ok guys i have been a member of this site for over a year and look most days to see just what i want to get when i do get my new JK. i have heard on the fourms and maybe here but have not seen a thread on it. what is better for
4X4ing??? i have heard the old pros say that an auto is the only way to go. (i have even read somewhere that some guy was in a tought spot and turned his rig off and put it in low and used his starter to crank and crawl out ???? sounds very hard on a starter to me???) but every one i have seen gets a stick. and they say that the moms get the autos.... so guys what gives??? i hope i did not start a big fight ...but what is best and why???? thanks guys

 

Get what you want to drive every day and be happy with it. This is a battle that has been fought many times and there will never be a winner.

That being said, it's a lot easier to concentrate on maneuvering your Jeep over rocks, obstacles, etc. with an auto.
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I chose a stick for 3 main reasons.

1. You can control the shift points, this is needed when you change to bigger tires but don’t change gears.

2. If you do break it, it will be much less to fix and probably something you could fix your self.

3. The auto is harder to waterproof; the breather vent is not as easily accessed as the manual

 

Not sure about #3. Seen alot of problems with the clutch and water crossings.

I chose the auto for daily driving mainly, but now after wheeling with it, I think I prefer it there too. Have never stalled climbing over anything.

 

im pretty sure you cant manually start an auto like that....manual yes...auto you would prolly just mess it up

I went with a manual and love it, for city driving its awesome, the clutch is light and not hard on my feet.

offroad, i have had no trouble, you get more of a selection with the manual then the auto, and for the guys that say auto you can concentrate on your line better....i can concentrate just fine with my 6speed....it just takes practice....but ill take the selectability of my gears and the crawl ratio over an auto any day of the week

 

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Auto: Much nicer for daily drives, user friendly off-road, no worries about letting the wife drive it!

Manual: I found manuals to be nice in the mud, but that is about it for me. I have always chose an auto over a manual for trail runs and rocks.

 

my spousal unit told me I wanted the automatic.

 

My Jeep was a birthday present, so she brought home the auto. My guess is that she was telling me the same thing. I only thought I wanted the manual. However since it is my daily driver I am very satisfied.