Guide me here... I'm a life-long manual transmission driver & I am considering making the change to automatic only because I want the diesel! Crazy?

[deserteagle56]

I am not in a position to speak for the crowd but my perception is that a commonly suggested improvement for the manual transmission is that the reverse gear could be shorter. I could be falsely concluding this but those comments seem to come disproportionately from non-Rubicon owners. As a Rubicon owner I also think that the reverse could be slower but it is tolerable and not unlike any other manual I have ever driven... basically it can require extra feathering of clutch relative to say 1st gear, especially when reversing up hills.

You are not alone in that perception. My Rubi will easily do 30 mph in reverse. WHY??? What possible reason could anyone have to drive that fast in reverse? Reverse should be a creeper gear so I DON'T have to slip the clutch - or have to shift into low range!

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[wibornz]

There is of course THIS factor

I always get a giggle out of these memes. People act like driving a manual transmission is some secret dark magic skill that only a few can master, but in reality any seven year old with 5 minutes of training in a parking lot can do it.

 

[wibornz]

You are not alone in that perception. My Rubi will easily do 30 mph in reverse. WHY??? What possible reason could anyone have to drive that fast in reverse? Reverse should be a creeper gear so I DON'T have to slip the clutch - or have to shift into low range!

I know some special operations folks that drive WOT in reverse. Their offensive and defensive driving schools from what I have been told is pretty fucking awesome. The funny thing is the military will go on Craigslist and buy a whole bunch of $500 to a $1000 dollar vehicles and then crash them, bash them and shoot the shit out of them through the training course.

 

[mtbjeep]

I always get a giggle out of these memes. People act like driving a manual transmission is some secret dark magic skill that only a few can master, but in reality any seven year old with 5 minutes of training in a parking lot can do it.

Most 7 year olds can’t brush their teeth correctly never mind master the hand, eye, ear and leg coordination required for a manual.

Besides if they’re not old enough to make a packy run why teach them to drive at all?

 

[wibornz]

Most 7 year olds can’t brush their teeth correctly never mind master the hand, eye, ear and leg coordination required for a manual.

Besides if they’re not old enough to make a packy run why teach them to drive at all?

If you think that todays 7 year olds can't drive a manual, you have not watched them play video games, and text at the same time. There are thousands of farm kids that are driving manual transmission tractors all over America at 7 and 8 years old. There are many of them riding dirt bikes with a clutch and shifting gears or doing bike tricks yet you don't think they can be taught how to drive a stick.

You need exposure to some cooler kinds of kids.

My son racing at 6 years old

My youngest at 4 jumping in the back yard.

and was riding a manual shift dirt bike at 5 years old

Maybe these kids would have trouble.

 

[SH556JL]

I always get a giggle out of these memes. People act like driving a manual transmission is some secret dark magic skill that only a few can master, but in reality any seven year old with 5 minutes of training in a parking lot can do it.

I am a millennial, an older one and prefer manuals So do most other millennials I know who like cars. All the old folks I know don't like manuals and refuse to have one. So I always thought those memes are a bit ironic.

 

[rickinAZ]

I had a similar situation: I'm a long-time 2-door driver who went 4-door to get the diesel. I'm still getting used to the turning radius. But...no regrets - especially with the 3.0. BTW, the 8-speed is light-years better than the JK's auto.

 

[BuyHold]

You are not alone in that perception. My Rubi will easily do 30 mph in reverse. WHY??? What possible reason could anyone have to drive that fast in reverse? Reverse should be a creeper gear so I DON'T have to slip the clutch - or have to shift into low range!

One thing I will add, I took my Rubi onto some trails today in 4Lo and reverse actually felt perfect in some of the tighter and steepers sections. In some flat areas, even felt too slow at times. With only one reverse gear Jeep had to settle somewhere. I can handle the feathering on road to give me that peace of mind when on a tight trail where I don't want to stall in reverse.

 

[jonahgetz]

I have the manual JLU. I browsed the Jeep bible in my glovebox, it has all the speeds and gear number preferred for those speeds, including for cruising or accelerating. I followed the numbers religiously and I noticed a huge improvement in my shifting, the Jeep sounds happier on up/down shifts. Plus, I noticed the avg MPG meter start rising significantly. Highly suggest taking a look at those. Long story short, buy the manual. Everyday I look forward to driving my Jeep, it feels so fun and engaging. Even if I don't have anywhere to go, I try to make up a reason to go somewhere so I can take her out on the road.

 

[sf5211]

I too find an automatic bores me to tears. The manual does make driving fun for me and I’ll always have one. As far as being stuck in traffic? It’s like breathing. I don’t even realize I’m doing it.
However! I have to give kudos to the Jeep auto trans without ever driving one, and I’m surprised no one brought this up.
Towing capacity.
I at some point I may want to buy/tow a camper upstate.
Manual trans (probably due to shity made clutches) 3500 max tow
Auto trans 6500 max tow
Huge difference there!

 

[SecondTJ]

and I’m surprised no one brought this up.
Towing capacity.
I at some point I may want to buy/tow a camper upstate.
Manual trans (probably due to shity made clutches) 3500 max tow
Auto trans 6500 max tow
Huge difference there!

Are you referring to Gladiator Rubicon towing numbers? It’s 4,500 lbs manual and 6,000 lbs automatic.

Wrangler towing capacity is unaffected by engine or transmission choice.

 

[McCloude]

I probably made too broad and vague of a comment there.

I am not in a position to speak for the crowd but my perception is that a commonly suggested improvement for the manual transmission is that the reverse gear could be shorter. I could be falsely concluding this but those comments seem to come disproportionately from non-Rubicon owners. As a Rubicon owner I also think that the reverse could be slower but it is tolerable and not unlike any other manual I have ever driven... basically it can require extra feathering of clutch relative to say 1st gear, especially when reversing up hills.

I agree with you here. Reverse sucks. It is probably the only gear I've ever stalled in. Backing into an uphill driveway.. yea..

 

[Kfink]

I always said I would never buy an auto Jeep, then the diesel came out and I did. Very nice transmission, I'm glad I bought it.

 

[Heimkehr]

I’m surprised no one brought this up.
Towing capacity.
I at some point I may want to buy/tow a camper upstate.
Manual trans (probably due to shity made clutches) 3500 max tow
Auto trans 6500 max tow
Huge difference there!

3,500 lbs. max tow for the JLU
2,000 lbs. max tow for the JL

Transmission choice does not change these figures.

 

[FinnCustomKnives]

Every vehicle I personally have ever owned has been a stick. Wether my chevy pickups, e36 bmws, mk4 gti, etc. With that said, we went with the diesel and the 8hp75. The ZF trans is fantastic, and if you must shift yourself you can do that. Plus they aren't morons and actually use a proper "sequential" shift pattern of up is down and down is up. Unlike the vast majority of manufacturers doing it exactly opposite as it should be, or even worse in the jk's being side to side.

If you gotta have the diesel, as we did, don't do it thinking the mpg benefit will pay you back. Do it because you want torque, or because you want to show jeep that we actually buy what we ask for. Do it so your rig isn't a pig when you inevitably put some big meaty boys on it and lift it. Do it because you like it when people look at you sideways and say "you know thats a diesel pump, right?"

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