Braska

I have a 2011 Rubi with 6sp 4.10's, soon to be 4.56's. 2.5 AEV lift with 285/70/17 MTRK'S. No problems doing China Gulch for first time offroad adventure 2013 All-4-Fun. 4.56's will get it back to where it was with stock tires if I've not been mislead. Won't ever be tires over 33 inches on it. 6'3 tall and 68 years old. Still like the stick shift.

JKano

I wanted to throw this thought out there as I don't think it was mentioned....


To date, I have owned 9 vehicles with 5 of them being a Manual Transmission. I've always owned sports cars so having a Manual cut down on tools always asking to drive my car.

On the other side of that coin, I have had situations where I could not/did not want to drive my car (ie - too many brewski's, injuries to feet/legs/arms, etc). In those situations, if you don't have someone with you that knows how to operate a Manual it can suck.

All in all.......I always go back and forth. I buy an Auto and wish I had a Manual. Buy a Manual and wish I had an Auto.

What's the best option? The one that is best for you and you alone.

Vladimer

Correct!

I went with a manual since I've always driven stick. I personally enjoy it a lot more then auto. It does get a bit spooky when you are going up a steep incline!

Apparently on the newer JK's or maybe its just the auto's, you can hold the brake and it will idle without choking and dieing. Heard it a few times on the forum and tried it on my JK but the engine just died lol.

DaveJKU

What people forget a lot of times in the age old auto/manual debate is what do you enjoy more? We make all kinds of technical justifications to support our decision, but a lot of times it comes down to enjoyment and use of the vehicle in question. My car (350z) is a manual - because I enjoy driving it that way. Would an auto shift faster and more reliably than me? Absolutely. But I wouldn't enjoy it as much. Same on the JK. I have a manual because I enjoy the additional involvement in the process. Are there conditions where an auto would be better? Definitely. But I enjoy the manual more. My truck is an automatic - because it's primary duty is hauling me back and forth to the airport - where I prefer to have as little effort expended as possible.


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JKano

Also.........

I've fallen asleep driving twice in my life... both times I was driving an Automatic. I know it's purely due to my stupidity but a Manual always has me more alert by default.

Greensrogers

Wife's 2011 is auto my 2012 is a 6 spd we take mine more often than hers just more fun to drive

Chango

I love manuals and move heaven and earth to buy MTs when I get a new car but the JK's 6 speed kinda sucks. I hate how the stick bounces all over the place; at speed on dirt roads it's really bad. It's also obnoxiously noisy and buzzy.

At least I can use 6th gear now that I have a 3.6.

bsucardinalfan

Thought about this long and hard before we bought our new Willys. I have always driven manuals. But I've also always had sports cars or sports sedans. Driving the manual JK during the test drive was not fun. I'm used to short throws and accurate shifters.

So we bought the automatic. I can always take my wife's car when I want to get some performance driving out of my system.

CombatDiver

For those who have to ask why start in any gear but first they have their answer. But there's truly a benefit to manuals in both the ability to select what gear you will start with and what order you will proceed as well as added fuel economy if you drive it responsibly. Only reason my current Wrangler is auto is because my wife insisted on it and it has served her a select few times when weather was too adverse for her Toyota Camry Hybrid. Otherwise manual is my preference. Not only in the rock climbing/offroading environment both being able to control when gears shift but also be able to shift down to brake is among the reasons I like it. Sure you get some of those benefits in the autos that allow you to shift up and down but it's not the same. Driving a manual is like playing a fine instrument, a four cylinder pickup truck can beat a hotrod if only one driver is better at shifting gears (I have seen it over and over). Same goes for offroad, if you have fine tuned your skills you will be able to do things not possible in an automatic. And just as it is a skill, driving manual even in traffic can be therapeutic. But if you don't appreciate it then it may just be better to drive an automatic and you probably won't notice the difference.

EzK

Pretty much every modern car has higher rated mpg in automatic form. And you must not see much traffic if you think a stick is therapeutic. I need therapy after stopping and going 500 times on the way home from work.

My dd is a stick because I enjoy the control and illusion of more speed but I've wheeled 3 manual wranglers and will never go back after wheeling my auto XJ.