Question

Fett21

Fett21

Member
So looking at getting a new jeep. Everywhere you go to look all you see are automatic. One I have now is a manual. How are the the automatic transmission with off roading? I like here in Florida so all I really deal with is mud and sand. But would night to hit some small rocky areas one day.
 
Personally I think auto is way better off road. Driving on the road is far less fun though. It should come down to preference at the end of the day.
 
It is 100% preference. Auto is easier to wheel as you're not worried about stalling, but if you're good with a clutch and have the correct gears for your tires then stalling won't really be a concern and you'll get more torque...
 
You can't rock like we sometimes need to in sand and mud with an auto. That is the main difference. After saying that, mine is an auto and I'm glad it is. My TJ was a manual and I was going to order the new one that way as well. My wife begged me not to and eventually talked me into the auto so she could drive it, It makes traffic a lot easier and off road is easier too.
 
I have a 68 Jeepster with a 3 speed manual. Love driving it. Had it forever. Now I'm old and lazy, so my '14 has an auto. I seriously don't want to be shifting all the time with a 6 speed. At least with my Jeepster I do half as much shifting.

So...if you're getting old and lazy, go with the auto. It's science and stuff. That's my take.:beer:
 
Both Cindy and I grew up driving/wheeling manuals and they're what we know best and quite frankly, what we prefer as they are more fun. That being said, automatics are flat out superior off road and so much so that we often joke that driving one is like cheating. It's like the difference between running open diffs and being locked up. For me, stalling is the least of my concerns running a manual - it's the lack of control you have in really big rocks. But then, that's just me.
 
I've always preferred a manual when geared properly. Never even owned an automatic until 2013 when I broke my left foot and ankle. Now I can't drive a manual for more than a few min. Without pain. I will say that the auto is nice driving in traffic and on the rocks. I flat out hate it in the mud though. With the new jeeps you can forget rocking it as you have to come to a complete stop and let the rpms drop to an idle before it will shift. It sucks!! But man it sure is a breeze on the rocks!!!
 
coop9779 said:
I've always preferred a manual when geared properly. Never even owned an automatic until 2013 when I broke my left foot and ankle. Now I can't drive a manual for more than a few min. Without pain. I will say that the auto is nice driving in traffic and on the rocks. I flat out hate it in the mud though. With the new jeeps you can forget rocking it as you have to come to a complete stop and let the rpms drop to an idle before it will shift. It sucks!! But man it sure is a breeze on the rocks!!!
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This is very true and I should clarify my comments regarding automatics was in regards to playing on really big rocks. In mud, I still prefer a manual if only because you can pick your gear and do a 2nd or even 3rd gear start and leave it there if needed.
 
I had a YJ with a 5 spd and dual Toyota T-cases In it and it was amazing!! Endless gear options and a crazy low crawl ratio! The same gearing could be accomplished with a 4spd atlas. But you're talking about big money then.
 
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Idk. I love my manual transmissions always have. And just add much add I love them I equally hate automatics. Lol that said I don't wheel huge rocks and likely never will so I can't say if it is better or not on that issue. But for the wheeling I have done this far, which is limited, I find I love the manual still. Only time I don't like them is in rush hour traffic.
 
Both of my Wranglers have been manual by choice. When I used to commute it never bothered me having a manual as it's what I'm used to driving. They are definitely more difficult to locate at dealer's these days. My 2014 was the only manual on the lot (luckily for me it had most of what I wanted on it already) and my 2016 I had ordered due to color choice and not many manuals around in my area. As for wheeling, I prefer manual as well but I haven't played in the big rocks much. The hill assist comes in handy on those steep hill take offs in loose/soft ground.
 
When i started building my cj one of the first things i did was go find a th400/d20 from a j truck. To me the ol slush box is much better for wheeling. You can run the trails all day, and when its all said and done you still have use of your left leg. That being said my tj that i use to knock around town and ride back roads with the wife and kids is a standard. Its just more fun to drive. It boils down to preference and intended use. The cj sees 95% trails and got the auto the tj sees 95% road time and has the standard
 
While you can't rock an auto very well in sand or mud you do have much better throttle control and the power delivery is smoother. As long as you realise you stuck and stop instead of giving it more gas you can usually slowly reverse out before you are in a position where you need to rock it anyway.
 
Thanks for all the info. I'll most likely stuck to a manual. I have always enjoyed manuals more anyway.
 
I miss my manual in my last 2 door, even though I would tend to stall on large rocks due to the wrong gearing for my tires. I am happy however I went auto with my new JKU. Sure I have it geared properly as well, but still there is something about it that I like when wheeling. To me it almost feels smoother over rocks. I still do need to learn how to use the gears in "manual" mode since I tried it on a hill climb too late in the day.
 
My first couple of Jeeps were manual. Like everyone else has said, a lot of fun on the road and just driving in general. But I never wheeled or crawled with my first two Jeeps, so it's hard to say my opinion of them when doing that. I love having an auto when it comes to being offroad though.
 
I never wheeled my manual, and being in Ouray isn't wheeling like Eddie & the guys do, but I was quite impressed as to how the automatic transmission seemed to always keep me in the correct gear when I was in 4Lo. It's much better off-road than on-road, in my opinion. I put a Rubicon transfer case in mine, and the only complaint I have, is in low range, you really have to press the brake all they way to the floor to keep it from moving.
 
As someone else mentioned earlier, I too drove only manuals until I had to have a few surgeries. Due to pain (at the time), I could not drive manuals anymore and made the switch to autos.
Although I love the tactile nature of driving a manual, I do not miss it at all. It's nice and relaxing driving an auto, I find myself enjoying trails more. Also, I think a manual would be hell in this Hawaii traffic lol!
 
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