#6: Many car thieves won't know what the extra pedal is for or where the PRNDL lever is.

In the UK, manual cars still outnumber autos by a very large percentage.

A. Why?

B. Hopefully not for much longer. Electric cars don't need multiple transmission ratios.

I think because UK cars tend to be smaller & lighter than US cars plus fuel costs more (heavy taxation). Auto cars are seen as less efficient than manual so the economic choice is manual.

And stirring the gearbox is a lot more fun...

A: (1) Training & Licensing. If you train and take your driving test on a manual gearbox you are licensed for manual and automatic transmission. If you only train and test for automatics your license only covers automatics. So pretty much everyone learns on manuals to be on the safe side. Then decide they prefer them.

(2) Greater control in a country where if you don't like the weather just wait 10 minutes and it will change. Those who live in Wales, Scotland, or the North of England with the combination of hills and annual snow .... enough said.

(3) Cheaper to run. Fuel taxation MUCH higher in the UK so the MPG cost matters.

(4) Not a reason for most people but the Queen much prefers manual transmission and is a huge Land Rover Defender fan. She was an army mechanic during the war and proudly remains the only head of state who can strip down a gearbox.

B: Yep, electric transmission covers off much of the above. I don't have much experience of driving an electric on snow however. My factory-electric Citroen Berlingo van seemed OK but literally only drove it in snow about twice.