Wheeling purposes...6-speed vs auto

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Cruiserhead05

Cruiserhead05

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I'm sure this overall topic has been covered but lets say you buy an FJC and plan to mod it and wheel it, would you go with the 6-speed or the auto?
The 6-speed would be so fun but im not sure if on the trail i would want an auto...
opinions?
 
Auto is WAY better on the trail. Stick is WAY more fun on the road. Hard choice - it depends on what you want it for. I'd get the stick personally if I bought one, as it would be my daily driver.
 
I like the manual; its cheaper to fix, I hope. Plus off road I feel more in control.

...
 
robinhood4x4 said:
Unless it has a marlin crawler or super low Tcase gears, I'd want an auto.
Click to expand...


Kinda how i feel. on road, the 6speed wouldbe alot of fun, no doubt. I've gotten used to the auto though and i think it makes wheeling a little nicer. Again, like alot of stuff it would depend on the persons use for the vehicle.
 
If it is your DD and you have a stop and go commute, get an auto, unless you need a left leg workout. :D
 
I've personally never liked automatic transmissions and I never had one until I bought my 97 FZJ80; which has a good transmission in it reliability wise, but I still don't like autos. Autos don't accelerate on the highway worth the s***, they instantly redline the tach/push the engine harder than need be for what acceleration is available; even in the 2003 100 series I had. Plus they suck in the mountains both up and down hill, you just can't beat a manual.

Granted, when I'm eating while driving around town, the auto is more convienent and when stuck in really bad stop and go traffic which I hate riding a clutch in. Of course if you're in an new relationship and your woman still gives head on the road, yes autos are better for that.

But, I would rather change gears myself.
 
Hate autos, specially off road going down hill. Ugh! I would rather have real gears holding me back then an auto with some sort of computerized hill decent control :rolleyes:

Besides, in traffic and on the road manuals are more fun.
 
Just wondering... where did Toyota get the 6spd and the auto from? Are they both found in the Tacoma?

Also, what's the difference between the two as far as what is available with each (AWD, 4WD, locking diff., etc...)?
 
6spd is from the Taco, the auto is from the Taco and 4r. The FJ C is based on the Prado (4r) platform.
 
way more control with the six speed. more mpg than the auto,
 
The 5 speed auto is pretty good. It has decent gearing so you can crawl in 4LO well for a stock rig.

You don't have to use DAC unless you want to turn it on. DAC is very good, you can really inch your way downhill w/ it- obviously no replacement for gears but you can also turn it off so it's just an extra feature.

The 5spd is super smooth so I don't see any drawback to it. It also has Toyota's lifetime fluid (no dipstick, no changes scheduled). I don't know if this is good or not- you can still change the fluid, the plugs are there.

The 6spd manual is very tempting but, for me, this is one more distraction while offroading. I would rather have auto and concentrate on my line- more skilled drivers may prefer the additional control a manual offers.
 
I specifically like having a manual while slowing (especially under slippery conditions). I don't l ike relying so much on ABS... something you have to do with an auto.

Anyone know if there are any electronic aids in the auto tranny to combat this "problem"??
 
greenfox said:
way more control with the six speed. more mpg than the auto,
Click to expand...
The auto gets better MPG than the manual, at least in the Tacoma. That is a trend that is becoming more common. :)
 
Although I typically don't like auto's for the reason I mentioned above, the auto is winning the argument going on in my head right now! :lol:

Besides, I currently have a 5spd WRX and want something different. An FJ w/ auto tranny should be quite different!!
 
For wheeling, it's a toss up. DD, autos beat sticks. How can you eat, read, drink and talk on the phone while you drive in a stop and go traffic? :D
 
Auto.
 
FirstToy said:
The 5 speed auto is pretty good. It has decent gearing so you can crawl in 4LO well for a stock rig.

You don't have to use DAC unless you want to turn it on. DAC is very good, you can really inch your way downhill w/ it- obviously no replacement for gears but you can also turn it off so it's just an extra feature.

The 5spd is super smooth so I don't see any drawback to it. It also has Toyota's lifetime fluid (no dipstick, no changes scheduled). I don't know if this is good or not- you can still change the fluid, the plugs are there.

The 6spd manual is very tempting but, for me, this is one more distraction while offroading. I would rather have auto and concentrate on my line- more skilled drivers may prefer the additional control a manual offers.
Click to expand...

Most of the most skilled drivers I know have switched to autos. I'm selling all the manuals I have pulled out of trucks in the past few years. Not that I have any skill at wheeling, I just prefer not to have to dick with the manual when climbing. I just have one in the 40 now and hope to sell the whole truck before too long.

Even my little econobox has an auto. Chicago highways suck with a manual.
 
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