The short rule
If you drive automatic at home and rarely or never manual, take automatic. If you change gears daily (as much of Europe does), a manual is perfectly fine — and usually cheaper. That is it. The rest is nuance.
When automatic is worth it
- Bucharest traffic. It is dense, with frequent stops and hill starts. Hours of clutch work tire anyone not used to it.
- Mountain roads. Transfăgărășan, Transalpina, Bucegi — switchbacks with hill starts, exactly where a poorly handled manual lets you roll back.
- You are on holiday and want to look at the scenery, not the rev counter.
One thing to know on long mountain descents: on an automatic, do not let the gearbox coast in D. Use manual mode or the L gear so you have engine braking, otherwise you overheat the brakes.
When a manual is fine
If you come from France, Italy, Germany, Spain or anywhere a manual is the norm, there is no reason to pay extra. It is common in Romanian fleets, easy to find and generally uses a little less fuel. On the motorway and main roads it gives you no trouble at all.
The detail many forget: the wheel is on the left
For visitors from the UK, Ireland, Australia or other right-hand-drive countries, the bigger adjustment is not the gearbox but the side of the road: in Romania you drive on the right, with the wheel on the left. Add an unfamiliar manual to that and you make things harder for no reason — one more argument for automatic if you are hesitating.
A seasonal tip
Romanian fleets traditionally have more manuals than automatics. In summer, when demand is high, automatics get booked first. If you know you want an automatic, book early — do not count on sorting it out on the spot.
Automatics use more fuel — and other myths
The idea that automatics drink noticeably more fuel is true mostly for older gearboxes. Modern automatics use almost as little as a manual, and in dense city traffic they can even be more economical. So if you are hesitating over fuel, it is not a serious argument in 2026.
In short
- You drive automatic at home and avoid manual → automatic.
- A route with mountains or a lot of Bucharest → automatic, even if you can drive manual.
- You drive manual regularly and stick to main roads → manual, cheaper.
- You come from a right-hand-drive country → lean towards automatic, so you have only one new thing to manage.
Whatever you choose, the idea is to set off without technical worries. With driveXplore you choose by gearbox type and pick the car up right in Otopeni or Bucharest, with full insurance included and a single 50€ deposit, so no one blocks a large sum on your card at pickup.