4x4 guys.. Automatic or Manual Transmission?

[churchmouse]

Ran manuals for years in 4X4's and loved the control I had in any situation. Popped a few in the woods but managed to get out to the road.
Got married and the wife liked the manual in my 1964 Suburban (44's-Dana 60/Dana 44) but when that was sold it has been auto's ever since. I have grown to like them. If you drive what you have in the range of what it can do there is fun and reliability to be had. If you push anything out past it's engineering epic fail is in your future.
For street driving/family oriented vehicle go auto and keep it serviced.

Edit.....Trans cooler is an absolute must with an auto for off road use.

 

[sajnaj]

daily driver auto because i like to be able to multitask and is nice in traffic

play toys always manual i always have a tendency of tearing up autos but i am currently running a muncie 4sp there nick name is the rock crusher it does not speed shift but almost impossible to tear up

 

[Tydeeh22]

Another question is whether you prefer Japanese quality or American. Foresters are still made in Japan to higher quality standards, Outbacks are made in Indiana (with vital components like engines supplied from Japan). CVT is pretty sluggish on Subaru, so if you want a peppy response, it’s not a way to go.

i wonder what all the guys in the "engine plant" at subaru do then. get paid 28 dollars an hour to unpack engines from shipping boxes.. not really. they build engines there. auxiliary components like alternators, radiators, etc. do come from japan. same as with the axles, shock assemblies, and trannys. i recall a mirror coming out of the box with a scorpion on it. i know how subarus are built. honestly, i wouldnt own one made here in lafayette, but thats another time.

Fenway- An automatic will do you just fine for light / medium duty trails. going through a muddy / snowy corn field to pick up your deer, snowy country roads, etc- all easily done with an automatic.

A manual will offer more control for obvious reasons, but the user will be forced to focus more on vehicle feedback. IE- rpms, clutch, throttle let-off. going over obstacles is a bit easier with a stick, but as others have said, the quick momentum isnt there to rush a mudhole or snow drift.

 

[downzero]

It's mostly preference, but if you know how to drive, you can make a manual last longer. I have a vehicle with over 200k miles and no transmission work at all. This is possible with an auto but extremely unlikely.

A manual is harder to use but superior in basically every way to an automatic if the operator knows what he or she is doing. The only exception I would agree with is sand or mud; if wheelspin is required, an auto is better for this. The main problem, then, especially at low speeds is that it is basically impossible to keep an automatic transmission cool in this sort of environment. Auxiliary fans and coolers are absolutely necessary, but even they may not be enough to get rid of the heat of high load and low speed because there just isn't enough airflow to cool the fluid.

I absolutely despise automatics, so I'll show my bias and let that one out there. There is really nothing that could change my mind. This is based primarily on the fact that they have parts that wear much more quickly than a manual transmission that is not abused, and I am unable to repair them because I don't know how.

I don't think it's an accident that nearly everyone in this country prefers an automatic, because they work well for the vast majority of driving. I find driving an automatic to be tremendously boring and the durability issues are non-trivial for me.

 

[Rookie]

Automatic with a manual valve body.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Some of the most capable multi-use SUVs (as opposed to off-road duty only specialty vehicles) on the market, Range Rover / Land Rover... I'm not sure you can even get a manual any longer.

-J-

 

[jeremy]

Some of the most capable multi-use SUVs (as opposed to off-road duty only specialty vehicles) on the market, Range Rover / Land Rover... I'm not sure you can even get a manual any longer.

-J-

Maybe not here in the States....

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I was stationed in Hawaii and was always driving on the beech, or on the mountain trails. Personally, I prefer an automatic.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

If you plan on putting a snow plow on it then go with an auto. I've plowed with a manual and your left leg gets real tired real fast plus it is cumbersome to operate the controls.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Maybe not here in the States....

I googled up the British site and "built" one of their "cheaper" models. There wasn't an option.

I didn't try building all of the models, though.

Edit: It looks as though the "Defender" model can be had with a dual range 6 spd w/ locking center diff. Good on 'em.

-J-

 

[tsugaruroman]

i wonder what all the guys in the "engine plant" at subaru do then. get paid 28 dollars an hour to unpack engines from shipping boxes.. not really. they build engines there. auxiliary components like alternators, radiators, etc. do come from japan. same as with the axles, shock assemblies, and trannys. i recall a mirror coming out of the box with a scorpion on it. i know how subarus are built. honestly, i wouldnt own one made here in lafayette, but thats another time.

Fenway- An automatic will do you just fine for light / medium duty trails. going through a muddy / snowy corn field to pick up your deer, snowy country roads, etc- all easily done with an automatic.

A manual will offer more control for obvious reasons, but the user will be forced to focus more on vehicle feedback. IE- rpms, clutch, throttle let-off. going over obstacles is a bit easier with a stick, but as others have said, the quick momentum isnt there to rush a mudhole or snow drift.

Scorpion story is hilarious!

No, Sir, they don’t only unpack engines from Japan, they unpack engine block assemblies and attached some equipment and wiring, but engines and gear boxes come from Japan in crates. If you were at their engine plant you should have notices large storage area with racks filled with engine crates from Japan. In fact, the reason I know it is because I accompanied Japanese specialists who were inspecting the engines arrived from Japan. Subaru engines are not localized yet, but the rumors are that FHI may consider it in the future because of bad JPY/USD exchange rate, and growing demand for Subaru cars here in US. So far all Boxer engines are made in Gunma Facility in Japan that was opened in 2010 specifically for production of a new generation Boxer engines. Facility in Lafayette has no capacity or technology to build engines from zero. You may want to check you facts, I can refer you to FHI press-release, if you like (it’s in Japanese, but they may have English version as well)
The same analogy with bodies – SIA has body plant, but all they do there is weld together large body parts that are made elsewhere.

 

[DaKruiser]

Automatic, when your getting tossed around in the seat it's not fun trying to ease the clutch out and not kill it. (I'm not as skilled as Jeremy)

 

[eldirector]

Do you off-road guys (and gals) really shift that much when off road? I run in 4-low, second gear for about everything, and rarely shift. Maybe use first (which is a granny gear for me) for a climb, decent, or real technical spot. Or, run in 3rd down a smooth 2-track.

Then again, I can lug my old AMC V8 down below 500 RPM without stalling, and rev it to 4000 RPM all day without hurting it.

 

[jeremy]

Automatic, when your getting tossed around in the seat it's not fun trying to ease the clutch out and not kill it. (I'm not as skilled as Jeremy)

I'll give you a hint to make it easier....

Place a Thumb Throttle (similar to what you see on an ATV) on the shifter...

 

[jeremy]

Do you off-road guys (and gals) really shift that much when off road? I run in 4-low, second gear for about everything, and rarely shift. Maybe use first (which is a granny gear for me) for a climb, decent, or real technical spot. Or, run in 3rd down a smooth 2-track.

Then again, I can lug my old AMC V8 down below 500 RPM without stalling, and rev it to 4000 RPM all day without hurting it.

Not really. I may shift between 2-3 when I am in 4L. I run a 258 I6...

 

[Hurculeasz]

I use to believe a standard transmission was the only way to go, I felt like I had more control being able to shift to the gear I needed. I now have an automatic and enjoy being able to let the truck do the work.

 

[jeremy]

I use to believe a standard transmission was the only way to go, I felt like I had more control being able to shift to the gear I needed. I now have an automatic and enjoy being able to let the truck do the work.

It all depends on the application it is being used for...

 

[Bapak2ja]

Even my wife wanted a manual for driving in the real rough country in Borneo. Just sixty miles north of the equator on the west side of the island our every day "roads" would scare the out of many off-road four-wheeling aficionados in the Hoosier state.

Muddy challenge

Challenge answered.

Washed out, but passable.

No Wheels Allowed

Manual. It's how the real men drive!

 

[tgallmey]

Maual if u wanna truly 4 wheel.

How am I using my 4x4? I drive mostly downtown and use the 4x4 during the winter so auto is fine if not preferable in traffic.

My fun car is a sports car with manual.

I like manual in the snow.

I was a stick shift guy for a lot of years, but now I buy automatic, cause I can talk on the phone, play with the radio, play with the wife, or eat

I can do all that. I can yak on the CB, spit my dip, and I dont use my phone when i drive.

It's mostly preference, but if you know how to drive, you can make a manual last longer. I have a vehicle with over 200k miles and no transmission work at all. This is possible with an auto but extremely unlikely.

A manual is harder to use but superior in basically every way to an automatic if the operator knows what he or she is doing. The only exception I would agree with is sand or mud; if wheelspin is required, an auto is better for this. The main problem, then, especially at low speeds is that it is basically impossible to keep an automatic transmission cool in this sort of environment. Auxiliary fans and coolers are absolutely necessary, but even they may not be enough to get rid of the heat of high load and low speed because there just isn't enough airflow to cool the fluid.

I absolutely despise automatics, so I'll show my bias and let that one out there. There is really nothing that could change my mind. This is based primarily on the fact that they have parts that wear much more quickly than a manual transmission that is not abused, and I am unable to repair them because I don't know how.

I don't think it's an accident that nearly everyone in this country prefers an automatic, because they work well for the vast majority of driving. I find driving an automatic to be tremendously boring and the durability issues are non-trivial for me.

hes got it.

Do you off-road guys (and gals) really shift that much when off road? I run in 4-low, second gear for about everything, and rarely shift. Maybe use first (which is a granny gear for me) for a climb, decent, or real technical spot. Or, run in 3rd down a smooth 2-track.

Then again, I can lug my old AMC V8 down below 500 RPM without stalling, and rev it to 4000 RPM all day without hurting it.

your a crawler lol. I tear A$$

Even my wife wanted a manual for driving in the real rough country in Borneo. Just sixty miles north of the equator on the west side of the island our every day "roads" would scare the out of many off-road four-wheeling aficionados in the Hoosier state.

Muddy challenge

Challenge answered.

Washed out, but passable.

No Wheels Allowed

Manual. It's how the real men drive!

That looks like fun.




I prefer Manuals. My latest truck is a 01 Ranger and is my first Automatic by choice. I absolutely hate it. Its all over the road when its wet or snowy. If its wet and im on a hill that 4.0 just spins the tire. I only drive smaller trucks. Ive had a few big ones and I didnt need there capabilities. Plus in the city they can be a pain to drive. Ive had mostly Rangers in my life cause thats whats worked best for me. I will never buy another Auto again. The only Auto that Ford built well was the C6 the rest have been rubbish. The only time I would have like to have a auto is Rock climbing. I have more control of the vehicle as a manual. When you really know how to work those gears its superior. I am a Ford man but my next vehicle will be a Toyota Tacoma TRD Off Road. Its built well and has a manual transmission and other goodies I like. I just wish they would import the Diesels.

 

[halfmileharry]

I've got both in my Jeeps. My Grand Cherokees are autos and make easy traveling across the fields even when wet. The auto trannys keep the full time 4 churning at a good rate.
IF I'm in the woods or WAY OFF ROAD, I like the manual in my old CJ for the engine control in low gear.