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Get stuck in stop and go traffic in L.A. for 2 hours and you will think your "clutch foot" is going to fall off! (And quickly head to the nearest car dealer to buy an automatic...)
My 199x Cherokee had an auto and I beat the snot out of it offroad. I obviously didn't go through the most extreme trails, but I'd bash it down a power line trail with little care other than the police seeing me. The auto trans was plenty capable for that. I'd imagine that would be the most extreme situation most Jeeps would see as far as offroading goes. Anything beyond that and you get people doing mods to suspension, engine, etc.
I used to drive one in the NY boroughs, and had no trouble. Traffic jambs where all cars are at a standstill all you have to do is to put the transmission in neutral. Traffic jambs where the traffic is moving a mile or two per hour, all you do is to shift to the lowest gear needed at the moment, and let the vehicle crawl ahead, often without pressing the gas pedal. What do you think big rig drivers do in heavy traffic?
i got a cj5 with a manual , when i was trying sell it, nobody wanted it, nobody could drive a stick, its a lost art. everybody wants an automatic so their wife can drive it, but in reality, they can't drive a stick either.
I used to drive one in the NY boroughs, and had no trouble. Traffic jambs where all cars are at a standstill all you have to do is to put the transmission in neutral. Traffic jambs where the traffic is moving a mile or two per hour, all you do is to shift to the lowest gear needed at the moment, and let the vehicle crawl ahead, often without pressing the gas pedal. What do you think big rig drivers do in heavy traffic?
Try only having to hit the gas and brakes. I completely understand people who prefer manual, but I gave up on them because I think 30 miles of stop and go bumper to bumper highway traffic was a pain in the booty. And my company is slowly replacing all their big trucks with international push button autos. Talk about saving my left foot. Many others are doing the same.
As others have pointed out, automatic transmissions have advanced technologically far more than have manual transmissions. Comparisons quite valid in the 1970s would be laughable today. Even so, my personal sentiment leans towards the manuals.
BTW, all such debates eventually bring up the example of Europe, where manual transmissions are still ubiquitous. Somehow in European traffic the drivers manage to do OK.
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Originally Posted by jazzlover
Electronic engine management and fuel injection systems have also ended the days of tow starting a vehicle if its electrical system isn't putting out full voltage.
This is profoundly unfortunate. I've yet to buy a vehicle built in the 21st century. My late 1990s cars (OBD-II) with manual transmission can indeed be push-started. This was essential on several occasions with dead batteries in wintertime.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Billy_J
Get stuck in stop and go traffic in L.A. for 2 hours and you will think your "clutch foot" is going to fall off! (And quickly head to the nearest car dealer to buy an automatic...)
Quote:
Originally Posted by RayinAK
I used to drive one in the NY boroughs, and had no trouble. ...
I drove a manual transmission for ~5 years in Los Angeles traffic. It was at times mildly unpleasant in the heaviest congestion, but a fair compromise for the pleasures of when traffic finally thins out. A manual on the inclines of San Francisco was considerably more challenging!
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