Automatic or Manual cars on hotwire?

[USbound]

Hi everyone

I was wondering whether hotwire.com offers represent automatic cars or it's up to the rental car companies to decide when you arrive?

Unfortunately I'll be driving on the other side of the road to what I'm used to and combining that with a manual might be a bit too much!

Thanks for any help.

Cheers from Down Under

[thereuare]

I think almost all US car rental companies only rent automatic transmissions... there are many here that still don't know how to drive a stick shift. (or as my wife put it when i tried to teach her to drive a stick: "Why would they ever make cars like this?")

[USbound]

Hi thereuare

Fantastic job at administering this website :)

Must admit I completely agree with your wife!! Must be a female thing... ha ha

I also thought I'd email Hotwire.com to confirm - not that I didn't trust you guys but I was hoping to get somthing in writing just in case my plan backfires!! They've kindly responded with the following:

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Thank you for contacting Hotwire regarding transmission type for car

rentals.

For US and Canadian car rentals all of our car rentals come with

automatic transmissions. If you are booking for other countries we list

if the car rental is a manual transmission or not.

If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to reply to this

email or contact us directly at 1-866-HOTWIRE (468-9473). Thank you for

visiting Hotwire.

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Happy Driving!

USBound

[LoneStar]

I've rented hundreds of cars in the US and I don't think anyone has ever offered me a manual shift car. If they exist, they're as rare as million-dollar-winning lottery tickets! That is the reason none of the websites discuss automatic v. manual.

So you can reserve a US rent-a-car with confidence that it is automatic (unlike in most other places in the world).

Not sure why you'd want to use hotwire, however. If you look around and pick up some discount codes or promos, you'll find other non-prepaid rates to be cheaper about 97% of the time.

[jluff]

In the US you should be fine, however outside the US is where it gets tricky as the US seems to be the only country in the world that prefers automatics, I think it goes along with our American reputation here...lol. However if you want to rent an automatic in any other country you will pay a premium if you can find them, however I am lucky enough to drive a stick and actually prefer them. :) so when I am in Europe or Asia, I always go for the stick. Yet my wife is from Europe, and now drives an automatic.. go figure??

Good luck