To shift or not to shift, that is the question. Yes, that is the question for many young people—and those who take up driving later in life—who are buying their very first car. To help you make a decision, start out by taking a trip to your local car dealer and collect information on one of the many manual and automatic cars for sale.

Although some people initially find it difficult to drive a manual shift automobile, there are some definite advantages to at least knowing how to operate a stick. For instance, if you are in an emergency and have to drive someone to the hospital and all that is available is a car with a manual transmission you would feel terrible if you could not make the trip. To that end, it would be wise to persuade an experienced driver to teach you to drive a stick before you make that final decision about what car to buy. You might find that you will change your mind.

There are a couple of advantages to driving a stick shift. The first is that if the starter should go out it is possible to roll start the vehicle, by getting it going and then popping the clutch. The engine will engage and then you can at least drive yourself to the mechanic rather than spending money on having it towed. In addition, although late model automatic transmission cars are more fuel efficient, in the end you will save more money on fuel by driving a stick shift.

That said, even sports cars these days come with automatic transmissions and they are by far easier to learn to drive than a car with a manual shifter. For an inexperienced learning driver, it is probably better to start with an automatic car. Borrow one or, if you have the resources, rent a couple of different models (with full insurance!) and spend a day learning to drive. The Ford Fiesta and the Chevrolet Cruze are among the lines of small cars that are easy to learn to drive. The Dodge Caliber also offers an easy to understand dash layout, simple shift pattern and an uncluttered instrument panel that helps a first time driver figure out what gear he are in and how fast he are going. Foreign cars often have slightly more confusing dash designs, but Volvo and Saab are both known for safety and reliability and come in either standard or automatic. Alternatively, just borrow a beat up clunker from a friend and hope for the best!

If you have decided upon an automatic transmission for ease of handling and simplicity of motion, then you have to figure out where to buy your first car. If you are going to buy your automatic car from a used car dealer, then you should definitely take it to a trusted mechanic who specializes in checking out used cars. Do not take it to someone recommended by the dealership.

If you are in a position to buy a new automatic car, spend plenty of time test driving cars. New car dealers are more than happy to give you many test drives in hopes of making a sale, although some will require a credit check first or will insist upon being in the car with you while you test drive. Be sure to check out blue book prices to make sure you are being offered the best of all possible deals for your new automatic car. No matter whether you pick an American car or a foreign model, if you choose wisely this car could last you the better part of a decade.