and of Corsa had a look at one of their famous vehicles.

If I want an automatic then it's almost three grand more right off the bat, so what's the reason behind this cost difference?

Apparently it's that frigging gearbox you don't have to grapple with on an automatic that's pushing up the cost.

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Yup, the more complex gearbox means your automatic car is more expensive to build and more expensive to repair, so your insurance is going to be higher as well.

It turns out the benefit of working the car's gears yourself is not having to pay your manufacturer to do it for you.

On the other hand, we're all going to have to get used to automatics in the near future as the phase-out of petrol cars in 2030 will make many manual gearboxes a thing of the past.

Perhaps in the future insurance premiums for drivers who have an automatic-only licence will get cheaper as all the cars on the road essentially become automatic.

Probably not though.

Topics: UK News, Cars, Money

Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

@MrJoeHarker