manual vs auto DiD?

[Sandgroper]

I've only ever had manual cars and love our NM DiD, but our lease is up at the end of the year and we initially thought we would go the NS VRX DiD manual with family pack for the extra airbags and dvd for the kids.
But the more I think about it the more unsure I am. We do a fair amount of night driving in the suburbs and also on our Northern adventures towing our boat so the self levelling HID lights of the Exceed are appealing, we have never had leather seats before and I've only heard good things about them and then there's the Rockford stereo!
So this leaves us with a couple of questions;
1. What are the advantages of the manual gearbox and the auto gearbox?
According to the NS brochure the manual uses 15% less fuel.
I would imagine the auto would be nicer to drive in traffic.

2. Is the Exceed worth the extra money?
We will do a deal in December so there should be some heavy discounting then!
Even if we don't go the Exceed we still have to decide between the manual and the auto. Our driving consists of mostly suburbs with two big trips per year towing our 2.5T boat up north mostly at night and the only real 4WDing we do is beach work between Lancelin and Wedge which can get very soft sometimes.
I would greatly appreciate your experiences and opinions on this.

Thanks,
Sandgroper.

[Hookedon4wding]

Hi Sandgroper, read the posts on the DPF issues on the auto. That'll help make up your mind . Just kindding all those auto owners! I'm sure MMC will have a solution to this problem very soon.

I love the manual (GLX) but it depends on your driving style and personal preference. Generally speaking, manuals are better down hill offroad and autos are better up hill. Much of a muchness on sand (as long as you pick the right gear in a manual).

From my experience in the NS Manual, it's very easy to drive. Light clutch, good shift and a fairly good spread of ratios accross the 5 gears.

Might be worth noting too that the manual has more torque than the auto but slightly less power. Something to consider when thinking about towing heavy loads.

I'm sure the auto drivers on this forum can give you some good advice from their point of view too.

Good luck.

P.S With regard to the stereo, the standard one in the GLX is excellent also. Can't remember whether the VRX has the Rockford or not.

[matthewfnorbert]

i like the auto, very smooth and no stress in traffic.

the auto is in my view superior for towing as the torque converter supplies large reserves of torque relative to an manual and getting of the line with a heavy load is a cinch.

[Sandgroper]

Hookedon4wding,
It's worrying about the DPF but I'm hoping (like alot of other people), that MMC will have a fix for the problem soon.

matthewfnorbert,
I don't understand how the torque converter works and has more torque than the manual, but getting off the line as you said and probably more so, pulling the boat up a boat ramp would be easier.

Thanks,
Sandgroper.

[NS Rob]

Enjoy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torque_converter

[matthewfnorbert]

why change your own gears.... when you can have a machine do it for you

[Sandgroper]

Sandgroper.

[linou]

Hi Sandgroper,

Although I don't have an NS Paj (Auto Petrol NP) everything I have read over the last 8 or so years suggests autos are more versitile in the sand. I know wherer you are talking about between Lancelin and Wedge, driven along it many times. Narrow Neck can be a real challenge!! Although I have not driven the Paj between Lancelin and Wedge, my previous fourby, an auto petrol Pathfinder, performed brilliantly in the sand, even towing a small camper trailer. Certainly showed up a Prado / Landcruiser or two!! Having said all that, one cannot understate the importance of correct tyre pressures on sand. Most instances I have seen people bogged on the beach have been due to tyre pressures that were too high. IMHO

[oiler]

I have had my NS Exceed DID for 1 week now. I am so happy with it. Fuel economy with only 900km on the clock is 12.2l/100km and I expect after a few more Kms are on the dial this will improve.

The auto is so smooth in traffic and is a pleasure to drive. Mine is on a lease and the few extra dollars a month for the exceed, over the VRX with family pack are, in my opinion, well worth it. I have read on here reports of the diesel engine noise being too loud. This is my first diesel and I can say the noise from my engine is no where near as bad as the diff noise in my previous car, BA Falcon xr6. when my Rockford stereo is cranked up I dont hear any engine noise whatsoever.

[Sandgroper]

linou,
Narrow Neck can be very challenging, we learnt quickly the importance of tyre pressures. I have gone as low as 12psi in 2nd gear low range with diff lock with waves of sand flying up the sides of the car hoping we don't break a bead but the DiD just keeps chugging away. I have been amazed at where it can go.

oiler,
Thanks for your feedback on the Exceed DiD, it would be interesting to know what economy a "run in" auto would get. I wonder if it could get into the 10s for normal driving, we average 9l/100km in our manual.

Thanks,
Sandgroper.

[MinniTheMoocha]

Hi Sandgroper,

I have a NS DiD Auto VRX with FP and the economy has been ok but not brilliant. It is mainly city driving but I did drive from MELBOURNE to ADELAIDE and back and it averaged about 10.5-11.5L/100KM (doing 100-110km/h)

On the console economy display it is saying 13.5 - 13.8 regularly and I am hoping it gets a little better as I will soon be at the 10K mark, but I think that the versatility of the car outways this slight.

In regards to the auto I really like it, especially the sport mode for 4wd'ing. In traffic its a treat. Part of the reason for the auto is the other half can't drive a manual, the Paj is an easy car to drive for the girls especially with the auto.

[Sandgroper]

NS Rob,
Thanks for the link, it explains the torque converter well.

MinniTheMoocha,
My other half likes the manual for the economy and also when we test drove the NM DiD auto originally there was a very annoying werring-mechanical sound between 100kph and 110kph (cruising speed) which put us off the auto. A couple of years later when I joined the forum I found out this sound was not normal and there was probably a fault with that particular car.

Thanks,
Sandgroper.

[2800ITDNM]

Ive got a Manual and Auto Pajero Diesel. For what its worth, I love my manual and if the SWB was available in Manual, I would have one. If you dont mind driving a Manual (and you obviously dont) I believe the better economy of the NS Manual over the Auto would be worth at least considering again. No DPF, more torque etc. That said, the Auto is a beauty, is so easy to drive around town and off road, I can understand why the Auto is so popular. Drive both for yourself, then buy the manual!

[Nova Artist]

Both of my normal cars were Manuals (Astra Sri and Volvo V40-Turbo), and in such cars with short throw manuals that glide into position, the manuals are great fun to drive. I did not have access to a manual Pajero when I was testing them out, but Toyota did have a Manual Prado and an Auto Prado for me to try. A manual in the Prado was not what I considered fun, as it took me considerably longer to change gears than in my smaller cars and the Prado just slowed down to a point which frustrated me while switching. Then the Overlander Mag claimed that the Prado manual gearbox was better than the Mitsu manual Gearbox, and so, even though I did not ever drive a manual Pajero, I decided to stick to the Auto with manual override on the Pajero. I love manuals, as I feel that I am driving the car, not the other way around, but in 2.3 tonne trucks, I have decided on a reversal of that viewpoint. the Auto does add 3K to the cost of the car though, so if you have tried the manual and find it fine for your own style of driving, then great. Certainly, I think the manipulation of a manual gearbox is a personal thing, and all long term drivers of any car should test drive a manual, no matter what the car, before deciding on one.

[NS Rob]

NS Rob,
Thanks for the link, it explains the torque converter well.

No worries Sandgroper. Unfortunately I didn't understand a bloody thing!