Transmissions

[sigma]

What is in your service vehicle; automatic or manual?
I am thinking about trading my 2004 3.4L V6 Tacoma with automatic transmission for 2,7L 4 cylinder with stick shift.
I don’t have much experience with a “stick” and wondering if
driving in the city traffic, wouldn’t be to much of a pain.
What is your opinion?

[tinner73]

sucks in "bumper 2 bumper". there's a reason an auto trans will cost you $1100 on the sticker.

[dec]

Have automatics and manuels. Manuels are a pain when your driving in trafic and trying to talk on the cell phone and shift. Now depending on the truck it seems to me if you are hauling a ton of weight the automatic wont last as long....not sure thats a fact but being I had a few chevy trucks with the overdrives in the 80's those were a piece of crap and kept going out. Now on my chevy 3/4 ton standard tranmission I have a heavy duty clutch and pressure plate the forest service uses on there fire trucks being they are carrying a ton of weight , being I am too with utility boxes.

[joey791]

Have driven both, prefer the automatic. Its hard when your finishing a job at 2 am to hold a cold drink in your lap, a subway sub in one hand, smoke a cigarette and shift at the same time.

[sigma]

I was thinking that in bumper to bumper driving, manual transmission could be better then “auto”.
In this condition, when you have to move 30 feet, “automatic” will switch to second gear right before you have to slam the break again.
With a “stick” you should be able to slowly coast on the first gear till next stop.
Now here is a question. Is this true that you should always switch to neutral
when stopped in traffic? Does holding the clutch puts wear on it?
I know that talking on the phone while driving would require a head set, but this becomes mandatory anyway.

[PaysonHVAC]

Manuals SUCK in stop and go. Especially with a heavy clutch. But they make less HEAT.

Auto's are easier. But when sitting in traffic with an auto I usually pop it up into nuetral if I have to sit long.
Because when it's HOT in the summer and you run the A/C, etc. Your AUTO generates a butt load of heat from the torque converter. Popping into NUETRAL (or Park) when sitting still will lower temps generated by the converter and also let your idle come up just a hair which turns the water pump and (belt driven type) fan faster.

[amickracing]

Sounds like this vehicle is for you, not an employee. But if there's much chance someone else will be driving it in the company, get an auto. You'd be amazed how many people haven't the 1st clue how to drive a stick.

[sigma]

I know that driving automatic is easier. Here is my reasoning. Gas is expensive. Four cylinders will be more economical and manual transmission will not use extra HP like automatic is. Repairs are cheaper and auto shops can’t BS you about what’s
wrong with it because there is not much that can go wrong. Most of the time it will be a clutch.

[sigma]

Originally posted by amickracing
Sounds like this vehicle is for you, not an employee.

Yes. I am not a contractor and this is my personal vehicle.

[joey791]

Originally posted by amickracing
Sounds like this vehicle is for you, not an employee. But if there's much chance someone else will be driving it in the company, get an auto. You'd be amazed how many people haven't the 1st clue how to drive a stick.

I learned how to drive a standard when I first started, our 1 ton truck at the time was standard, the new one is automatic though