whats best ? !!!!
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depends if you want to tow or not, to tow heavy manual wins, if no tow then personal preference, I think autos are for nimbys but that is only my personal opinion, Rick
macabethiel
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Auto v Manual
If Automatics are for lazy people then Manuals are for Boy Racers who think they can drive safely and quickly !
Stereotypes just do not fit many peoples choices.
We had a customer who has sadly died now who lost a leg in the RAF during the second world war. When UK cars started offering Autos he was independently mobile again.
Many people who only drive manual vehicles have no idea how to drive automatics properly and retain control on downhill descents etc. With a good auto you can keep both hands on the wheel all the time and concentrate on steering the best line on a bend and use the paddle shift as well!
Some automatics are not designed well enough to tow heavy loads causing the ATF to overheat and they can blow.
Likewise many manual drivers burn out clutches, cause gearboxes to fail etc.
If you want to use the horses then use the tiptronic / manual mode on the auto box.
Its a bit of a Marmite question you either love them or hate them.
I was lucky enough to learn to drive in a Vauxhall Crest PB Automatic (Powerglide) prototype but took my test in a Vauxhall Victor 101 Manual.
For many years I could not afford an auto due to initial cost and fuel consumption - being the owner of a Mk 1 Cooper S for 12 years. I moved to Autos about 23 years ago and would never go back to a Manual box. I even had a BMW Mini Cooper Auto for 7 years.
I am not a big fan of CVT autos but prefer the older fluid/valve block autos (they will take a lot of abuse provided ATF is cooled adequately) rather than the more modern solenoid switched 7G type gearboxes that have more components to fail. That said you now have modern Autos that have better MPG figures than the 6 speed maul equivalents.
Many younger drivers change as they mature and move from Manual to Autos - some never see the light ! Jahova LOL
Horses for Courses mate, but I always say Automatics are for lazy people and it takes the fun out of driving
I also like to know I'm using all those Horsies under the bonnet
If Automatics are for lazy people then Manuals are for Boy Racers who think they can drive safely and quickly !
Stereotypes just do not fit many peoples choices.
We had a customer who has sadly died now who lost a leg in the RAF during the second world war. When UK cars started offering Autos he was independently mobile again.
Many people who only drive manual vehicles have no idea how to drive automatics properly and retain control on downhill descents etc. With a good auto you can keep both hands on the wheel all the time and concentrate on steering the best line on a bend and use the paddle shift as well!
Some automatics are not designed well enough to tow heavy loads causing the ATF to overheat and they can blow.
Likewise many manual drivers burn out clutches, cause gearboxes to fail etc.
If you want to use the horses then use the tiptronic / manual mode on the auto box.
Its a bit of a Marmite question you either love them or hate them.
I was lucky enough to learn to drive in a Vauxhall Crest PB Automatic (Powerglide) prototype but took my test in a Vauxhall Victor 101 Manual.
For many years I could not afford an auto due to initial cost and fuel consumption - being the owner of a Mk 1 Cooper S for 12 years. I moved to Autos about 23 years ago and would never go back to a Manual box. I even had a BMW Mini Cooper Auto for 7 years.
I am not a big fan of CVT autos but prefer the older fluid/valve block autos (they will take a lot of abuse provided ATF is cooled adequately) rather than the more modern solenoid switched 7G type gearboxes that have more components to fail. That said you now have modern Autos that have better MPG figures than the 6 speed maul equivalents.
Many younger drivers change as they mature and move from Manual to Autos - some never see the light ! Jahova LOL
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In stop start driving in towns, or in congestion, the Auto wins hands down. Here fuel consumption will be about the same. Constantly slipping the clutch, wears out your left knee, and brings forward the time when you need a new clutch.:doh ( and a new knee :lol).
For miles and miles of motorway driving, then the manual should give better MPG, but the autos are getting better.
Which is best in snow?:nenau
For hill decent and accent, with the manual, you select one gear and stick with it, but would the auto give a slick smooth change?
Can you easily rock a car with an auto box, ie forward reverse forward etc which can help getting out of a sticky situation?:nenau
In this country 99.9% of my driving is a manual, but in the States, it was always 100% automatic, and I have driven a fair few thousand miles out there too, but mostly 2wheel drive cars.
Driving them has been fine, but nothing off road.
Rustic
For miles and miles of motorway driving, then the manual should give better MPG, but the autos are getting better.
Which is best in snow?:nenau
For hill decent and accent, with the manual, you select one gear and stick with it, but would the auto give a slick smooth change?
Can you easily rock a car with an auto box, ie forward reverse forward etc which can help getting out of a sticky situation?:nenau
In this country 99.9% of my driving is a manual, but in the States, it was always 100% automatic, and I have driven a fair few thousand miles out there too, but mostly 2wheel drive cars.
Driving them has been fine, but nothing off road.
Rustic
micktheshed
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My 3L has 3 speed & O/d not 4speed. I was under the impression that they both used the same basic box.
Lazy-Ferret
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As already said, depends on how, when, and where you drive.. It also depends a lot on the make and model of the vehicle.
When I drove for a living, I had to be on site by 9:30, and rarely left before 5pm, no mater where in the country the site was, so I drove the whole Rush Hour, which anyone that drives like that will know lasts at least 3 hours!!! I dread to think how much of my life I have wasted sitting in traffic jams, but having a nice comfortable car, with an Auto box was what kept me sane. When on the motorway, you knew that as soon as you wanted more power, she would give it to you, with out needing to start pressing extra pedals, and wiggling sticks, and in town, it allowed me to concentrate on the strange roads, with out ever having to take my hands off the wheel.
When towing, I got into a bad snake, in heavy winds, and even though in my mind, I knew the theory of what to do, actually making your body press the accelerator, when everything about you just wants to shove the brake pedal to the floor, is already a very hard thing to do, but not having to worry about trying to change down gears as well, was so nice, and to be honest, I am convinced that being in an Auto was what saved us.
Having said that, For some reason, I still prefer to drive a manual when it comes to the 4x4, as it seems to be far more controllable on just the throttle, especially when in low, and in the case of the T2, from what I have read, the Auto boxes are not really so well designed for towing, which is a primary job for my T2.
We have 2 Terranos, a Manual, and an Auto, and out of choice, I always jump in the Manual, but I do love the auto, and enjoy driving her, but seem to just go for the Manual one when it does not matter which one I take (subconsciously, I must be a boy racer).:lol
I think my one thing that would always make me go for a manual on an old car though, is you have a lot more options to get you back home with a manual, when things go wrong... you can jump start them if the battery is flat, you can rock them backwards and forwards in gear to free a stuck starter motor, you can tow them....
When I drove for a living, I had to be on site by 9:30, and rarely left before 5pm, no mater where in the country the site was, so I drove the whole Rush Hour, which anyone that drives like that will know lasts at least 3 hours!!! I dread to think how much of my life I have wasted sitting in traffic jams, but having a nice comfortable car, with an Auto box was what kept me sane. When on the motorway, you knew that as soon as you wanted more power, she would give it to you, with out needing to start pressing extra pedals, and wiggling sticks, and in town, it allowed me to concentrate on the strange roads, with out ever having to take my hands off the wheel.
When towing, I got into a bad snake, in heavy winds, and even though in my mind, I knew the theory of what to do, actually making your body press the accelerator, when everything about you just wants to shove the brake pedal to the floor, is already a very hard thing to do, but not having to worry about trying to change down gears as well, was so nice, and to be honest, I am convinced that being in an Auto was what saved us.
Having said that, For some reason, I still prefer to drive a manual when it comes to the 4x4, as it seems to be far more controllable on just the throttle, especially when in low, and in the case of the T2, from what I have read, the Auto boxes are not really so well designed for towing, which is a primary job for my T2.
We have 2 Terranos, a Manual, and an Auto, and out of choice, I always jump in the Manual, but I do love the auto, and enjoy driving her, but seem to just go for the Manual one when it does not matter which one I take (subconsciously, I must be a boy racer).:lol
I think my one thing that would always make me go for a manual on an old car though, is you have a lot more options to get you back home with a manual, when things go wrong... you can jump start them if the battery is flat, you can rock them backwards and forwards in gear to free a stuck starter motor, you can tow them....
firebobby
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I prefer manual cars and 4x4's, but this may change as I get older and want less to think about.
Our fire engines are now auto's and are so much easier and safer to drive, you can concentrate on the road and other drivers instead of both those things and getting the right gears.
I do still drive a truck with a 8 speed hi-lo, and splitter box, just to keep my hand in
Our fire engines are now auto's and are so much easier and safer to drive, you can concentrate on the road and other drivers instead of both those things and getting the right gears.
I do still drive a truck with a 8 speed hi-lo, and splitter box, just to keep my hand in
Sweety
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Cheers for that, I thought the 3L had got the patrol box
been away from Terrano's & 4x4's for a few years so a little rusty on the spec's:augie
The Patrolman
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Auto Every Day of the week:thumb2
Monday to friday Ford Ranger 3.0L Dci 6spd Auto:nenau 22-30mpg
Weekend Troll 4.2 Petroll Auto 15 mpg
Or Vectra Estate 150 CDti Manual 40- 60 Mpg
I do like the auto for off road as it is so easy up and down hills.
Did have an Omega 2.5D Auto and it towed our Bailey Senator twin axel up 1 in 3 quite happily but had mahoosive coolers on the transmission fluid.
Auto all the time for me:bow:bow:bow
Monday to friday Ford Ranger 3.0L Dci 6spd Auto:nenau 22-30mpg
Weekend Troll 4.2 Petroll Auto 15 mpg
Or Vectra Estate 150 CDti Manual 40- 60 Mpg
I do like the auto for off road as it is so easy up and down hills.
Did have an Omega 2.5D Auto and it towed our Bailey Senator twin axel up 1 in 3 quite happily but had mahoosive coolers on the transmission fluid.
Auto all the time for me:bow:bow:bow
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Nah give me a 16 speed range change with a splitter any time, sorts the men from the boys, Rick
