Manual vs. Auto

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My Jag had a ZF box and it was fine, but it was a 'sealed for life' unit which HAD to have a fluid change every 100k, or else...

I wanted an auto but got a manual instead as it was a good deal. I decided that the auto was not much different economy on motorways, which is most of my driving- and drove much better in jams! Also I factored the cost of a clutch/flywheel etc change as similar to an autobox swap if/when it failed. I'd try to get an auto next time without a doubt. My Mitsis were all autos and much better off road for it. I'd guess regular fluid changes would help longevity...?
 
My first freelander was a manual. box came out twice in 4 years new clutch and slave. then new master cylinder and then another slave. I then bought a auto not as good on fuel but a much better car all round. Would not buy another manual.
 
here are our freelanders from last year mine is on the left DSC_0096.JPG
Jodsclass said:
It's true that Land Rover seem to be favouring the auto. I personally love Autos. If I'm buying a sports car it will be manual, anything else I'd rather have an auto. Had a Cooper S in manual which was great fun but a pig on a journey. In comparison my TD4 auto was wonderful on journeys. Monthly trip from Carlyon Bay, Cornwall to Dundee Scotland & back was actually a breeze. I think you guys have confirmed my desire for an auto. For the few benefits of a manual, extra few mpg and perhaps marginally cheaper repair costs it doesn't seem worth giving up the ease of use & the better off road capability.

And this photo always makes me smile, taken in Perth, Scotland a few years ago, only my freelander (the silver one) and another blokes freelander (an auto also) made it up a steep slope by Broxden roundabout in a foot of snow. Well 30 minutes after this was taken a chap in a disco G4 showed us both up, but we enjoyed chatting about the cars & he was impressed we had both made it.

jodclassfreelanderperth.jpg
Click to expand...
 
I regularly borrow my parents V40 T4 which is automatic.
Lovely smooth car to drive but I feel like going to sleep & get bored.
Also I find I'm not as smooth when driving it because when I take my foot off the accelerator it seems to carry on for a long while before slowing down, you've really got to read the road so far ahead. In the manual Freelander I find it easier to judge the distances and even on a motorway I can easy off the accelerator and slow down enough until the car in front speeds up again without having to tap the brakes and therefore not making everyone else tap the brakes and causing a whole load of cars to slow down.
Granted if I was doing constant traffic mileage perhaps I'd consider an automatic but for where I live and the type of driving I do I prefer a manual.
Have read a lot of people saying if towing anything larger than a small trailer a manual is better as large trailers & caravans put a lot of strain on the auto box. Is that true?
 
duncanpage4 said:
I regularly borrow my parents V40 T4 which is automatic.
Lovely smooth car to drive but I feel like going to sleep & get bored.
Also I find I'm not as smooth when driving it because when I take my foot off the accelerator it seems to carry on for a long while before slowing down, you've really got to read the road so far ahead. In the manual Freelander I find it easier to judge the distances and even on a motorway I can easy off the accelerator and slow down enough until the car in front speeds up again without having to tap the brakes and therefore not making everyone else tap the brakes and causing a whole load of cars to slow down.
Granted if I was doing constant traffic mileage perhaps I'd consider an automatic but for where I live and the type of driving I do I prefer a manual.
Have read a lot of people saying if towing anything larger than a small trailer a manual is better as large trailers & caravans put a lot of strain on the auto box. Is that true?
Click to expand...

I've a friend who tows a fairly large caravan with a TD4 Auto. Never had any issues. He is up around 130k miles on original box and to my constant amusement still running the original ATF. that stuff must be cooked but he has never touched it and still smooth. My last one by comparison, never towed a thing, only used in mud & snow and never to my knowledge overly stressed, changed the ATF at 60k due to lumpy changes and the box was dead by 77k. Correct fluid used by an indy and correct levels. Think it's just luck of the draw.

With regards slowing down on motorway, i found both with the TD4 auto and current merc that it would slow enough just by lifting off. I'm not one to brake on a motorway unless absolutely necessary and generally try to drive as smoothly as possible. Certainly not been able to coast in either of them.
 
Jodsclass said:
I've a friend who tows a fairly large caravan with a TD4 Auto. Never had any issues. He is up around 130k miles on original box and to my constant amusement still running the original ATF. that stuff must be cooked but he has never touched it and still smooth. My last one by comparison, never towed a thing, only used in mud & snow and never to my knowledge overly stressed, changed the ATF at 60k due to lumpy changes and the box was dead by 77k. Correct fluid used by an indy and correct levels. Think it's just luck of the draw.

With regards slowing down on motorway, i found both with the TD4 auto and current merc that it would slow enough just by lifting off. I'm not one to brake on a motorway unless absolutely necessary and generally try to drive as smoothly as possible. Certainly not been able to coast in either of them.
Click to expand...

It's like everything. Most Jatco boxes are good but some are bad.
Your friend really needs to change the ATF before he kills what is obviously good box!!
 
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duncanpage4 said:
I regularly borrow my parents V40 T4 which is automatic.
Lovely smooth car to drive but I feel like going to sleep & get bored.
Also I find I'm not as smooth when driving it because when I take my foot off the accelerator it seems to carry on for a long while before slowing down, you've really got to read the road so far ahead. In the manual Freelander I find it easier to judge the distances and even on a motorway I can easy off the accelerator and slow down enough until the car in front speeds up again without having to tap the brakes and therefore not making everyone else tap the brakes and causing a whole load of cars to slow down.
Granted if I was doing constant traffic mileage perhaps I'd consider an automatic but for where I live and the type of driving I do I prefer a manual.
Have read a lot of people saying if towing anything larger than a small trailer a manual is better as large trailers & caravans put a lot of strain on the auto box. Is that true?
Click to expand...

For me it depends on the car. The Freelander is (I hate to say) surprisingly good as an auto. Having had both, the auto is nice to drive. I have the V6 so there is always power on tap. I'm not sure the Td4 would be so nice in auto though.
Personal preference at the end of the day.
 
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Nodge68 said:
It's like everything. Most Jatco boxes are good but some are bad.
Your friend really needs to change the ATF before I kills what is obviously good box!!
Click to expand...

Keep telling him that but he spends next to nothing keeping this thing on the road. Astonishing it's still going. Definitely not a friday car. He is still convinced it's sealed for life so no amount of me taking the **** will change his mind. Stubborn tight bastard as he is.
 
I would expect the newer auto boxes (2005 and newer) would be far more reliable.
I can't ever see me going back to a manual, just too much traffic on the road.

There is also the case that newer auto's are more economical than their manual brethren.

So for me, it would be auto without any question of a doubt.

When I was at the dealers two years ago, for a full fluids change, i asked them to change the auto gearbox oil, as it had some thing like 230,000 miles on it.

He asked me was there a problem with gears selection, or slippage, to which I had to confess, it was running beautifully.

His answer was quite firm, we will change teh auto box oil when you have 500,000 miles on your clocks.

So they did the rear diff, center diff, transfer box, and all the other oils and fluids, except autobox oil.

Now with nearly 260,000 miles on the clock, she is running as sweet as ever, engine, box, untouched and unopened, original exhaust etc.......
Gra.
 
uk_vette said:
I would expect the newer auto boxes (2005 and newer) would be far more reliable.
I can't ever see me going back to a manual, just too much traffic on the road.

There is also the case that newer auto's are more economical than their manual brethren.

So for me, it would be auto without any question of a doubt.

When I was at the dealers two years ago, for a full fluids change, i asked them to change the auto gearbox oil, as it had some thing like 230,000 miles on it.

He asked me was there a problem with gears selection, or slippage, to which I had to confess, it was running beautifully.

His answer was quite firm, we will change teh auto box oil when you have 500,000 miles on your clocks.

So they did the rear diff, center diff, transfer box, and all the other oils and fluids, except autobox oil.

Now with nearly 260,000 miles on the clock, she is running as sweet as ever, engine, box, untouched and unopened, original exhaust etc.......
Gra.
Click to expand...

That's a lot of miles without a change. When my fluid came out at 60k it certainly wasn't the cherry red colour the new stuff was.
 
Some garages are extremely suspicious when you ask then to do a specific task like changing the auto oil if there nowt wrong. I guess they think there could be a jack (co) in the box. ;)
 
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