First and foremost I just wanted to thank everyone on this forum for all of the “expert” Jeep advice I’ve read over the last few weeks. This 08 JK will be my first Jeep and I’m very excited after seeing all of your pics and mods. After some serious deliberation I ended up ordering an automatic because I tend to be very hard on manual transmissions and this will end up being my daily ride. I just wanted to see if people have been taking automatics out on the trails and how they perform comparatively. Also, am I going to have to hang my head in shame for the rest of my life?

Just a side note, I bought my 08 from Military Car Sales this month and it should arrive in November. No sales tax here in Germany!

 

Ordered my 94XJ back in 94 with a manual X-mission and loved it. I've found it's not bad off road, but in some spots, I would rather like to have an auto.
As for daily driving I like the manual, but again it becomes a hassle in stop and go driving. Now that I've been driving it going on 14 years, the new addition, a 2007JK to replace the wifes 99XJ is an auto, and I now like driving the auto much better.

 

You will be fine with the automatic. There are some poeple who just like to shift gears and feel that they HAVE to have a manual or nothing else. I have had both and personally prefer the automatic. It makes rock crawling easier in my personal opinion. It also makes talking on the phone and eating while driving easier.

 

I have the auto also, and love it. It really is smooth and I'm just getting too damn lazy (old?) to shift a vehicle anymore. Either way you'll be happy

Oh, and congrats on your first Jeep This is my first one too and overall I love it!

 

Got mine with the 6 speed. I've driven sticks all my driving life (nearly 50 years). When I got my first Jeep autos were definitely NOT the way to go. For the tough spots I installed a hand throttle. With all the advancements in automatics in the past years an automatic is probably the way to go. About the only advantage I can see in a stick is on the downhill. I can use the engine braking more than an auto - but even that has probably changed. Long story short the reason I got a stick was probably pure habit.

 

You will be happy with the auto. This is the first auto vehicle I've ever owned, and I don't think I'll go back!

 

i got a manual and love it, its faster and has a better crawl ratio. Gets better gas mileage to. you also have better gear selection...something you dont have in an automatic. For strictly trail duty...manual...for DD auto or manual i guess. I just dont understand why people say the manual is so hard...its not. People have been using manuals for offroad use way longer then automatics have even been around....Look at all the heavy duty military trucks...they are all manuals...look at all the camel trophy and expedition vehicles...they to are manuals....so its really up to the driver, but its a fact that you cant beat the simplicity, of a manual, they are easy to fix, and cheap to rebuild.

 

[QUOTE][/has a better crawl ratioQUOTE]

You forget the doubling that the auto does for the crawl ratio. The auto is much better off road. Easier on your equipment too.

 

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If they would use their 5 speed automatic I would get that. Since they don't I ordered the 6 spd.