I have owned 7 Jeep wranglers, all were manuals. Now I own 2 wranglers, both are manuals. I also own a KJ Liberty, it is an auto. I prefer manuals… it’s more fun. With that said, I wish I bought the 8 speed auto for my JL. It’s tougher to film trails with a manual, but the main reason, the JL manual is a ticking time bomb. I have a recall scheduled for next week so we’ll see, but I heard it’s a bandaid, not a fix. Still, I’ve test drove Jeeps with autos and it felt off to me. Not sure if it was the auto or 4 door tho (always have to order my 2 doors).
I love the way the 8 speed auto is geared in my '24 jl sport. Mated to the 2.0 turbo it works very well. Off road I've had no problem getting anywhere i wanted to go. On the road, it shifts so smoothly i barely notice the shifts.
I miss my Ol' Yeller TJ ('02). 4.0/NV3550, 373. It was da bomb on 33s, but rust never sleeps (apologies to Neil Young). Currently in a '97/AX15, 411 on 37s. It's a dawg, and wants a regear -- that's not in the budget.
I love my granny 4 speed sm465 so much that I swapped it from my OG 2 seat rig to my CJ7. I have no need to go over 70 mph so it works flawlessly in my properly geared rig.
Manual 6-speed with an Atlas 5:1 for a 2-speed transfer case. Like you said, all feet off the pedals and let it just crawl. Need to go a little faster, just put it in 2nd, or even 3rd!
Man I love an automatic for daily, have bad knees, but I feel a different joy of driving with the manual! I have burnt a few clutches off the road. Great video as always!!!
I like the convenience of drinking coffee or eating a cheeseburger and not having to shift lol I’ve owned manuals and will deal with the cons of an automatic off-road to gain the convenience of less input. Michele’s and clutches and possibly stalling with sand and grit in your clutch also deters me from a manual. Great Video!!
Having a range of gearing options is important to me. Adding an underdrive is essentially gives you 20 forward gears in a five-speed manual. 1:1 x 5 2.72:1 x 5 4.33:1 x 5 11.78:1 x 5 Manual all day,.
You can microwave a steak faster and more easily than manually cooking it on a cast iron skillet. I always prefer a manual transmission, but my current tow rig is automatic. Wife is currently looking at a new Jeep with the 6 speed manual. I hope to find a 2013 to 2018 Ram with the G56 soon to replace my tow rig.
Auto gets hot, overheat, and can completely go out. Manuals are more durable, stronger, and are great off road. Anyone who says you can't go off road with a manual is a fool, because those trails were built by 4x4s with manuals.
Manual trail riding if it's geared low enough, automatic if it's a high performance (rock bouncing/desert/etc). One point that needs to mentioned on wide ratio 5-6 speed manual truck transmissions, is the axles really need to be geared LOW. Low enough to be "perfect" to use the Overdrive at your intended cruising speed.
Great info Harry, it all come down to personally preference for sure! I like that you covered the loose converter some. Most people don't understand the amount of heat that makes and how if affects the drivability? I think my LJ gives the best of both a standard and auto personally. With my 5.38, 4 speed Atlas and a 4L65 with a stock converter I can idle over large rocks just like the stick. Thanks for the great work!
Great video! Currently own two Jeeps - an automatic XJ and a manual Gladiator Rubicon. The AW4 automatic in the Cherokee is fairly easy to use in the rocks, but isn't as precise as a good manual setup. It drives great around town but feels super slushy on the highway and always have issues keeping the trans cool... On the flip side, the manual Rubicon does great in the slow technical crawling and has no issues on the highway either. But the downside of the manual on the 3.6L is the lack of low end engine torque is very apparent when you shift it yourself lol.
ACT and Centerforce both make heavier flywheels for the JT that I think would likely help the engine lug down. I did this with my Toyota pickup and it made a huge improvement on the trail.
I've been back and forth between manuals and autos and have found that for extreme crawling trails, a properly built automatic with a 4.1 t-case is the better performer. Control over how much engine torque is far better which means less wheel slippage. Most who drive autos use both feet (one of the gas and one on the brake) to load up the converter with a steady engine rpm and then control the wheels with the brake. There's no herky jerky from driveline windup and backlash that you get with the manual gearbox.
Autos are better in 98 out of a 100 things off-road. They just lack the ability to use the starter to get the vehicle off of an obstacle if the engine stops running. And they overheat kinda easy in stock form. Those two are the only drawback. You don't need to revmatch when slowing for corners.
It’s kinda like racing right? No one winning does so with a manual transmission. (Paddle shifting automatic lol) If you wanna wheel a manual transmission, sweet! Do it! But there are 0 obstacles where you will have a technical/performance advantage over the identical vehicle with an automatic. Dont worry though, you can complain about having a manual if you don’t make the obstacle/feature. Comment relative to “like for like” in terms of M/T - A/T generational and configuration quality. A ‘24 6 speed against a 3 speed auto from 89 is out of scope for this comment.
I have a 2007 JK Manual, it's awesome, but for rock crawling, I suspect the auto is better. One thing worries on manual is the clutch, that's open and if you go deep in water/ mud it can get mud on it what makes hard to shit gears.
I have both, and with deep enough gears, my manual is like an auto in that it grabs right away on steep inclines and can crawl on its own except in steep, steep stuff. Definitely takes some getting used to though. I usually keep my foot on the brake until it grabs, then use the gas as needed.
The automatics (especially new vehicles/drivers) constant lurching/stopping/spinning on every minor obstacle is tough on the trails. Seems like every video you see there is always someone needing to carry just a tiny bit of momentum, and they end up just stopping/spinning out on every tiny obstacle.
Had a manual and auto JT and I like the auto better. Still drive a manual Mini Cooper, so fun! Love the manuals but the new 8 speed autos in JL/JTs are hard to beat.
I like a manual transmission, especially when geared low enough. I love starting and stopping in gear and for going off steep drops, there's no "freefall" sensation as you wait for the torque converter to catch up. I will agree that if doing things like sand dune climbs, an automatic would be nice as it can downshift quicker.
Manual can be better than an auto in the sand as you can start in the gear you want and it won’t try and kick down on you. Some autos can do this. But not so many and not older ones.
Depends on driver. I only own manual transmission vehicles, I have to drive work truck with automatic. I rool back far worse and am more jurky in automatic especially if i have a trailer. Just what you like. I personally hate not being positive where torque converter is going to grab. Just to list 1995 YJ 2.5 ax5, 2014 JK Rubicon, and building 1982 K10 with 350 and Tremec 4050. Any way....
Having had both behind a Jeep inline six, manual is the only option for that set up. Now, Harry is the stroker better than the super charger or is it all the manual vs auto that is the power problem?
Good question! My supercharger is only making 2 psi where I live at 5,000 feet so it doesn’t make a huge increase in power. Can’t say I would spend the money if I had it to do over.
I hate the way an Automatic surges forward...I have an Automatic 2024 JLRU, but i much prefer my 6 Speed Manual TJ ...Unfortunately, it doesn't have a Rubicon 4:1 Rock-trac transfer case...
I had someone tell me I should swap my 6sp out for an auto in my TJ. If looks could kill he’d have melted into gravy the way I stared through his soul 😂
Let's not overlook the fact that these 2 wranglers couldn't be any more different. Let's do this again with 2 identical wranglers, with the only difference being the transmission. Compare apples to apples, not apples to asparagus.
Autos have more precision in the sketchy moments..... always been better. Manuals are fun but that's all... they get old fast and I have and have had many many manuals
I don’t care which is technically better, manuals are more fun!
Same with sports cars!
I didn’t get them saying auto was better just pros and cons of each what’d I miss
@@greeenteeeeDon’t worry, just remember, manual.
@@bmxerben Truth
Love my manual, but wish it had a parking pawl!
I have owned 7 Jeep wranglers, all were manuals. Now I own 2 wranglers, both are manuals. I also own a KJ Liberty, it is an auto. I prefer manuals… it’s more fun. With that said, I wish I bought the 8 speed auto for my JL. It’s tougher to film trails with a manual, but the main reason, the JL manual is a ticking time bomb. I have a recall scheduled for next week so we’ll see, but I heard it’s a bandaid, not a fix. Still, I’ve test drove Jeeps with autos and it felt off to me. Not sure if it was the auto or 4 door tho (always have to order my 2 doors).
I love the way the 8 speed auto is geared in my '24 jl sport. Mated to the 2.0 turbo it works very well. Off road I've had no problem getting anywhere i wanted to go. On the road, it shifts so smoothly i barely notice the shifts.
Manual for the win. 2002 TJ 4.0 with the NV3550.
I miss my Ol' Yeller TJ ('02). 4.0/NV3550, 373. It was da bomb on 33s, but rust never sleeps (apologies to Neil Young). Currently in a '97/AX15, 411 on 37s. It's a dawg, and wants a regear -- that's not in the budget.
I love my granny 4 speed sm465 so much that I swapped it from my OG 2 seat rig to my CJ7. I have no need to go over 70 mph so it works flawlessly in my properly geared rig.
That "bicycle throttle" looks alot like a gold finger left hand snomobile throttle, were fairly popular at one time
Manual 6-speed with an Atlas 5:1 for a 2-speed transfer case. Like you said, all feet off the pedals and let it just crawl. Need to go a little faster, just put it in 2nd, or even 3rd!
Man I love an automatic for daily, have bad knees, but I feel a different joy of driving with the manual! I have burnt a few clutches off the road. Great video as always!!!
I'm always amazed at how many 10s of thousands of dollars people will spend to drive over rocks! (me included!)
I like the convenience of drinking coffee or eating a cheeseburger and not having to shift lol I’ve owned manuals and will deal with the cons of an automatic off-road to gain the convenience of less input. Michele’s and clutches and possibly stalling with sand and grit in your clutch also deters me from a manual. Great Video!!
Having a range of gearing options is important to me. Adding an underdrive is essentially gives you 20 forward gears in a five-speed manual.
1:1 x 5
2.72:1 x 5
4.33:1 x 5
11.78:1 x 5
Manual all day,.
Manual Forever!!!💪🏻💣🚜🔝
Great balanced video. There are pluses and minuses for both as with everything in life.
You can microwave a steak faster and more easily than manually cooking it on a cast iron skillet. I always prefer a manual transmission, but my current tow rig is automatic. Wife is currently looking at a new Jeep with the 6 speed manual. I hope to find a 2013 to 2018 Ram with the G56 soon to replace my tow rig.
Auto gets hot, overheat, and can completely go out. Manuals are more durable, stronger, and are great off road. Anyone who says you can't go off road with a manual is a fool, because those trails were built by 4x4s with manuals.
Manual trail riding if it's geared low enough, automatic if it's a high performance (rock bouncing/desert/etc).
One point that needs to mentioned on wide ratio 5-6 speed manual truck transmissions, is the axles really need to be geared LOW. Low enough to be "perfect" to use the Overdrive at your intended cruising speed.
Great point. 👍
Great info Harry, it all come down to personally preference for sure! I like that you covered the loose converter some. Most people don't understand the amount of heat that makes and how if affects the drivability? I think my LJ gives the best of both a standard and auto personally. With my 5.38, 4 speed Atlas and a 4L65 with a stock converter I can idle over large rocks just like the stick. Thanks for the great work!
Great video! Currently own two Jeeps - an automatic XJ and a manual Gladiator Rubicon. The AW4 automatic in the Cherokee is fairly easy to use in the rocks, but isn't as precise as a good manual setup. It drives great around town but feels super slushy on the highway and always have issues keeping the trans cool...
On the flip side, the manual Rubicon does great in the slow technical crawling and has no issues on the highway either. But the downside of the manual on the 3.6L is the lack of low end engine torque is very apparent when you shift it yourself lol.
ACT and Centerforce both make heavier flywheels for the JT that I think would likely help the engine lug down. I did this with my Toyota pickup and it made a huge improvement on the trail.
I’ve always had a soft spot for freiburger’s “Generic” TJ. Newer trucks I’d probably go slushbox.
I've been back and forth between manuals and autos and have found that for extreme crawling trails, a properly built automatic with a 4.1 t-case is the better performer. Control over how much engine torque is far better which means less wheel slippage. Most who drive autos use both feet (one of the gas and one on the brake) to load up the converter with a steady engine rpm and then control the wheels with the brake. There's no herky jerky from driveline windup and backlash that you get with the manual gearbox.
Autos are better in 98 out of a 100 things off-road. They just lack the ability to use the starter to get the vehicle off of an obstacle if the engine stops running. And they overheat kinda easy in stock form. Those two are the only drawback. You don't need to revmatch when slowing for corners.
It’s kinda like racing right? No one winning does so with a manual transmission. (Paddle shifting automatic lol)
If you wanna wheel a manual transmission, sweet! Do it! But there are 0 obstacles where you will have a technical/performance advantage over the identical vehicle with an automatic. Dont worry though, you can complain about having a manual if you don’t make the obstacle/feature.
Comment relative to “like for like” in terms of M/T - A/T generational and configuration quality. A ‘24 6 speed against a 3 speed auto from 89 is out of scope for this comment.
I have a 2007 JK Manual, it's awesome, but for rock crawling, I suspect the auto is better. One thing worries on manual is the clutch, that's open and if you go deep in water/ mud it can get mud on it what makes hard to shit gears.
I think as long as you don’t shift in deep water you’re good. I don’t know for sure.
Should do matinance after, just incase got h20 in diffs, trans, or transfer case....
That is a good point. You NEVER want to put the clutch in during these situations because water or mud can get between the clutch and the flywheel.
I have both, and with deep enough gears, my manual is like an auto in that it grabs right away on steep inclines and can crawl on its own except in steep, steep stuff. Definitely takes some getting used to though. I usually keep my foot on the brake until it grabs, then use the gas as needed.
great video, we argue about this topic all day long at the offroad park :)
Off roading a prefer an automatic, Just so much easier. For daily or street driving I prefer a manual.
Every person should start driving on a standard transmission, it makes better driver's period. 😊
The automatics (especially new vehicles/drivers) constant lurching/stopping/spinning on every minor obstacle is tough on the trails. Seems like every video you see there is always someone needing to carry just a tiny bit of momentum, and they end up just stopping/spinning out on every tiny obstacle.
I find drive by wire throttles frustrating regardless of the transmission 🫤
Selecting 1st gear in 4 low gets me through almost everything at idle speed.
The thumbnail made this dude look like Bubbles.
Had a manual and auto JT and I like the auto better. Still drive a manual Mini Cooper, so fun! Love the manuals but the new 8 speed autos in JL/JTs are hard to beat.
I can’t argue with that.
I have the YJ and a JT on 40”s, and I love the 8spd, but the positive engagement of that Tremec is 😙👌
I hate my manual going uphill. And I hate my auto going down.
I have a 06 LJ Rubi with Auto..
I'd love to trade for a manual....
Same!
Great vid and you covered everything.
I like a manual transmission, especially when geared low enough. I love starting and stopping in gear and for going off steep drops, there's no "freefall" sensation as you wait for the torque converter to catch up.
I will agree that if doing things like sand dune climbs, an automatic would be nice as it can downshift quicker.
Manual can be better than an auto in the sand as you can start in the gear you want and it won’t try and kick down on you. Some autos can do this. But not so many and not older ones.
Depends on driver. I only own manual transmission vehicles, I have to drive work truck with automatic. I rool back far worse and am more jurky in automatic especially if i have a trailer. Just what you like. I personally hate not being positive where torque converter is going to grab. Just to list 1995 YJ 2.5 ax5, 2014 JK Rubicon, and building 1982 K10 with 350 and Tremec 4050. Any way....
After driving this YJ I fell in love with the Tremec!
Having had both behind a Jeep inline six, manual is the only option for that set up. Now, Harry is the stroker better than the super charger or is it all the manual vs auto that is the power problem?
Good question! My supercharger is only making 2 psi where I live at 5,000 feet so it doesn’t make a huge increase in power. Can’t say I would spend the money if I had it to do over.
the auto is better in just about every situation I just cant get used to driving them so manual it is I guess
I hate the way an Automatic surges forward...I have an Automatic 2024 JLRU, but i much prefer my 6 Speed Manual TJ ...Unfortunately, it doesn't have a Rubicon 4:1 Rock-trac transfer case...
I had someone tell me I should swap my 6sp out for an auto in my TJ. If looks could kill he’d have melted into gravy the way I stared through his soul 😂
Manuel all the way. Even though my Tacoma is auto. Both the Land rovers are Manuel
Let's not overlook the fact that these 2 wranglers couldn't be any more different. Let's do this again with 2 identical wranglers, with the only difference being the transmission. Compare apples to apples, not apples to asparagus.
They aren’t identical but they aren’t really that different. They both have low gears, lockers, and big tires.
Manual all day
Autos have more precision in the sketchy moments..... always been better. Manuals are fun but that's all... they get old fast and I have and have had many many manuals
I don’t find them to have more precision at all. I find that typically you sit still under the torque converter engages and then lurch forward.
@HarrySituations or you smoke you clutch trying to take off and still lurch......
3:55😂😂
Look here, if you can't use 2 feet to work three petals at one time while crawling up a hill then just stick with an automatic.
It also works as cruise control on the highway 😅
Pffft… Just because you/I can doesn’t mean that’s the best thing to do in every situation. Hand throttle is great.
Electric is best for off roading by far