Auto 4x4s

[DR]

always been curious about auto 4x4s. Do they go as well as manuals & how is the best way to drive them, do you hold in the selected gear as a manual or do you just let it do its thing as in a road car??? Are they as capable as a manual?? or are they just for the wife to drop the kiddies off at school & annoy other road users while doing it??just really curious as one day i will get another, I have only had manual Landcruisers. but with so much to choose from theses days, autos could be an option
cheers

[BGG]

I know a few serious 4WDers that really love autos. IMHO they are the ducks guts for beach work. No selecting the right gear and hoping, no quick change clutch bog. I've owned a lot of manuals but my present is auto and it doesn't get much better.
Keep in mind that modern autos are a little more advanced than their old counterparts. It takes a lot of the work and guess work out of beach driving.

[shano]

i have owned both! had manuals in landcruisers and pajero's and have currently a pajero in auto that is for sale and have just bought a 80 series landcruiser in auto! man i love the auto's! have had both auto's on the beach and in the bush! but i do love the manuals also! i would say the only let down in the auto is you can not clutch start if battery flat! and if a auto goes its game over! but it is so relaxing! and so good in the bush! when towing i turn off over drive an on the beach i select the gears myself!

[PADDLES]

i personally hate driving autos, but that's just a personal thing. i know a few people with auto landcruisers and they are unstoppable in sand or soft conditions because there's no time/power lag for gear changing with a clutch. shano has made very good points about clutch starting and also box failure, generally if a manual box fails it'll let you know about it a fair bit before an auto box will so you can at least limp home in one of the gears. with these latest generation of ecu controlled autos, if the controller or electrics fail somehow she's all over.

[GBC]

Just typed out a reply and lost it!!!!!!!!!

I've had three auto boxes in 4by's - they are getting progressively better.

I have had nil failures in the following vehicles -

80 series petrol auto (work vehicle owned by the govt - we flogged it) - nil failure in 160 000 kms
3.4 hilux auto - nil failure in 180 000 kms
3.0 vdci colorado auto- nil failure in 14 000 kms - give me time........

I added a tranny cooler to the lux - cause it was my own vehicle - other than that they got serviced - that's it.

As others have said they can't be clutch started.
They can't be stall recovered - there is a method for auto's, but when you really really need to stall out - you really really want a manual - how many people get to that stage though?
In my experience they will cost you at least a couple of litres per hundred kms(combined cycle) over the equivalent manual, (the diesel colorado does), and go up from there.
When it comes to towing in tough terrain they rule the world - no argument. I have however burnt clutches in manuals, broken carrier bearings in 80 series manuals, and gotten bogged in places where I am certain an auto would have made it - trying to snatch gears in gutless diesel manuals towing in sand.

From my above experience I see nothing to be scared about buying an auto 4by. If anything they have been more reliable than manuals towing offroad work trailers, boats up fraser etc etc.

They are however all different from brand to brand - some will drive you insane not allowing enough torque through the box (a toyota favorite for longevity) before upchanging - these one's keep hunting while driving along the highway. I've found you can drive around this with most boxes, and the latest one I've got is actually very acceptable while towing at highway speeds.

Prolly the best one I've driven (4wd wise) was in the original jeep cherokee of all things, with the straight 6 4.0 litre pushing it.

[backlash08]

auto every time for me (i'm lazy) easier on the vehicle driveline, no clutch to worry about at the ramp and for the offroad that i do, the vehicle has greater limitations than the auto boxes
cheers - Craig

[Noelm]

I guess another way to look at it as well is, as in most things, cars, boats whatever they are all compromises, so in reality, we spend by far the big majority of our lives "on" the road, not in sand or the bush or towing, so do you prefer an Auto or a manual for your everyday driving? can't think of any modern 4X4 that has a bad Auto gearbox, and as my son in law was a Toyota Mechanic I asked him just the other day if the Landcruiser Auto gives any trouble (by the way, he has a 100 series Auto) and his reply was in all his years at the dealership, he has seen very few with any sort of drama over the whole range, prado, cruiser the lot! so I guess armed with that, it would come down to personal preference, some die hards would have nothing but a manual, some don't care and some will have an Auto and would have nothing else.

[backlash08]

I guess another way to look at it as well is, as in most things, cars, boats whatever they are all compromises, so in reality, we spend by far the big majority of our lives "on" the road, not in sand or the bush or towing, so do you prefer an Auto or a manual for your everyday driving? can't think of any modern 4X4 that has a bad Auto gearbox, and as my son in law was a Toyota Mechanic I asked him just the other day if the Landcruiser Auto gives any trouble (by the way, he has a 100 series Auto) and his reply was in all his years at the dealership, he has seen very few with any sort of drama over the whole range, prado, cruiser the lot! so I guess armed with that, it would come down to personal preference, some die hards would have nothing but a manual, some don't care and some will have an Auto and would have nothing else.

Noel, did you ask the son in law about the auto in the klugers though......now that is a different story to the real 4wd...lol
cheers - Craig

[Noelm]

nope, have you heard of problems, or are you just referring to the the car in general? I might add, he is now with Audi, so no longer keeps up with Toyota!

[backlash08]

the model around 2004-2007 had heaps of dramas with g/boxs, servos and clutch packs doing strange stuff resulting in flaring and long selection issues - toyota did know about it and did help out when pushed - credit to them

[chisel]

Auto every time for me (the 5-speed in the cruiser is a gem).

Quite a few modern vehicles get as good or even slightly better consumption in the auto vs the manual, at least with the official figures.
I think we'll probably see more and more vehicles come out in auto-only, like the 200 series, so probably better to get used to them. Most new 4x4's have some downhill-assist-control to help with that aspect.

[Peter4]

Never owned an auto but probably will with the next 4WD - only because I'm getting older and lazier and the manual becomes a pain in heavy traffic.

Do love to 'drive' rather than just steer though!

[Spaniard_King]

Had a 3.5L manual pajeo for 10 years before changing to a 100 series Auto, I dont do any seious offroad but its like chalk and chese towing with the Auto.. could never go back to a manual 4 x4 for my use.

[TheRealAndy]

My latest car is an auto after being a manual man since I got my licence. I will never buy a manual again! Its great on the beach, dont even have to think about it. I have not done any real serious offroad work in mine other than some of the milder tracks around mt mee (did the a-break) and no problems at all. Hill decent leaves a bit to be desired, but once you figure it out its fine. Unless you were doing comp's or crazy stuff you wont have a problem.

The best thing about it is that it also doubles up as a great city driver. Nothing worse than a manual in a capital city..

Oh, and the best way to drive them? Get in, start it up, put it in drive!

[finga]

My latest car is an auto after being a manual man since I got my licence. I will never buy a manual again! Its great on the beach, dont even have to think about it. I have not done any real serious offroad work in mine other than some of the milder tracks around mt mee (did the a-break) and no problems at all. Hill decent leaves a bit to be desired, but once you figure it out its fine. Unless you were doing comp's or crazy stuff you wont have a problem.

The best thing about it is that it also doubles up as a great city driver. Nothing worse than a manual in a capital city..

Oh, and the best way to drive them? Get in, start it up, put it in drive!

You forgot handbrake off.
Auto for me too matey.
Lazy fat slug I am
Best truck I've driven is an auto too. An auto changer on a manual box so the clutch is still there but the changer does the rest. Good stuff that sucker