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Baben
Member Since: 15 Feb 2006
Location: Kyalami
Posts: 2059
  
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When I bought mine, we didn't have the option of a manual.
Not that I would have wanted one, 'cos our D2 was an auto & I had never experienced such a great gearbox till I drove the D3.
In Jo-burg traffic you want to have an Auto anyway. Off-road, I am happy with the auto. Don't know what extra capabilities the manual would offer, and don't care to know thank you 
Just got rid of the last manual vehicle that I will ever own in favour of an auto. (Well, kinda auto BMW drivelogic)
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 24th May 2007 12:33 pm |
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nobbyclark
Member Since: 03 May 2005
Location: Perth, Scotland
Posts: 1268
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The thing about the auto is, if you want to loon about, put it in Sport or even manual override, and have some fun. And for the 99% of the rest of the time when you are either stuck in traffic or cruising on the motorway, stick it in "D" and chill... No longer a D3 owner but still subscribed to multiple threads!
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| 24th May 2007 1:37 pm |
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IanD
Member Since: 11 Mar 2006
Location: (Too) close to Paris
Posts: 516
 
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Doctor Diesel wrote:to spec an HSE with manual does NOT get you a £1300 discount
Might be true in the UK, but in Europe, an HSE was equivalent to a UK SE in spec when we got ours, so you always had to pay extra for auto. 
Doctor Diesel wrote:it will be worth a chunk less at swapover time
Maybe, but we bought the car with the spec we wanted to drive, not someone who may buy it later  
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| 24th May 2007 2:07 pm |
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freebie2disco
Member Since: 01 Jan 2007
Location: wantage
Posts: 334
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Drove the demo auto for two days and bought a manual. Personal choice really, I have never got on with auto's. I have never got over their habit of changing gear on me when accelerating through the apex of a corner. To many years of the mantra" never change gear whilst cornering" to ever feel comfortable with that. Other than that it was nice box to use. Driven one off road at the LR experience and would say that it easier to drive off road with a auto but not much.
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| 24th May 2007 2:18 pm |
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catweasel
Member Since: 05 May 2006
Location: Bundaleer
Posts: 4805
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I painted my auto box white, what colour is yours. 
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| 24th May 2007 2:32 pm |
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Doctor Diesel
Member Since: 23 Sep 2006
Location: Driving the kids around as usual
Posts: 1587
 
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MANUAL SHMANUAL, auto shmauto........ all that matters is its connected to a D3  2007 HSE Java Black.....sold
2007 B150 Horizon Blue
2008 Toyota Aygo Platinum
--------------------------------------------------
The Master of Suave !
Ding-Dong Matron
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| 24th May 2007 2:56 pm |
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stapldm
Member Since: 11 Sep 2006
Location: Swine Town
Posts: 2330
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I chose an auto because:
1. I'm most definitely a calmer driver in an Auto
2. I'm lazy
3. I was told to by my chiropractor as I have a lower back injury that the repeated pressure of clutch operation exacerbates - apparently because when changing gear it's left foot and left hand both active and unable to cross-brace. In left hand drives I assume I wouldn't have this issue, although I'd probably not feel my back anyway due to the pain from my broken left hand.
4. I'm lazy, and used to get really worked up in traffic jams due to the sheer energy required to change gear every 5 metres of travel.
5. Think I missed out that I'm lazy.
6. By a controlled release/reapply of the accelerator when joining a slip road or speeding up, I can make the auto box change up when I want it to, even though in standard D.
7. Yep, Lazy.
8. Providing a stab of acceleration to force a change up before a corner, then maintaining a gentle acceleration round corners prevents the auto box from changing up - too much and it changes up, too little and it'll change down. I am losing the knack of this though as on my previous car this stiffened the chasis so you could 'feel' the right amount, on the D3 it doesn't so I can't.
9. If I want real (synthetic?) manual control I can switch to command shift.
EDIT : Ooooohhh CW, do you think if I chrome plated my auto box it'd go faster??? Dr. Ian Malcolm:
"Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
Transgenic tomato anyone?
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| 24th May 2007 3:55 pm |
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mrmarklin
Member Since: 29 Nov 2006
Location: People's Republik of Kalifornia
Posts: 168
  
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| Re: Auto or Manual......What do you prefer,and why!! |
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I don't think I'd ever have a manual only. For everyday driving the Auto works just fine with no hassle. For off road, one can still use "manual" in selected situations as needed. 8) '06 LR3 4.4 V8 HSE Heavy Duty package, Satellite Radio, Luxury Package
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| 24th May 2007 4:26 pm |
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pbhawkin
Member Since: 14 Dec 2006
Location: Mudgee
Posts: 377
  
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When it came time to sell my D2 manual last year, LR in Sydney said they would give me $13-14000 as NO-ONE wanted manuals in the city! LR in Dubbo (country dealer) at same time offered $22000  regards
Peter
__________________________________________
Oct 2013 SDV6 3.0 HSE.
2007 TDV6 SE E-diff, adaptive lights sold 1/2014
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| 25th May 2007 2:02 am |
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LeighW
D3 Decade
Member Since: 31 Jan 2006
Location: Brisbane, AUS
Posts: 920
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When I bought mine the D3 was same price whether manual or auto. I previously owned big and small 4WDs and they were all manual. The D3 is the first large auto I have owned and the only real difference I imagine is the fuel saving in a manual.
Your mileage may vary, but I probably would not go back to a large manual 4WD since the refinement of the electronically controlled auto ZF box satisfies all my needs. (Well, most of them if you discount the obvious!)
Leigh LeighW
The old girl is on her third engine...
* first ran a bearing (design failure in original engine)
* second had a failure of the water outlet on top of the engine (pls check yours)
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| 25th May 2007 2:44 am |
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freebie2disco
Member Since: 01 Jan 2007
Location: wantage
Posts: 334
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here is a question for the technical members. 
In the old days auto were generally 3 speed when manuals were 4 and old boxes were heavier than their manual counterpart.
I could therefore understand why mileage was always worse than the equivalent manual.
But what's reason now for the 5 to 10% difference.
My non-technical conclusion is that although auto are better than they were, they still do not get the best out of the car. They are slower to 60 and use more fuel. It appears that the human with full control of which gear is best to be in still does a better job than a whole slew of electronics.
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| 25th May 2007 5:47 am |
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jm-lec
Member Since: 08 Mar 2007
Location: Paris area
Posts: 55
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Hello everybody
Hello IanD... According what I have understood... the "french version" of the MY08 HSE is coming with the auto box. This is not anymore an option. The option becoming the "manual gear box".
I have ordered the auto box version of the HSE as I have been doing for my previous cars for almost 20 years now....so much relaxing in Paris area and during long trips...
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| 25th May 2007 8:12 am |
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IanD
Member Since: 11 Mar 2006
Location: (Too) close to Paris
Posts: 516
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Salut jm-lec
Things have changed then - I stand corrected. In fact we ordered ours in the UK (to UK spec but LHD) and brought it over here, since French dealers (of anything!) are not exactly commercially minded!
As for manual/auto, each to his/her own. I can't say the manual stresses me out too much 8) 8), even in Paris. I must say that the auto I test drove was certainly the nicest auto I've ever driven. Sorry, I'm just a dinosaur, I just don't like the lag and lack of engine braking with autos!
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| 25th May 2007 9:08 am |
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Phat Naquer
Member Since: 20 Mar 2007
Location: Anglesey most of the time
Posts: 81
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freebie2disco wrote:My non-technical conclusion is that although auto are better than they were, they still do not get the best out of the car. They are slower to 60 and use more fuel. It appears that the human with full control of which gear is best to be in still does a better job than a whole slew of electronics.
These days there's a map for gear changing in the gearbox control module in the same way as for throttle response in the Engine Control Module. That map is LR's setup for what it considers is the best all-round performance, economy, drivability compromise. Yes, you can get to sixty quicker with a manual and you always have a direct drive through the clutch (while it's engaged obviously) in a manual, no matter which gear you're in, whereas the auto only 'locks up' the torque convertor when it sees fit, but you can abuse the engine, gearbox, drivetrain, etc in a manual without even realising it. The auto won't let you do that. I'll wager the engines in auto D3s will, in general, outlast those in manuals by some margin. After all, you can't 'drop the clutch' in an auto - no matter how hard you 'welly' it, the gearchanges are super-smooth and that can only be good for the drivetrain.
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| 27th May 2007 10:34 am |
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