Manual vs Automatic transmission

B

baliodude

Joined
Apr 18, 2009
Messages
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I am thinking of getting a 4WD. Its gonna be my only car. It will be an SUV.

Should I go for a manual or automatic gear box?
 
I am not sure where you live (urban or rural) and which 4WD you are considering but for driving in a city with heavy traffic I recommend an auto. The manual box will drive you crazy quickly.......
If you are rural and you do serious off road then a manual box is preferable.
Auto boxes are so good today that you hardly loose any performance and mileage with one.
Good luck with your choice and post pics when you have your new vehicle..:)
 
Manual I like because I can change the gear lube myself really simple to do.
Plus, a lot of people can't drive them so they can't even ask to drive my stuff.
 
I like Manuals the best, they seem to be harder to get these days. But when driving in a lot of stop and go traffic, this where I like an Automatic.

BTW I own Both.
 
Should I go for a manual or automatic gear box?
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First, if you are not already skilled at driving a manual -- and maybe you are and didn't say it -- don't start with a heavy, 4WD SUV and don't start with anything new or anything you like.


Auto boxes are so good today that you hardly loose any performance and mileage with one.
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Today's autos will, overall, deliver better milage and better performance than even the most skillfully-operated manual because they're computerized and the computer never misses a shiftpoint. They even attempt to sense the driver's intention. With mine, if you are at a dead stop and you floor the peddle, the computer assumes you want to see how fast this thing can go zero-to-sixty and it rewards you with coordination of the throttle and transmission to give you that demonstration. If you just ease into the peddle, on the other hand, it assumes you want to accelerate economically and achieves that goal for you.
 
Alfaholic said:
I am not sure where you live (urban or rural) and which 4WD you are considering but for driving in a city with heavy traffic I recommend an auto. The manual box will drive you crazy quickly.......
If you are rural and you do serious off road then a manual box is preferable.
Auto boxes are so good today that you hardly loose any performance and mileage with one.
Click to expand...
Total agreement! :thumbup:

I've owned a number of trucks and SUVs all with auto trans, and never felt the need for a manual. I've also owned a number of manual cars and while they can be fun to drive agressivly, they are a pain in heavy day to day traffic.
 
mdauben said:
Total agreement! :thumbup:

I've owned a number of trucks and SUVs all with auto trans, and never felt the need for a manual. I've also owned a number of manual cars and while they can be fun to drive agressivly, they are a pain in heavy day to day traffic.
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I can drive both but my theory is why shift if you don't have too!!! So, as you can read I'd pick an auto over a manuel ANY day.:D
 
I have a manual shift in my pickup, basically because it was a leftover and several thousand dollars cheaper than the new model with the auto.

That said, autos are good these days and off the top of my head the only SUVs that I know come with manual shift are the smaller Jeeps and the Forester. I'd only want a manual with a sporty car or a little, underpowered car.

I don't mind the manual, but except for saving some money, I don't think they offer any advantage in a truck and its a pain to drive in traffic.

I've noticed that many (maybe not all) towing limits are higher on autos now than manuals. Also, although I've read that manuals are the way to go for off-roading, unless I put my truck in low range, it "creeps" too fast in first gear and I have to use the clutch or stall it out to avoid building up a bit of speed if I'm crawling through something.
 
My '95 Honda Civic (standard) will get about 45 MPG highway. Show me an automatic that can do that. ;)

Personally, I love the standard transmission. I hate the responsiveness and lag you find in most automatic vehicals. I also still feel that you'll get better gas milage in a manual. You can shift at lower RPM's and not continually downshift when all you want is a small amount of accelleration.

On the flip side, if you want to toast you're tires you can do that too. :D
 
I think more than anything it depends on which you like best. Both have their advantages and disadvantages so it comes down more to preference than anything else.

I think the "sticks stink in traffic" aspect is over-rated, but then I like to shift so I may see it differently than others do. I prefer a manual and given the choice would take one every time, though finding some vehicles with a stick is nearly impossible these days.
 
Driving a manual transmissions is a lot more fun if you're just out for a nice drive. It really lets you connect with the machine and you feel everything, so you're actually driving the car, not just guiding it down the road.

But stuck in rush hour traffic with a manual isn't a lot of fun.

My Impreza is sport shift, so I can shift if I want to, but don't have to worry with a clutch and potentially stalling the car sitting in traffic that moves about ten feet every two minutes.

But then again, driving stick doesn't bother me, so in the end I don't care. But if you're not good at it, a new car is not the place to learn to shift. You will not enjoy driving it.
 
555 said:
I like Manuals the best, they seem to be harder to get these days. But when driving in a lot of stop and go traffic, this where I like an Automatic.

BTW I own Both.
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Amen Brother! I got a new truck this winter and I had a heck of a time finding anything that was ext cab 4 cyl and standard. I could find NO used manual trucks at all.:thumbdn::rolleyes:
 
I can't stand autos. I have driven manuals all my life, and am so used to it, I'm never aware that I'm shifting. We have one auto, a Honda pilot. It drives us crazy on long trips with the cruise control on. On long uphills, it downshifts one or two gears and revs the engine up like crazy to try not to lose that critical 1 mph... Ugh.
 
manual all the way for me, I like being able to compression brake, instead of the long slow petal drag. buy what you like, not all auto are the same, and not all manuals are created equal.
 
Most of the high points have already been hit but I will add that auto trannys are very susceptible to heat build up when towing or off roading and this can cause problems.
 
Sports cars or sporty sedans - manual
Trucks - auto
I find manuals fun in cars due to the gearing, trucks aren't usually geared right for zipping around (nor should they be).
Also, for resale, Auto! Less vehicles are made with manual trans options anyway, you may not have a choice depending on your favorite brand.
 
Stage, I wonder if it is a regional difference, because I read all the time of auto transmission heat, but in two years at a quick oil change shop I didn't see any that didn't have coolers, even ones that are considered "sealed" ie, no dipstick? could it be that canadian vehicles typically have a cooler, and US ones do not? or am I just totally out to lunch?
heat isn't just a problem for autos, but manuals typically have a heavier duty lubricant in them, and there is less to contaminate it.
 
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