Auto or manual

Just out of interest, is a 300TDi more popular in auto or as a manual? My missus has insisted that the one we buy in the next week or two must be manual as she prefers manual. We live in a very hilly area and as she covers 18K miles a year maybe it is sensible to have a manual and reduce fuel consumption a tad.

Are the manual boxes more reliable than Auto's?

Cirrus said:

Are the manual boxes more reliable than Auto's?

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Generally speaking, yes.

I prefer manuals as i like to be in control all the time. I have had autos but were both cars used for 'traffic jamming' where not having to work the clutch for hours on end was a good thing.

Dave

300 tdi's don't suit an auto box very well, not enough power so the vehicle is sluggish, so i'm told. So stick to a manual box and put up with all that gear changing the replacement of worn clutches All auto boxes have a manual selection facility.

I have a manual (200tdi) but I am looking at getting an auto but only because the clutch is getting harder and harder to use as I have a f***ed back and it puts a lot of strain on my back

Drive a TDi 300 auto and make up your own mind. '96 to '98 cars have EDC and 120bhp and actually drive quite nicely.

I had one for 16,000mls and it averaged 33mpg throughout that period.

I have spine problems and a knackered ankle so I struggle with a manual in traffic. My auto drives beautifully, nice and smooth and if i slap my foot on the throttle it kicks down and it takes off pretty smartish, but i have removed the EGR and cat on mine and that did make a differance.

But its no race car and I just plodd around in it

My discovery is a 97 p reg tdi300 auto ,and believe me after driving it for two months now , no way would i go back to a manual gearbox ! Driven a manual van the other week ,what a ball ache that was,so unless you have a specific job for a manual such as heavy towing on a daily basis ,stick with a auto .

adymanchester said:

My discovery is a 97 p reg tdi300 auto ,and believe me after driving it for two months now , no way would i go back to a manual gearbox ! Driven a manual van the other week ,what a ball ache that was,so unless you have a specific job for a manual such as heavy towing on a daily basis ,stick with a auto .

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Even though they swallow more juice? Doing 18K a year amounts to a lot more juice than using a manual.

If i was doing 18k a year i wudnt use any discovery ,petrol,diesel ,manual or auto ,i would buy a 1.4 diesel car and keep the discovery for the weekend ,me myself i only do about 6,7 k a year and only local mileage at that ! and next gardening season ,march 2011 im considering buying a cheap runabout small van ,even a petrol would do me ,in order to keep my disco just for me and not fill it up with bugs and dead grass !

I had a manual RRC previously and an auto disco now.......would I go back to manual if I were to change the car.......NO WAY......

I made a mistake getting a jap-import disco....as they all have the EDC....but it comes with less rust...much less...so you can't win all.....

Just changed the electronic injection pump to a mechanical one...and the disco drives beautifully, so much smoother than with the EDC.........so I would suggest, get an earlier 300tdi auto that's without the EDC.....good car they are....

On a side note, as the EDC equipped disco uses an injector that has higher secondary working pressure at 300 atmosphere (standard 300tdi's are 280 atmosphere).....that might be the cause of the difference in the 120bhp claimed with EDC versus 113bhp claimed for standard 300tdi.......I might be wrong, so correct me as you may....