Member - Oldplodder (QLD) replied:

I have always sworn on manuals.
Better fuel consumption, but not as much difference as it used to be.
Long term maintenance costs lower. Depends how long you want to keep the vehicle.
Some modern autos have a heat sensor now that cut out the engine or reduces power when too hot such as sand driving for a length of time. Tyre pressures do make a difference here.
But,
Having friends with autos, big plus is low stall speed manouvering, and auto changing down when climbing without loosing power when climbing.
Down hill braking seems to be better, which used to be a hassle.

I don't do a lot of stop/start city driving, so city use not an issue.

What are you used to and if you have another driver who will be using it a lot, what do they prefer?

_gmd_pps replied:

Auto is the better solution in many off road situations ..
rivercrossings, sand etc where possible shift pauses can interrupt the "flow".
my 2c
gmd

Robin replied:

Need to consider more than just auto manual.

Some engines in some cars like 3lt nissan GU has low torque and can really
use and auto to get it moving.

Overall a manual is fundamentally more efficent by around 8% but in the
real world the faster and more optimum gear changing of auto means it
wins out in say 0-100km times.

All else being equal the auto is better to get you going, and
this has more meaning in sand, and when taking off on a hill.

You also have to consider the enviroment you drive in , steep wet
hills here in vic mean that the better downhill engine braking of
the manual is a big point.

In general auto's give you less precise control of the car as
it decides when to change up/down and there is slight lag in
torque convertor.

I chose a manual petrol patrol GU the because I wanted maximum
performance and a less complex car.

By not getting an auto in GU 4800 meant ->
- no transmission computer
- no ABS system
- slower to 100kmh
- Faster acceleration in fixed gear
- better engine braking
- less disk pad weaqr
- more precise handling
- sufficent torque so that hill starts were not an issue
- ability to roll start

its time for lunch

Robin Miller

Truckster (Vic) replied:

Depending on what you wanna do

Auto all the way..
Converting my TD6 patrol to auto when matey gets me the bits.

Scoey (QLD) replied:

Auto. Definately the way to go! I've never found myself in a situation where I would've prefered to be driving my mates manual. Sitting at the top of a snotty big hill waiting for him to fart around with which gear to select, getting half way up, runnning out of power, stall, bugger wrong gear, reverse bump start, trundle down, choose another gear, have another crack etc etc.

Autos will do just about anything a manual can about as well as a manual would. But the things it does that a manual can't will be the deal breaker. Auto all the way! ;-)

Cheers
Scoey!

Member No 1 replied:

if you had an auto and then an auto you'd wish you get back into an auto

Hairy replied:

Im with Oldplodder.
These days the autos are pretty even with the manuals, it comes down to a personal choice and the driver.
I personaly still go with manuals.

Member - Davoe (Nullagine) replied:

if it is a new vehicle and it needs to be the toughest available with ridged front axles then you have no choice as they are only available in manuel
Toyota 75/79/105 series
Nissan 4.2
If it doesnt need to be that extreme then you get a choice

Chaz replied:

I've never spoken to someone that was sorry they bought an auto. Most people that dislike auto's, have never owned one.( Well, not a good one anyway )
I for one, will never go back to a manual, but I guess it's personal preference.
In my opinion an auto gives you much better control over the vehicle, if its driven like a manual.

Moose replied:

G'day All
Isn't there some issue with towing a broken down auto (or is that a thing of the past too)?
Can clutch start a manual with a dead battery but not an auto.
Infinite low speed control with auto.

Member - John L G replied:

In real terms apart from the engine braking effect, I think trhe auto kills the manual.

However, that said, I just enjoy swapping cogs and will stick with a manual.

The way fuel costs are tho, we should all be driving buzz boxes for daily drivers and have an old HJ 45 or patrool bush pig in the shed for those days when we actually do go off road.

Member - MrBitchi (QLD) replied:

Auto hands down.

Used to always have manuals but my current Paj is an auto and it's so good I doubt I'll ever buy another manual.

Down hill engine breaking is adequate as standard but if you need better, install some lower ratio transfer gears.

Alloy c/t replied:

If you live with traffic lights on a daily basis , an Automatic saves the leg and the clutch ,better on sand ,no matter how good anyone thinks they can drop a clutch ,that split second still equates to NO traction ,

Pavo replied:

This thread seems to be very manual/auto specific but I don't think it's this simple.

For example, in the Prado range, the turbo diesel has a 5 speed manual and a 4 speed auto. In petrol it has 6 manual, 5 auto.

If they were all 6 speeders, for both petrol/diesel and auto/manual it would be much easier to make a decision...

You would really need to ask this question for a particular model.

TerraFirma replied:

If you care about resale value AUTO wins.. Then fundamentally ask yourself, will you get sick of changing gears, everybody I know does, including me. I love driving a manual occassionally, it's fun but the city traffic is a real killer, especially the South Eastern (Monash) Freeway and the Auto and my MP3 stereo are the only life savers I have.

Member - Phil G (SA) replied:

I like the manual's engine braking when you really need to crawl slow. And better fuel consumption.
But the clutches are not as good as they used to be.
And some manual gearboxes are not as reliable as the autos.

Depends on what you do, and which vehicle you're talking about

Matt Davis replied:

Have an Auto Patrol and a Manual Hilux. I must go against the grain here. I use the hilux for work, and love it around town, in the bush, just about everywhere. Changing gears doesn't bother me.
The Nissan is the weekly shopping cart, and gets used for W/E trips and family holidays towing a van or a boat. This is the only time I can tolerate the auto. In the bush the only time I miss the manual is from when I turn the key to start it until when I turn it off.

Angler replied:

I have had both and the last two 4wd's have been autos. After having a couple of drives to the cape with an auto I will never go back to manual. It;s so easy, just keep the revs at about 2000 and away it goes. In low range I reckon it would climb a tree. There is just so much torque available with the auto.

Pooley

otrom replied:

Pajero 3.2l Turbo Diesel Auto with 5 speed Sports Mode Automatic......it's a great combination, heaps of power, good fuel economy, fun to drive.

When in sports mode, the Pajero Auto will hold the selected gear regardless of the revs and will not shift up a gear until you want to (Not all manufacturers allow this). This is a great feature for sand driving. To prevent damage to the transmission, it will not let you drop down a gear unless it is safe to do so.