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2018 Sport JL Transmission: Auto vs Manual?

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I went with the manual JL Sport S. It's definitely different from my 2016 JK which was also a manual. Was able to use the funds saved to buy other upgrades. Fortunately my GF was/is willing to learn to drive stick. I weekly drive a good mix of city, back roads, and highway complete with stop and go traffic. I personally like something that makes me think, challenges me, and helps me stay awake. To each his own though. Unlike one of my past automatic vehicles, I don't feel comfortable having friends drive even if they know how to shift a manual. Each vehicle has its own personality which I love but it makes me overly protective.

I test drove an auto and liked it but in the end the manual won. We'll see what happens over time. Since it's in its first year for both the auto and manual it's hard to guess on quality. I know you've already thought about that, hence your question. I've felt like since this vehicle is built for off-road that it will hold up better overall. Good luck on your decision.
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jaldeborgh

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At some point, you get old enough to realize that women are never satisfied and it's foolish to even *attempt* to please them. Unless you only have one vehicle in the family and everyone has to drive it, then let the Jeep be your vehicle and get what *you* like to drive. For many of us, it's a vehicle with a MAN pedal.
As you can see from my profile data I'm a car nut. I have a Lotus, Porsche and MINI (JCW) that are all manual. Those are all performance cars and I agree the manual is a much more engaging drive. On the Jeep however, to me, the enjoyment is more about the experience that comes with the overall capability rather than the drive itself, if that makes sense. The auto is also dam good, making it harder to insist on the manual.

I've also been married for 29 years, so at this point I choose my battles carefully.

As someone pointed out it's likely easier to sell an automatic simply because there is more market demand for the automatics.
 

saammm

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Hi! I hope this will help my mother has a 2012 Jeep Wrangler auto and my father has a 2016 jeep wrangler manual. I also recently just purchased myself a JL Sport S Manual and I love it. Its very easy and such a smooth clutch. Teaching your wife would be no problem. I would choose a manual jeep over and automatic any day. I see when I drive my mothers that I don't get as much of a pick up in speed as I do in my fathers. Plus with a cold air intake it sounds so nice!
 

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Both transmissions are excellent. I got the manual because I like it better. But I would be happy with the auto as well. So in my case, since I like both, I rather use the $2K in other options.
 

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Spank

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My main question is quality. Are the new 8 speed manual transmissions as good, better, or worse than a manual?
The automatic is certainly a better transmission, but the new 6-speed in the JL is phenomenally better than the NSG370 in the JK. I've argued ad nauseam that the JK never had a good manual transmission. It wasn't good in the TJ, either. It was noisy, rattled too much, had inconsistent and often clunky throws, and there was always a 50/50 chance you'd replace a TOB or two (or three or four). When Jeep replaced the powertrain of the JK in 2012 and modernized the vehicle for the first time, the only two antiquated components that stuck out like a sore thumb were the manual transmission and the God-awful UConnect system.

As far as quality goes, it's still early in the JL's life to see if either transmission holds up to the test of time, but everyone is happy with them. And while a manual transmission can easily be a detriment to resale value in another vehicle, it won't be in a Wrangler.
 

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Manual is more fun, hands down. Might be your last chance to buy a new vehicle with a manual. As far as performance off road the manual gives you a lower crawl ratio. Some will tell you that the auto is better off road but in my opinion that just means they are not as competent of a driver with a manual. Yes one day you will have to replace your clutch probably around 150k-200k miles depending on how you drive, but a new clutch with labor should be right around 1k and the auto is an extra 2k upfront and there is no guarantee you won’t have to replace that transmission when the miles starting adding up. If you even keep your ride that long.

As far as the lady friend goes, they all react differently so it depends on how much trouble you think your will be in. Will she say everything is “fine” and not much more, how long will that last, how long can you endure that? Or is yours more crazy and you might need to sleep with one eye open, maybe you have the key your new jeep and slash your tires type crazy then I would just get the auto....or a new lady.

The wheels question you had. Aluminum will be lighter and therefore easier to turn and offer slightly better MPGs. However in serious off roading if Aluminum takes a direct hit it can break, steel will deform but you can usually bang it back out with a hammer if need, at least to get you home. Then again you should have spare so might be a moot point.
 

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Both transmissions are excellent. I got the manual because I like it better. But I would be happy with the auto as well. So in my case, since I like both, I rather use the $2K in other options.
Same.

I've only ever bought one auto and it was for my lady. Traded it in at a loss one year later for the manual and never looked back. I will admit I was tempted by this auto. You don't see many manuals hammering through KOH do you? There is a reason auto is preferred in that environment. Auto will help you be a hero in some trail situation. Still, I chose manual because it's more 'engaging' and fun to me.

Either way will be good, you just need to evaluate your priorities and choose wisely.

The one with aluminum wheels would be the Sport S and it will have AC and other upgrades you may want to review on Jeep.com.

The tires? Just go get some Rubicon take offs and 'roll' with them!
 

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For me, the main thing is *control*. *I* want to be the one deciding what gear the vehicle should be in when I am accelerating or going up a long mountain road. I don't want the car to think it knows best and to downshift on me. And then there is the issue of just putting it in neutral or depressing the clutch while coasting down an mountain road or coming to a stop to improve gas mileage. I am more likely to do that with a manual transmission than with an automatic.
 

stangken

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For me, the main thing is *control*. *I* want to be the one deciding what gear the vehicle should be in when I am accelerating or going up a long mountain road. I don't want the car to think it knows best and to downshift on me. And then there is the issue of just putting it in neutral or depressing the clutch while coasting down an mountain road or coming to a stop to improve gas mileage. I am more likely to do that with a manual transmission than with an automatic.
I believe it is more fuel efficient to keep the car in gear and let off the gas than to put it in neutral and coast with your foot off the gas. And I am not going to go there about how it is also more dangerous to put a car in neutral and coast....

But I agree with you about driving manuals and the whole control aspect. That’s why I ordered a JLUR with a manual last week!
 

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Torero

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I believe it is more fuel efficient to keep the car in gear and let off the gas than to put it in neutral and coast with your foot off the gas. And I am not going to go there about how it is also more dangerous to put a car in neutral and coast....

But I agree with you about driving manuals and the whole control aspect. That’s why I ordered a JLUR with a manual last week!
Right on. It is more fuel efficient in gear than in neutral. In compression the fuel injectors are closed, 0 fuel, while in neutral there is fuel burning to keep idle.
 

Halfdoor

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Both my JK's were manual. Drove JLU's in both manual and auto. Bought the automatic. Sensational transmission. There's a reason you can no longer buy a Ferrari with a stick shift. And it's not that they're not driver's cars. I bought a JL with roll up windows but I wouldn't have one with a stick.
 

ThirtyOne

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Both my JK's were manual. Drove JLU's in both manual and auto. Bought the automatic. Sensational transmission. There's a reason you can no longer buy a Ferrari with a stick shift. And it's not that they're not driver's cars. I bought a JL with roll up windows but I wouldn't have one with a stick.
I would never buy a Ferrari that wasn’t stick.
 

NavyVet1959

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Right on. It is more fuel efficient in gear than in neutral. In compression the fuel injectors are closed, 0 fuel, while in neutral there is fuel burning to keep idle.
If the fuel injectors were completely closed and you are on an automatic, then the engine would quit running and you would not be able to restart it without using the starter. Since you cannot push start an automatic, I seriously doubt that happens. Some amount of fuel must still be flowing.

For many of the vehicles that I've driven, if you let off on the accelerator, there is noticeable drag with an automatic. With a manual transmission, there is drag if you leave it in gear, but if you depress the clutch or put it in neutral, you are mainly just subject to wind drag (and rolling resistance from your tires). There's a bit of variation in the feel of automatic transmissions though... For example, back in the late 1980s, I was looking to buy a Porsche 928[S/S4]. I test drove a few of them, but every one the dealership got in was with an automatic. I hated them since when you let off on the accelerator, they did not have the drag of a manual that was still in gear. Sure, they had less drag than a manual in neutral, but it was entirely too little drag for how I tended to drive a sports car.
 

NavyVet1959

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As far as the lady friend goes, they all react differently so it depends on how much trouble you think your will be in. Will she say everything is “fine” and not much more, how long will that last, how long can you endure that? Or is yours more crazy and you might need to sleep with one eye open, maybe you have the key your new jeep and slash your tires type crazy then I would just get the auto....or a new lady.
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