Auto or standard?

[Enzo_Guy]

I'm what you may call a "dedicated" manual driver. I like to be in command of my truck's gearing at all times. Light off-road mud trails and northwestern Ohio snow never turned me against the stick, neither has the DC/Baltimore traffic in Maryland. I'm a parts driver so I routinely drive a Colorado and Ranger that are both 4-cylinder automatic trucks. I don't like either of them and I've yet to not want to drive my truck again after driving those for the day.

I have a Hurst shifter in a truck with 4.10 gears and a 4.0 that I drive in some of the worst traffic in the nation, been doing it for years. Don't immediately think every single person begins to hate a manual transmission over time. Every day I get in it I smile when my hand hits that T-handle sitting on top the Hurst chrome, it makes driving fun for me and not just a boring chore.

 

[4x4junkie]

Don't get me wrong I love the 5speed but I don't know how I'd like it on the rocks.

Like I said in my last post... with a doubler you'll probably greatly enjoy driving it. Without a doubler... Not so much.

I'd probably base the decision of what trans to get on whether or not you plan to do a lot of rock crawling before you get your doubler (of course weighing in whether you want your wife to drive it as well).

Beyond that, like others have said it's almost entirely a matter of preference.

 

[Psychopete]

I do know in the snow and ice, you're better off with a manual than an auto

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I do know in the snow and ice, you're better off with a manual than an auto

I have gotten along just fine for 11 years with automatics. The other two years was with a stick.

I do push snow with manuals (using both hand and foot clutchs nonetheless)... if I had the $$ I would have a Powershift JD with a heated cab in a heartbeat.