Manual or Auto...THAT is the question.

[JJBiggs]

The forever debate (yep...I searched.) I pose the question to the off-road, expo guru's out there.

Manual transmission or Automatic?

My intention - I am considering a Toyota Tacoma 4-door or a Jeep Rubicon Unlimited 4-door. I am leaning heavily towards the Jeep for its all out fun factor and out-of-the-box capability. But being that I am relatively new to the off-roading world, which is best?

TIA for the input...hopefully no flame wars get started. :sombrero:

-Biggs

 

[VicHanson]

I have always liked to shift, so am biased I suppose but I hate automatics. My Mitsubishi van has an automatic, wanted a 5 spd manual but this was the only used 4x4 van I could find when I was looking, and didn't have time to wait for something else. We were in Chile up on a mountain at about 14,000' and planned to camp there, but after getting the tents set up a snow storm blew in so we decided to go down and camp lower (we had already climbed the mountain). Turned the key on and nothing....the battery was dead. Thankfully I was right alongside the road and was pointing down hill. We coasted down for miles to about 200 feet from the paved road (with no power brakes or steering) and were able to flag down a passing truck to jump start it for me. If it would have been a manual I could have started it coasting down, but not with an auto.

The auto trans was also heating up on me a few weeks ago, climbing up to the high plain through 8 to 12" of snow. It was a steep climb and pulling hard. Now it overheats on a steep climb, even on a dry road. I don't even want to think about what this could cost to fix. Fortunately auto mechanics are really cheap here.

I am planning on getting an Isuzu NPR when I get back to the States next year, it WILL have a 5 spd manual. The problem is that about 98% of the used ones have automatics. This time I will wait until I find a manual.

Vic

 

[winkosmosis]

Auto is easier to use offroad but manual is more fun. I wish my XJ was a manual.

 

[esh]

There is no "is one better than the other." Certain autos are superior to manual for 4x4 driving. I would never take my dad's S10's auto offroad because the stupid thing doesn't know how to apply torque smoothly and evenly like the Land Cruiser auto. The Land Cruiser was a lot more point and shoot on trails than my older (manual) Cruisers.. to the degree that I could do a lot more in 2wd with the auto. I generally prefer manual to auto for towing, though a built auto works just fine. There are other factors.. sometimes the auto O/D gear is taller than a 5th or 6th gear and makes for better cruising. Sometimes certain transmissions work better with certain engine combos.

Better to consider the platform. I'd pick the Tacoma any day. :sombrero:

/biased

 

[craig333]

Offroad use, choose the manual. Getting an auto in my truck was tough choice, but it is my daily driver and the auto is nicer in traffic.

 

[cumminscruiser]

Manual or automatic

Thems fighten words, I'd rather eat worms than drive an automatic.
Plus that's what my wife wanted.:smiley_drive: shifter on the wrong side. Must be British.

 

[winkosmosis]

Offroad use, choose the manual. Getting an auto in my truck was tough choice, but it is my daily driver and the auto is nicer in traffic.

I prefer manual in traffic

 

[goodtimes]

It all depends on who is driving, what sort of terrain you are in, and what *you* like.

Personally, I prefer manual transmissions, assuming my low range gearing is appropriate. My jeep has a a 66:1 'crawl' ratio (1st gear, low range), which offers a lot of control, considering the 33" tires and my lack of fear about letting the clutch slip when needed. Others find that rowing your own is a pain (and in traffic, I find myself agreeing with them). Downshifting while pulling a load up a steep climb is also a pain; you lose quite a bit of momentum that you don't lose with the automatics. Of course, the automatics build a lot of heat during those climbs, so you have to have a way to get rid of that heat.

If the gearing is not very deep (low), as typically found on production vehicles, the automatics can make it easier, not only on the driver, but on the terrain and the vehicle itself by reducing shock loads and wheel spin. But like all things that make life easier, there are trade offs.

Already mentioned is the lack of ability to push start a vehicle with an automatic. Add to that the quirky behavior of some brands; shifting to early or to late (most of the auto transmissions I have every owned had mis-timed shifts); mushy up-shifts (Dodge 48RE); hard down-shifts (Chevy S-10), TVs that won't let a transmission stay in overdrive with more than 75% throttle (GM 700R-4), transmission fluid pick up tubes located in spots that run dry when you point your vehicle up really steep hills (Jeep wranglers)....

That is not to say that automatic transmissions are a bad thing...they just have their little nuances. You can either live with them, or you can't.

At the end of the day, it is all about what *you* like.

 

[Scott Brady]

Automatics rule in technical terrain- period. Infinite control, left foot braking and a torque converter all make the process of navigating technical obstacles for elegant and easier on the vehicle. An automatic also makes road miles more relaxed and traffic in big cities easier.

However, I prefer a manual for the enjoyment of rowing my own gears, the additional challenge in technical terrain and the ability to push start, and keep driving in case of most failures in the unit, most often to the next town.

IMO of course

 

[Scenic WonderRunner]

After being a Stick Shift guy since 1970, when it came to choosing my offroad vehicle, I chose an Automatic for Safety.

Two Feet Rules!



.

 

[Nullifier]

Well for a commuter I like an auto. Talking on the cell, morning coffee etc. However I prefer manual in the field. Easier to maintain, more likely to fix in the field, ability to roll start etc. Yes you have more to do in technical terrain as Scott said, but I think reliability is better with a manual. Especially if towing trailers.

 

[Scenic WonderRunner]

Well for a commuter I like an auto. Talking on the cell, morning coffee etc. However I prefer manual in the field. Easier to maintain, more likely to fix in the field, ability to roll start etc. Yes you have more to do in technical terrain as Scott said, but I think reliability is better with a manual. Especially if towing trailers.

All good and perfect points, and I agree!

Which really says....it's all about "Operator Preference".

This debate has gone on for ages.



.

 

[off-roader]

IMHO depends on the terrain you want to drive over. Easy to moderate wheeling a stick is fine (so long as you like going through clutches).

Difficult terrain (4 out of 5) you better love the smell of burnt clutch or have deep gearing.

I love a stick in my dd car (even in bumper to bumper traffic) but off road, it's an auto for me. I have enough things to worry about off road that it no longer becomes enjoyable to drive over a difficult obstacle.

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

Up until I bought the MDR back in '96, all I had driven were sticks (not quite true...my first car was a Maverick with auto, but like a quickie Vegas marriage, that one doesn't count :sombrero. I absolutely loved the manual in my '93 YJ 4.0...wouldn't have had it any other way.

That being said, I can't imagine my full size with anything other than the auto. The Unlimited Rubicon is, IMO, close to going full size in terms of weight and dimension...certainly mid-sized, as is the Tacoma. If I were buying the Rubi, I would probably go with the auto when the day was done, and either tolerate its shortcomings or have it tightened up. I'd be more concerned about the anemic V-6.

Looking forward to hearing about what you decide...the Tacoma is an outstanding vehicle (bed just too short for my purposes) but the Rubi calls out to me. :drool:

 

[Martinjmpr]

I was a stick shift guy for 30 years but I finally caved and got my new vehicle with an auto.

My take on the whole manual/auto debate is this:

For 85% of driving situations there's no functional difference.

Of the remaining 15%, for about 5% a manual is superior (mostly steep downhills) and for the remaining 10% (rock crawling or deep sand) an automatic is better.

A lot of the points against the auto are out of date as well. Autos now get about the same MPG as manuals, are just as rugged, last as long, etc. They are more expensive to repair or replace, which may or may not be a factor.

I do miss my 5 speed sometimes but then again, if I really feel a hankering to shift gears I can always go ride my motorcycle.