Manual v.s. auto your guys opinions

[HOrnbrod]

Between hitches in the Navy, back in the 70's I got a job working for the Sun Oil company in Richmond, VA delivering gas to service stations all over the state. After a year of driving these 20 - forward speed Mack rigs on city streets and up/down the Blue Ridge mountains I quit because my left knee couldn't take it anymore. Went back in the Navy and haven't owned a standard transmission vehicle since except for motorcycles.

 

The best thing about manuals is that there's a whole lot less drivetrain power loss than the auto transmissions, sometimes as much as 50% less. This makes for better power to the rear wheels and of course better mileage.

[FarmerBrown5]

I have an aw4 in my 88 and an ax15 in my 92. I too am a fan of a manual trans in just about any situation. It has become second nature for me. I get much better mpg's in my 92 as well. Currently 22 highway and no modifications done to the truck. My 88 only got 12 when it was stock. After a lift and 31's I am lucky to get 10. With that said, I still do not have all of the bugs worked out and it could greatly improve in the future. It was sickening to know that my 3/4 ton pickup got better than my MJ haha. 

[dj5]

I prefer manual for the fun factor and I like being able to control my vehicle more.
I do like driving my auto xj every now and then when lazy in city traffic though :chillin:
I'm also glad my 79 dj5 is a 3 spd auto instead of stick as its right hand drive :yes:

[gogmorgo]

I grew up driving automatics and only recently started driving a manual with regularity. I pretty well had to re-teach myself. My dad had an old econobox Novarolla that I learned in when I was a teenager, but it died before I ever really got good at it. Beyond that car, the only other clutches I'd driven with were my FSAE team's racecars, but they were sequential transmissions, and getting going really only involved dumping the clutch at a specific rpm so not particularly relevant to daily driving. Being able to select my gear was definitely a plus, and I was having issues with my AW4 at one point so I had my tranny computer unplugged and was shifting manually, which lead to me wanting a manual.

It's a whole ton of fun on open twisty roads, even on highway cruises. Nailing a gear change is a oddly wonderful sensation.

 

That said, as just about everyone else will tell you, a manual transmission sucks serious donkey balls in stop and go traffic. Any driving slowly, really, like parking, drive-throughs, etc. My Lada's transfercase fortunately allows me to use low range without locking the centre diff, which makes it a bit easier as I don't need to worry so much about stalling. What it doesn't help is when I'm finally able to go home after a 13.5 hour shift, and it's 1:30 am and all I want to do is go home and sleep... the extra thought process is just annoying. Those two circumstances... slow and exhausted driving, are definitely preferable with a slush box.

 

The annoyingness of regularly driving a manual and then ending up behind the wheel of an automatic every once in a while is that sometimes I'll catch myself pulling up to a stop sign and pushing in the clutch... except there is no clutch, and the pedal I just mashed into the floor with my left foot is the brake.  :doh:  I'm doing it less often, now, but the first couple times... yeah.

[87MJTIM]

Are you a person that drives a manual trans, then get behind the wheel of an auto and try to use both feet on the pedals the way some people do?  (You've seen the type.  They accelerate with their brake lights on or their brake lights keep flickering on and off.)

 

I tried to drive an auto like that once...only once.  My passenger and the car behind me didn't like me.  (The brake pedal doesn't go all the way to the floor like a clutch pedal.  :doh:  :oops: )

[conker]

Are you a person that drives a manual trans, then get behind the wheel of an auto and try to use both feet on the pedals the way some people do?  (You've seen the type.  They accelerate with their brake lights on or their brake lights keep flickering on and off.)

 

I tried to drive an auto like that once...only once.  My passenger and the car behind me didn't like me.  (The brake pedal doesn't go all the way to the floor like a clutch pedal.  :doh:  :oops: )

 

I borrowed my dads powerstroke the other day to go get some kero for my heater and tried to clutch in about 5 times when i was leaving the station, as well as reaching for the floor shifter several times.

 

It's a column auto.

 

I've slammed the 'clutch' to the floor in it a few times too, of course I did so in my driveway so i had no seatbelt on while just moving it out of the way.

[dasbulliwagen]

I prefer manuals as well. For me its more a less complexity and more reliability issue compared to autos. But being an auto tech I've found that I transition pretty seamlessly, that is except for Wranglers and Miatas. Every time I get in one of those I automatically reach for the clutch not even thinking about it. Problem is I only get a clutch about 1/3rd of the time.

[gogmorgo]

Every now and again after my Dad replaced his dieing manual Novarolla with a w-body Impala, he'd take his foot off the brake when moving away from a stop sign and slam the column shifter into park.

I went a couple year or so just about only driving my MJ... even though I grew up with column shifters, they just feel weird after the floor shift, and I'm constantly forgetting what to do with them, can't get used to them again. People ask why I need more than one vehicle... well there ya go. It ain't healthy driving the same one all the time!

[PEEJ]

I've allways preferd manuals,Most of my rigs have been manuals,My Comanche is a manual now.But I'm changing to an auto.Reason being I'm converting to 4wd. and my doner has an auto in it but the main reason is on weekends we go Jet skiing in the summer and these boat ramps around here are pretty steep,I just don't trust the parking brake on my truck.Didn't work when I got it,Fixxed it when I did the axle swap,3rd, time I used it it broke where it ataches to the pedal.I'll fell much better with the parking prake fixxed and the tranny in park.Been using my TJ LJ but will be using the Comanche once the swap is done.

[Motorcharge]

Auto's are for old ladies. ;)

ticks me off that you cannot get so many vehicles with manuals anymore. Including 1/2 ton trucks.

how much sweeter would a raptor be with a six speed?

 

You can blame government emissions standards for that. No reason to offer a manual anymore since modern autos can shift more efficiently than a person behind an auto now. They're pretty much reserved for sportier cars now.

 

Personally I'd hate a manual where I live though I do enjoy driving them in general. Only thing I'd care for a manual in anymore is old trucks and fast cars. I could care less about ever having one in a Jeep again.

[54bobby]

aw4 or go home. lol. but seriously, 3 of us drive the manche and 3 people on the same manual always spells trouble. my 86 bmw is a 5 speed and i love her.

[PEEJ]

Another problem I have with a manual is my truck at work is a Ford F-250 with a 6 speed.Reverse is all the way to the left and up,Driving it all day then getting in my Manche to head home,You have to reprogram your brain to get in the right gear.