Auto capability for laning / soft offroad

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Bomber785

Member
Posts
79
Location
Wigan
Got myself an auto 300 TDI just wondering how capable are they as an offroader for green lanes and a bit of easy off road stuff...

had a few sharp intakes of breath, shaking heads and "should of got a manual if you wanna use it off road"
 
Got myself an auto 300 TDI just wondering how capable are they as an offroader for green lanes and a bit of easy off road stuff...

had a few sharp intakes of breath, shaking heads and "should of got a manual if you wanna use it off road"

Complete bollocks! :D

The auto if anything will give you more control.
 
autos are better for offroading in my experience as your not on and off the clutch all the time..but having said that my auto was a 4.2v8 the 300 tdi auto takes a bit of winding up in auto form to get it moveing in high box tho..low box aint so bad
 
Auto is brill.if being towed then auto box and transfer box in neutral and away you go.being tugged out of a ditch the low range 2 on auto will bite when you gettugged.

Auto tends to run away abit down hill so feather your brakes and nok it in 1st.
 
I do alot of laning in my auto and its brilliant no gears to worry about much better control as both hands can be on the wheel, mind you ive never tried a manual lol
 
Horses for courses I prefer manual. Other swear by auto.

The problem is what the auto is attached to its a tdi diesel and thus............... a mooing cow. More pedal and the noise changes but the going doesn't get going on road too quickly and towing anything bigger than a halfrauds box trailer forget it! Again someone will say its fine. towing a RRC back from Devon a low milage well maintained disco really dissapointed us.

Someone will say (Mine is amazing its been tuned and modified la la la BUT a normal 4 pot diesel isn't much cop as the auto box soakes up so much. Offroad I'm not a fan of Auto's for several reasons: If it all goes wrong your stuck usually and the cost of repair is normally quite expensive, they're big heavy and bulky, some cannot be tow started Some can if the oil pump is driven. They're 20 years old now and a filer change missed here or there and its a disaster waiting to happen.

If you break a manual you can sometimes get it home. However an Auto makes driving it alot easier offroad. Also they take ALOT of stress off the halfshafts and drivetrain as its not delivered so harshly far smoother usually. For me, the ability to spin up wheels/i.e slipping the clutch and dumping it IS important as is engine braking and going from 1st reverse really quickly but your not talking comps or anything mad it will be perfectly fine for Greenlaning it will perform perfect.

Positives and negatives I have no need for an auto and will never get one too big, heavy and zap power. A manual is light, small and spares are cheaper and readily available anywhere.
 
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