Drawbacks

For most people, there is a slight learning curve with a manual transmission, which may be intimidating & unappealing for an inexperienced driver. Because the driver must create a feel for properly engaging the clutch, an inexperienced driver will often stall the engine. Most drivers can learn how to drive a automobile with a manual transmission in as small as an hour, although it may take weeks before it becomes "second nature." Additionally, if an inexperienced driver selects an inappropriate gear by mistake, destroy to mechanical parts & even loss of control may occur. Learning clutch/gas pedal coordination can be made simpler by using the clutch pedal ONLY, on a level surface. This will permit the operator to guage where the "sweet spot" of clutch engagement is. Correct "release speed" of the clutch pedal (SLOW for smooth, FAST for abrupt) will indicate when & where gas pedal use ought to occur.
Shifting speed

Complexity & learning curve

Automatic transmissions can shift ratios faster than a manual gear change can be accomplished, due to the time necessary for the average driver to push the clutch pedal to the floor & move the gearstick from position to another. This is true in regards to dual-clutch transmissions, which are specialized computer-controlled automatic transmissions that operate more like a manual transmission than a traditional automatic.