8 Speed Automatic Regrets?

[Rahkmalla]

Just wondering how many people out there got the boring transmission and regret it.

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[Gvsukids]

Just wondering how many people out there got the boring transmission and regret it.

Would've been a great poll question, but for me I don't know as I haven't driven the manual. I don't have any complaints about the automatic and it's quick shifting and the auto-stick function.

 

[Beemer533]

I was always a manual guy for my sports cars and off road vehicles, but for a daily driven truck I've always preferred an auto.

Now that my DD and 4x4 are combined I'm quite happy with the auto, I think it works pretty well. My main complaint with the drive train in this truck is wishing that it had a Hemi...


I will also add that I preferred a auto in my trucks due to towing capacities. For the Gladiator the manual is definitely out for that reason.

 

[WetWilly]

No way, manuals are fun unless you have to drive them everyday. I got over shifting gears long ago, I am old and lazy now.

 

[HenrytheDestroyer]

Young and spriteful, I’ll row those gears baby!!!

 

[MPMB]

Just wondering how many people out there got the boring transmission and regret it.

My knee loves it.

I drove a '89 S-10 5spd in high school and college, then a '98 Golf 5spd, then a '06 Scion xB 5spd. 12+ years driving stick on commutes 25-30 miles. 45min-1hr in traffic.

I'm good not daily driving a manual.

 

[BlueScapegoat]

10 of my last 14 vehicles have been stick. I much prefer a manual transmission, up to about the mid-late 00's. Between drive by wire throttle and all the other fuel economy and drive-ability processing that goes on I just don't like how new manuals shift. I've tried and I can never get super smooth, it's like I'm trying to predict the computer and just can't do it perfectly and consistently. A personal failing, maybe. Could just be the particular assortment of vehicles I've tried. But I can hop in anything with a cable throttle body made pre-07ish and drive it silky smooth right away. Of course a lot of really new stuff just does the rev matching for you, and at that point, you're losing a big part of the fun. Not to mention the sportier stuff pulling power in the lower gears...

Even given my complaints, I still would have gotten a manual if it was an option, but it's not with the diesel. Do I regret the auto? Not at all. It's pretty great. The shifts are so smooth, it's surprisingly predictable, the extra gears help with economy, performance, and towing, it's so much more comfortable in traffic. Modern automatics are just impressive now.

I'm willing to bet I'm a good bit younger than the average demographic here but I'm still old enough to have owned and experienced late 80s/early 90s domestic automatics where you'd have to push the pedal in anticipation that it might downshift to one of the 2 available gears sometime in the next 20 seconds so you could really get that power to the ground with your 175 hp v8.

I still have 3 other vehicles in my stable with manual transmissions I can hop into when I want to row gears.

A lot of rambling, but tldr:
Manuals have gotten less fun.
Automatics have improved so much.
I don't regret the auto a bit, except when I forget and try to find the clutch pedal.
I don't know that I could bring myself to buy an auto if it was my only vehicle.

 

[Rahkmalla]

No way, manuals are fun unless you have to drive them everyday. I got over shifting gears long ago, I am old and lazy now.

I've been driving for 19 years, so I'm probably on the younger side of the forum members here as the demographic for brand new higher-than-average-cost vehicles doesn't typically skew young. Of those 19, 8 have been spent with a daily driver manual. If I had my way and the automotive marketplace made the option available, every vehicle I've had would have been a manual except that one hybrid i leased for 3 years. My goal is to keep this stick gladiator for at least the next 8 years as a daily driver. If i get anything else to supplement it will be a manual miata.

 

[Hootbro]

If my Gladiator was a weekend only toy, I may have wanted a manual. As my everyday driver, I do not miss having a manual.

If Jeep actually put in a better clutch and beefier manual from the get go, I may have entertained it but I have no regrets driving the auto.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Done both. Miata manual, 68 mustang manual, TJ manual, Enjoy the auto. Especially for daily driver. I remember having to play clutch when sitting at an red light on a really steep hill years ago. I really love having the auto after accident tore my knees up and I had left knee surgery. It sure was nice to still be able to drive to work since my left leg was in a straight brace. Course shoving that leg in and out of the car was funny to watch!

 

[Rockabillyroy]

I prefer an 11 speed manual drive train. hahaha...

https://www.biktrix.com/pages/monte-capro-ultra

 

[Gramps.busa]

Love the auto. When I’m feeling lazy, or for convenience I’ll leave it in auto. When I want sporty I’ll move to manual. I can hold the revs a little higher, downshift when needed. I’ve got an exhaust on it, & the sounds are fantastic.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

I'll let you know after I find out what's wrong with mine.

Just had it towed to the dealer. No reverse, won't shift past 3rd. CEL is on, hopefully it's just something minor. 22k miles.

 

[LostWoods]

Coming from someone who has had three pedals in every vehicle they've owned where it was offered, zero regrets. I drove my Taco in DC traffic for two years so I'm the kind that doesn't even mind the shitty parts.

The shifting is firm and predictable which is what normally kills me in most automatics. The only complaint I've had is that it does sometimes hang on a downshift an upshift (quick edit) where it's not really appropriate but honestly it's doing it in situations where I wouldn't have downshifted a manual either.

The gearing is straight outstanding with a nice deep OD and a pretty solid first that digs out well with 35s. Leaves a lot of options on the table for gearing where even going for 5.13s is a valid move with just 35s depending on how much freeway you do.

Given how borderline the MT is in these trucks for torque capacity and how bad it kicks towing in the balls, I just couldn't pull the trigger on the manual. A pickup should tow more than a damn Wrangler.

 

[Rahkmalla]

Coming from someone who has had three pedals in every vehicle they've owned where it was offered, zero regrets. I drove my Taco in DC traffic for two years so I'm the kind that doesn't even mind the shitty parts.

It always blows my mind when people (without bad knees) cite driving in traffic as being a major detriment to manual. For rote driving all my shifting is 100% autopilot, even rev matching down shifts once i've got about 1000 miles of experience on any particular vehicle. Sounds like you were the same way.

Given how borderline the MT is in these trucks for torque capacity and how bad it kicks towing in the balls, I just couldn't pull the trigger on the manual. A pickup should tow more than a damn Wrangler.

As someone with no interest in performance modification, a limited torque capacity on a vehicle that will never be more powerful than it is from the factory is of no concern to me. As for the towing... yea that sucks badly, but i'm rarely a tow-er so it was the lesser of the two criteria for me (towing vs enjoyment).

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