Auto or Stick?

Due to a recent conversation, I'm interested to see which is more popular between driving a stick or an auto for a DD/mild wheeler.

MJ - AW4

TJ - NV3550

I am a big fan of both of these transmissions. Love the 5 speed, but it is a pain in a traffic jam. The auto is just a good, solid, transmission in a Jeep. As for wheeling, I spend most of my time with the 5 speed. Why? It just happens to be in the TJ. I would get plain bored in an auto or 5 speed only. The best of both worlds for me :cheers:

stick. all day every day. :D

stick. all day every day. :D

:agree:

Auto, ALL DAY every day...

I'd swap my AX15 for a Auto in a second if I could...

My TJ is Auto and I wouldn't have it any other way... where I wheel is more Rocks than trails, and I get much better "crawl" that dudes I go out with similar rigs with sticks...

MJ - stick

TJ - stick

wife's Subaru - auto :chillin:

manual FTW

Jeff

Daily Driver, Stick

4wheeler, Auto

Everything I have is stick, and I intend to keep it that way. Do you know how hard it is to find a new car anymore with a stick??? Its horrible! When I bought my 05 Hyundai Tucson, it was like pulling teeth trying to find one with a stick, and then the salesman only want to sell you the V6 with the automatic. And kids nowadays don't even want to learn to drive one at all. I don't understand it. Sticks get you better gas milage, better reliability overall, and are more fun! And I heard something recently, maybe it was on here, that many auto manufacturers are doing away with sticks altogether because their computers can control emmisions better with an electronically controlled automatic. If it has an auto, I won't buy it, and I will seek out those that still do... except for GM products that is. :yes:

There's no option for no preference, so I can't cat my vote. I drive my MJ on the street and wheel it, it's an auto. I drive my XJ and have wheeled it once, bone stock, when my daughter was wheeling the MJ. It's a stick. They both have advantaged and disadvantages both on and off road. I really don't think one is better than the other.

The only time I dislike my stick is when I have my tea mug in my hand (no cup holders, WTF is up with that?), have to turn the brights off because of an oncoming car, while being in the middle of a shift in a turn. Not enough hands.

I had a 97 Subaru OBS and it was an auto and it was a blast to drive. I had a 94 Escort before that and it was a stick; it too was a blast to drive.

I decided, though, that the next stick I got was going to have some power behind it. It's just not as fun when you're getting pass by riding lawn mowers.

I prefer stick over auto, better control and fun. :banana:

auto for wheeling.

i like my stick!

I prefer my manual tranny although it is a :wall: ba 10. :dunno: I think the reasons alot of people don't like manual trannies is 2 fold, one is both of your hands are needed to drive, and the one if think is more common a problem is you actually have to pay attention to your driving instead of just putting the thing into gear, mashing the pedal and zipping off. :dunno:

A stick offroading will tend to need deeper gears than an auto, especially in the rocks.

In '97 I tore up my left hand pretty bad and I still drove a stick (my 88 MJ) even though I was essentially one handed for 2 weeks. :D and that commute was a 3 hour round trip. automatics are just too boring.

And kids nowadays don't even want to learn to drive one at all. I don't understand it.

My GF's 12 year old daughter told me the other day that she wants her first car to be a stick, wants nothing to do with automatics. :banana:

When I first started driving i wanted nothing to do with a stick cause i didn't want to learn. But my dad forced me to learn and I was a natural!!! Now i REALLY wish my MJ wasn't an automatic.......way too boring of a drive. :shake: Which is exactly why I'm going to convert to an AX15 someday

I maybe what some guys here would call a "kid"... I started regularly driving a 5 speed at 14 years old, in a 90 YJ. Thank you Kansas Law ;) Now at 23 I can say learning to drive a manual made me a better, alert, driver. It is impossible to make a phone call while driving a manual un-alone trying to text (assumed, never tried).

Which is exactly why I'm going to convert to an AX15 someday

Go with NV3550 for the win!

And kids nowadays don't even want to learn to drive one at all. I don't understand it.

 

My GF's 12 year old daughter told me the other day that she wants her first car to be a stick, wants nothing to do with automatics. :banana:

My daughter will be 1 year old next month, but when it comes time, she won't have much choice. And yes, a stick does make you a more alert driver, kinda like riding a motorcycle... if youre not alert on one of them, you arent going to last very long.

My first car was an automatic, 1953 Studebaker Land Cruiser. Just the way it came and the best car I could find for $175. After that came a long string of manual transmissions - including my first new car in 1969. Had several Automatics along the way. My wife and my kids all new how to drive a stick shift by the time the were 17.

At this point, I just shift gears automatically anyway. No matter what the transmission. My ear hears the engine, the right hand moves the gear shift and the left foot moves the clutch, all automatically. Becomes a bit of a problem when there is no clutch .

My girlfriend (wife passed away) has never driven a stick shift in her life, save one lesson I gave her several months back. My current fleet is a 1996 Passat TDI wagon - 5 speed manual, 1991 Comanche 4 speed auto, 2000 Isuzu Rodeo 4 speed auto (replaced my 1998 Rodeo 5 speed manual after an accident). Her car is a 2003 4 cyl Toyota Camry - got 28 to 32 mpg on a recent 3500 mile trip - just a tad over 30.0 over all average. - And we moved with traffic on I-5. Means 75+ all day, all night (Anita complained when I got over 90).

it seems the more "hardcore" wheelers all went to auto. when i got in the game it was only the old fat guys wheeling autos. i like manual transmissions, and i'm using one in my trail rig i'm building. but mine also has a 6.55:1 first gear, doubler t cases, and 5.13 gears. i do feel like i have more control with a stick, i've wheeled both. didn't care for the auto off road, will have a hand throttle on the shifter though. but i'll admit it seems everyone is wheeling autos on the rocks, even a buddy i know that competed in weroc or whatever its called, he used to be manual only, and says he should've gone auto a long time ago.....i just can't let it go.

i also prefer manual off road due to its strength, and durability. if it gets water in it, drain it. get water in an auto and its over. i can tear down and repair/rebuild a manual trans, and i could an auto to, but i don't care to work on an auto at all.

daily driver i have enjoyed my autos lately. up untill recently all my vehicles were stick, dd or not. auto is kinda nice in traffic drinking coffee and texting :rotf:

Anyone who thinks an auto is boring... If you adjust other parts of your driving 'style' it won't be. I can be just as terrified driving an auto as driving a stick.

Anyways, auto for the rocks and technical stuff. No stalling, let the converter work instead of burning the clutch, instant power and a power shifts for on-demand wheel speed. It's also probably better for mud, but I don't swing that way. Just try comparing shift times from a stock auto to a sloppy old SM465...

A stick is fine for most everything else. Tooling around town, mild trails, etc.

Reliability is a tossup. I think an AW4 will easily outlive an AX-15 (at least for total mileage), if anybody cares what I think. However, the auto will be more susceptible to contamination of fluid. But, throw water in your gear oil and see how long the stick actually lasts; or jam mud in your clutch for the instant lose. Stick will allow for bump starting. Automatic, no so much. Modern automatics need electrical jazz, but so do modern engines (moot, it's all going to pile up anyways).

only the old fat guys wheeling autos.

Hey now...I resemble that remark....

For me each has its own positives and negatives. For long trips, I prefer stick. But when in traffic.. the auto is by far and away a better choice than a numb left leg.

For wheeling... Lots of rock makes an auto alot easier to work with. But with our terrain here in the MUDwest.. a stick is alot easier to deal with.

But if you have dealt with teaching people to drive stick... you know there are enough moving parts in a manual to make you miserable replacing them...

But if you have dealt with teaching people to drive stick... you know there are enough moving parts in a manual to make you miserable replacing them...

It's really not that bad. I was able to add the 5th gear to an AX-4 without any schooling and never even having a manual transmission apart before.

I've seen detailed diagrams of how automatics work, and I'd still probably be scratching my head by the time I open one up. I think they're fascinating, but I personally prefer a stick over an auto. If I've gotta use an auto to go through some trails, I guess I'd be skipping those trails.

But that's just my personal preference. :dunno:

I like my stick, and it keeps the GF from driving the MJ. But I guess it has to be running first before I have to worry about it going anywhere. :ack:

Rob L.