Manual or automatic in Turkey?
Manual gearboxes are still the standard on many rental cars in Turkey, especially in the economy and compact classes. Automatics are widely available, but they make up a smaller share of each fleet and usually cost more than a manual car of the same size.
If you only drive an automatic, book the transmission rather than the model. An offer marked “or similar” guarantees a category, not a specific car, but the transmission shown on the offer is part of what you book.
Where automatics are easiest to find
The widest choice is at the big airports and cities: Antalya, Istanbul, Izmir and Dalaman, and the resorts around them. Smaller towns and late bookings in July and August have fewer automatics, and 7-seat automatics are the first to sell out.
How to filter the search
- Enter your pickup airport or resort and dates in the search at the top of this page.
- Open the filters and choose Automatic under transmission.
- Combine it with No deposit or No credit card if you need those conditions too, then compare the totals.
What to check on an automatic offer
- The transmission shown on the offer, not just the model name.
- The fuel type: many rental cars in Turkey run on diesel (motorin), and hybrids are increasingly common.
- Luggage space, if you are travelling with large cases or golf bags.
- The deposit, the payment card rule and the insurance excess, exactly as for a manual car.
Where an automatic helps most
An automatic makes the most difference in Istanbul’s stop-and-go traffic, on the steep streets of the Bodrum peninsula and Kalkan, and on hill starts on mountain roads such as those to Kabak, Saklıkent or the Taurus villages above Alanya.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026. Rental conditions change; the offer you select always shows the current terms.