Rental car - manual..?

[LeCras]

I was hoping someone could let me know if it is possible to rent a car with manual transmission at WDW? Being european I hav very little experience with automatics and would definitely feel more comfortable with a manual.

Up until now we have never bothered with a car, but the next trip will include my parents and siblings (aged 10 and 18). Since it's their first time in Florida (and in the US for that matter) I have a feeling a car may come in handy for a few days as we will want to go to Universal, Sea World, Kennedy Space Center etc.

Any help would be greatly appreciated,

Charlotte

 

[Saxton]

Yes, it is possible but you may want to request it in advance. A couple years ago the car rental agency that I went through ran out of cars and they had only manual transmissions available - since I prefer a manual I had no problem, but I doubt that they have very many in stock. I don't remember which agency I used since I always go for the lowest rate at the time. Good luck!

 

[LeCras]

Thanks Saxton, that's good to know - I had a quick look online but couldn't see manuals mentioned anywhere. I guess I'll have to phone around to see who may have a manual available, and be sure to book ahead.

Cheers,

Charlotte

 

[Cricket2]

I can't imagine driving on the opposite side of the road and having to shift on top of that. It would drive me nuts!

 

[LeCras]

I can't imagine driving on the opposite side of the road and having to shift on top of that. It would drive me nuts!

Hehe well I grew up outside of the UK so I'm comfortable with driving on either side of the road. And I love driving, so to me changing gears manually is an integral part of driving pleasure...needless to say mine is a sports car...

Charlotte

 

[DisBeliever]

I love standard tranny myself. Driving stick is fun!

 

[manning]

With an automatic

When you start the car the transmission will be in park, the "P" position.

If you want to go forward you move the lever to the "D" position. When you come to a stop ie stop light, just leave it there, but keep your foot on the brake until you want to start moving, then take foot off brake and press down on the accelerator.

If you want to back up you move the lever to "R".

You want to get out of the car move the lever to "P" and turn off engine.

When you shift the car should be standing still.

Nothing to it. Simpler than a manual.

Some cars are designed where you have to put your foot on the brake to shift out of park. And you have to be in park in order to take the key out.

If you get a car with the shifter on the floor, there will be a big button on the left on the shifter. Press it to shift. Some will have a little one below it. That one takes it out of overdrive. Don't press that one. Your gas milage will suffer.

 

[WillCAD]

LeCras, if you do wind up with an automatic, don't fret about it. As Manning described above, the automatic transmission is very simple to use and the change won't bother you at all.

I have always preferred a manual transmission, but have never had any difficulty driving an automatic. In fact, when I bought my current vehicle, the manual transmission was not available, so I wound up with an automatic for the first time in my life, after 17 years of owning cars with manual transmissions. I didn't have any trouble adjusting.

Almost all of the rental vehicles in Orlando are automatic; the manuals are few and far between. Most of the rentals have a floor-mounted shifter, which is in the same place as the gear shifter on a manual vehicle. A few will have shifter levers mounted on the right side of the steering column, with the indicators on the dash.

Just remember what the letters stand for:
P=Park (always use this when parking)
N=Neutral (do not leave the vehicle in neutral when parking! Use P!)
R=Reverse (self-explanatory)
D=Drive (use it any time you want to go forward)

Some vehicles also have a 1-2-3 position on the shifter. These are specialized forward gears for high-speed cruising or extra towing power. Just ignore them; for regular city and highway driving around Orlando, the D position works just fine.