silver97ex Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 I was just curious as to which is better offroad, auto or manual. I have a manual but I haven't headed offroad yet. (Don't know of anywhere to go) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 I voted Automatic, and I'll specify why.... I've had both. 2 95 Pathfinders in both manual and auto. The auto is way easier. It handles the abuse fine, with a proper cooler. The manual is good, but unless you're REALLY good at driving stick, you'll find yourself worrying about abusing the clutch too much, and you'll be harder on the rest of the truck avoiding it. I miss my 5 speed when on the road, but I don't miss is nearly as much as I thought I would on the trail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Manual. Period. No question. Far better control, compression braking, more reliable, better gas milage, etc... Simon just likes the automagic better because he isn't a good manual driver and he is lazy. Then there is another factor. If you blow your autotranny, its thousands of dollars to replace. If it is rebuilt, it may not last long. Heck, the site Admin hasn't had a truck running for years. Why? Autotragic... If you fry your clutch, parts cost (me) $300 for everything including new fluids in all cases, it's just a fair amount of labor. Occasionally the manual tranny's fail, but the ratio has to be 20:1 or higher and even then they are far cheaper to buy or are almost always rebuildable without issues afterwards. I believe the automagic is heavier, correct? Manual FTW!!! B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 I miss my 5 speed when on the road, but I don't miss is nearly as much as I thought I would on the trail. I found that it was easier for me to spin and loose traction in the mud or in the winter with the 5 speed. My automatic is way better for that. I really do want a 5 speed wd21 for on road though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Simon just likes the automagic better because he isn't a good manual driver and he is lazy. Yeah....that's it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msavides Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 (edited) Yeah....that's it. Or maybe He just likes having the other hand free for doing other things! :tonguefinger: Edited June 26, 2008 by msavides Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeV Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Had a 5 Speed and graduated to automatic, Love my slushbox, and I had my 5 speed rebuilt and it was a bit spendy also (still have it and the broken framed truck in case I change my mind ever. I also tow alot and the wife helps get the boat in the water (yeah... I can see that now; boat in the water and pathy under it) Auto fo sho yo!-) In the mud it rocks, towing it rocks, and that extra hand (for the Red Bull) while traversing the mud pit! Oh and if my auto goes bad I have a spare in my other, other truck;-) External cooler with stock cooler bypassed is not an option (I run an external inline filter also) Lazy V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 I like my auto because, to be honest, it's just easier for me since I'm a young driver. I'm learning stick... but yeah. I'm so fskcing scared I'll slam into reverse from 5th instead of into 4th XD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Good answer Kit. Honestly, don't fear the manual. If you hit reverse from 5th, it'd grind for a sec but would not engage. Once you learn the gear pattern and feel, you won't do it at all. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eglaisi_91pathy Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 After I have been driving my Frontier (a 6 speed MANual) then hop in the pathfinder, I have the habit of going into "6th" in the Pathy. I do that once then I'm good till I drive the Frontier again. I'd take either manual or automatic, both have benefits and drawbacks. One benefit of standard is that not everyone knows how to shift them, therefore don't ask to borrow your vehicle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 I like my auto because, to be honest, it's just easier for me since I'm a young driver. I'm learning stick... but yeah. I'm so fskcing scared I'll slam into reverse from 5th instead of into 4th XD I'm a young driver too and learned to drive on stick r50, but I like the automatic for traffic. Also, the only trucks that i could find here that weren't trashed were auto's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFCFNG Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 I prefer manuals, mostly cause I control when it will shift and don't have to worry about an automatic shifting on me at a bad time when I am doing something stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrailChaser Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 (edited) I started wheeling with an auto pathy back in the day, then when I lost reverse I knew it was time to swap in a manual. I immediately noticed that the pathy had way more power at highway speeds. On one big overpass on the way to work the auto would ALWAYS loose about 7-8mph and shift out of OD. With the manual it didn't loose any speed in 5th gear with a little extra gas. As for the trails... It was quite an experience the first couple of times out. LOTS of stalls and restarts on real steep hills and when climbing ledges trying to finesse it and getting a feel for it. I've since gotten better and don't stall quite as often. The main hangup while offroading with a manual is that the truck rolls too fast under power with no "real" torque in 4wl at about 700-800rpms. With type of wheeling I do(softroading lol) it's hard to find a nice balance between ease and stalling. I try my best to never ride the clutch, but sometimes you just have to deal with a little stinky clutch smell to get over an obstacle w/out rolling or getting airborn. I'm at the point where getting crawler gears is no longer an option. If I continue to wheel I have to do something, but $1000+ is alot of $$$ for something I'm only going to use while offroading. If I still had an auto the crawler gears would be out of the question.(But I do love the feel and control of a manual and would never switch back.) Edited June 27, 2008 by TrailChaser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 PFCFNG, you know you can control when the auto in the pathy shifts, right? Pedal control Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFCFNG Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 What do you mean pedal control for when an automatic shifts? Some guys on my Ram forum said something similar, he never explained though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Rev hard, release....tranny shifts. Same sort of thing all the way through the gears. I'm thinking of trying dieselboy's old trick of having a separate switch for the torque converter lockup. There are times when I just want it to stay locked, and let the tranny run through the gears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeV Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Lemmings!-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Exactly Simon... I can control my entire shift range that way if I want. Generally, though, if I really, really need to pull - I'll be above 5k rpm until I hit highway speeds... normally I only do that getting on the highway because A) We have non existant run-on ramps and Truckers here in PA love to run up yer arse and then hit the air horn... oh, and C) It pisses off 'vettes and mustangs that try to squeak past me on the inside as I keep pace with them and force em to drop back and wait their damn turn... KNOW YOUR PLACE YOU NON NISSAN POS! BWAHAHA! After I hit speed, my RPM will jump from up to 6k to about 1.5-2k lol... but the amount of acceleration it gives is just astonishing! 'Specially for an 18 year old 3.0L V6! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmgar99 Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Dang....us Autotragic fans are loosing big time...I voted for auto, only because i've never driven a manual off road. All my on road cars have been manuals, 70 Chevelle, 89 RX7 Turbo, 1988 Sentra, and current 2007 Sentra SER Spec-V. I've known 4 guys who have switched their off road vehicles to auto, only for the convienence. They liked the manual when they were younger and more daring, but now they'd rather throw it in D, sip their coffee, mess with sattelite radio while they off road. I do think you have more engine control with the manual, but i'm a lazy A*% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 (edited) Exactly Simon... I can control my entire shift range that way if I want. Generally, though, if I really, really need to pull - I'll be above 5k rpm until I hit highway speeds... normally I only do that getting on the highway because A) We have non existant run-on ramps and Truckers here in PA love to run up yer arse and then hit the air horn... oh, and C) It pisses off 'vettes and mustangs that try to squeak past me on the inside as I keep pace with them and force em to drop back and wait their damn turn... KNOW YOUR PLACE YOU NON NISSAN POS! BWAHAHA! After I hit speed, my RPM will jump from up to 6k to about 1.5-2k lol... but the amount of acceleration it gives is just astonishing! 'Specially for an 18 year old 3.0L V6! Dude, how much oil is your truck burning? I hope you don't hold it above 5k for long. Hell, most mine gets up to most days on the highway is 3.5k and then 2.2k once I'm up too speed. We get like 300 feet+ merging lanes Edited June 27, 2008 by redfinder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 (edited) *laughs* none mate... I burn absolute zero. I don't hit my red zone till... god, at least 6250 RPM, solid red at 6750rpm. I've only once hit 7k rpm, and I HAD to... blind turn onto a highway (forget where I was... somewhere in bumblefskc nowhere PA) with a blind hill not 50 feet before... looked as best I could, was clear. Was 3/4 of the way thru the turn on when I see a big rig coming up FAST. I just put the petal to the floor and held it there until the truck stopped gaining on me... damn bastard was laying on his airhorn the entire time. I reckon he was doing about 85MPH until he saw me... I'd bet I was up to 75mph or more in 2nd gear from the acceleration. Like I said though... it was literally do or die. And I must say, Sheila (my trucks name is Sheila, shut up )... she handled it well. Accelerated like a goddamn Ferrari! That truck drives and handles as well, if not better, than my girls Cavalier... and she has the sport model (2.4L DOHC Straight 4, et al addons) I am pretty much on part with her for straightline acceleration. And like i said - I burn zero oil... stock tranny cooler still due to having no money, but it's clean (my mechanic flushes the cooler itself for me for free, said he's willing to due that till I can get an aftermarket one) so yeah And no, I don't hold it near redline for long... normally I only just pass 3,250 rpm when accelerating. Edited June 27, 2008 by Kittamaru Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 she handled it well. Accelerated like a goddamn Ferrari! Um, no... If that was the case, you wouldn't have had a truck honk, you would have used 1/2 throttle for 5 seconds and never seen the truck. That truck drives and handles as well, if not better, than my girls Cavalier... Just to note, that is not an acceptable metric. I know you are young and like the cars you are exposed to, and yes, they are ok. BUT... Do not rate handling by a Chevy Cavalier nor acceleration by a Nissan Pathfinder. PLEASE, trust me on this... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 (edited) LOL, precise, I know mate. I've been in far better cars... but of those I've driven that's what I can compare. Cars I have driven: 1990 Nissan Pathfinder (v6) 1995 Chevy Cavailer sport (straight 4) 2001 Subaru Forester (4 banger version) 2004 Kia Rio (piece of fskcing @!*%) 2004 Toyota Camery (4 banger) The idea I was getting across is that my truck pulled far, far better than I expected for a then 16 year old truck. I had only been driving it... maybe 3 months? EDIT - and yes, I know... if I had been in a Ferrari Enzo or anything similar, I would have been a mashed splotch on the landscape had I done full throttle on that road. Edited June 28, 2008 by Kittamaru Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 LOL, I understand. I've driven everything from a 1974 Dodge colt wagon to a 86 Porsche Carrera Turbo. Everything had its purpose, and some I still dream about (other than the colt wagon). If you want to fly though, get this... I have one for sale... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 If I want to fly... no... I won't get that *grins evilly* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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