manual or automatic, which do you prefer and why?

Mange le merde

 

exactly

It makes a lot more sense if you understand how a conventional automatic transmission works, especially the torque converter. It will all become clear

No, as far as I know in general the torque converter only locks up basically when you're cruising on the highway. The second you stab the gas pedal (like to accelerate quickly) it unlocks. Although for the newest of new cars, this may be changing. I have no doubt that they're getting better at locking up sooner and staying locked more often, but I doubt they would stay locked in a situation where you would be engine braking. Just doesn't make sense on a passenger car.

Maybe, I'm sure it's something the engineers could do, but outside of a hybrid there's really no reason to. Other than low traction situations, there's really hardly any reason to engine brake on a passenger car. Sure when towing a load down a mountain it would be great, but I don't think the dainty torque converter lock up clutch is strong enough to hold that kind of force. That's the kind of thing that they do on 18 wheelers because they absolutely need it, and I bet some of 1 ton trucks have this feature too.

That's just because the difference in fuel economy gained by the more economical gearing in the auto is enough to offset the fuel economy lost through the inherent "inefficiencies" of a traditional automatic. Plus i'm sure on 2nd gens the torque converter lock up feature is working very well and stays locked most of the time on the highway.

 

+1 to me it seems to be pretty even between the two offroad, they just have advantages in different areas.

I would think a automatic would generally be preferable for the slower crawling over really difficult terrain, and the manual for higher speed stuff. The other thing is that you don't have to worry about a manual overheating. If your auto truck has a tranny cooler with a fan though it probably would never be an issue, but in many cases only trucks with factory tow packages come with a tranny cooler.

And personally I would only ever buy a 1st gen with a manual no matter what engine, and If I got a 2nd gen with the 4.0, I'd definitely get an automatic. Combining how much power the second gens have, with how much better the auto trannies work, I'd much rather drive an auto. All of the high speed hills in my area can make you power hungry and absolutely hate older "stupid" automatics that don't know what gear they should be in.

 

These kinda' replies crack me up!

 

Odd then that in the manual , under the chart for shift postion uses , it states :

D - Normal driving
4 - position for engine braking
3 - position for more powerful engine braking
2 - more engine braking
L - maximum engine braking

 

Give me a manual any day. I like to drive my vehicles not just steer them...

 

Dourp

 

Both are great for different reasons, mine is auto because i do most city driving which i hate in a manual.

 

I prefer a manual, more control over the vehicle and it deters many people from even wanting to drive it. Furthermore my wife's car (08 Acura TL type-S) has the "manual" without a clutch crap and I can't stand it, I need a clutch!!!

 

Sort of...no matter who you are or how well you drive a stick, off road situations are often hell on a clutch. I can't tell you how many times I've been out with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and he's stalled out 4 times on the same obstacle trying to get moving from a stop on a steep grade.

It's no longer a problem now that the crawl box is in.

Also, two-footing is a LOT easier with two pedals than with three, which requires right foot throttle management and left-foot heel/toe work to manage both the clutch and brake.

I'll take the auto, especially THIS auto, as it has a selection for every gear in the box. It has all the offroad benefits of a manual, and none of the drawbacks.

This. I love having passengers on wheeling trips. With all the fucking doodads that come with the OR package and the shit I'm adding while building the truck, it's like a fucking Cessna cockpit in there.

The aforementioned Sasquatch's truck is even worse. He's got switch banks everywhere and four fucking shifters now...it's funny. Watching him wheel is like watching someone operate a San Francisco streetcar.

Getting back to pavement, I agree. Manuals are a pain in the ass around town. The only thing I'll ever own a stick in is a v8-powered american pony car.

 

i think we have already gone over the fact that there is ALMOST no added control when driving a manual over an automatic. each has its own area where one is marginally better than the other. it all comes down to driver preference.

i would like a pic lol

 

I like both auto and manuals. I have an auto because I have a DC LB (no manual option) because I wanted 4 doors to better accomodate the kid and dogs.

From my experiences in Kandahar, Afghanistan in both Toyota 'Truck' and Hilux's manuals were the way to go there. Especially when you run across a nice mud hole and sling mud with huge rooster tails everywhere. One of my troops took a picture of me slinging mud all over the place. Will have to see if I can find it. Pissed off one of my other team mates because he had just washed it. What can I say...it is the AZ in me...it would be un-American to leave a nice mud hole alone.

In Shank, Afghanistan I found the FOB (Forward Operating Base) gravel pit and tried driving through it. It was in a manual Hilux and probably would have been more simple in an auto trying to drive through the fine gravel and then taking on some busted concrete T-Walls (as if I were crawling over boulders).

 

It really depends on taste, I have been wheeling with manuals my entire life, but a auto that is geared properly for 4 wheeling I would take any day of the week over a manual, mainly because if you stall on a steep ass hill and have to take off, that gets a little bit technical in a manual! For day to day driving, I like manual, even in city traffic, I just love shifting!

 

You must be young.

 

manual. feels like a race truck.

 

Manual for the simple reason that I feel I have more control.I can choose which gear to run in ( yes I can do that with an auto to an extent,I prefer full control).You get in a sticky spot , it's far easier to rock it with a manual. As a driving enthusiast I like the connected feeling I get rowing through the gears myself.

 

false sense of confidence imo(or speed lol)

 

manual here, i have no problem with the 6spd. i just drive it rather then complain.

 

Not a false sense of anything. I drive for a living,and have enough understanding of how weather/temperature/sunlight/geographic features/precipitation/road treatment effect the road surface that I'm quite capable in inclement weather. I have gone off the road 1 time in the 21 years I've been driving ( and most months I cover more ground than most people do in a year ). That one time was me being foolish and falling asleep. Dry road,weather not involved. Too much speed will get you into trouble,but so will not enough speed. And if you start to slide/spin letting off the throttle in some places/situations will get you further into trouble. Having room in the rpm range to use a little more power can save your ass. But an auto can and will shift up or down on it's own and can cause an issue. Does that answer your statement well enough ?

 

manual, because racecar.

u no can clutch kick with no clutch liddat.