Vehicle & Technical > Discovery

300TDi - manual or automatic?

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Ben:
I'm currently sorting out the best thing to do with my 90. I need to have more forward facing seats than the 2 I have, so I'm toying up between a 110 and a Disco.

Now, I can get much more for my money with a Disco (and I really liked my TD5 Series 2 when I had it), so I'm really tempted. However, I've seen quite a few diesel automatics for the right sort of money.
How do these work off road - do you just lock it into 1st / 2nd and drop it into low box and go for it?

Cheers

Ben

muddyweb:
My opinion is that Autos are supreme off-road.

Total control over power delivery, smooth and effective.

Don't believe anyone who says they have no engine braking... they do.  It isn't quite the same as a manual, but it is there.

I'll never go back to a manual for an off-roader.

thermidorthelobster:
That surprises me.  I've mostly preferred manual gearboxes with diesels, because otherwise the gearbox tends to drive the engine further up the rev range than I'd like.  You also lose a bit of economy of course, and there's more to go wrong.  I prefer manual boxes on this type of vehicle.

However, I do agree with Tim that autos are lovely to drive off-road.

David

muddyweb:
Yes... just a qualifier... I'm a V8 man ;-)

I've used a 300tdi Auto off road, and it was pretty good too....  but it wasn't a V8 ;-)

As for there being more to go wrong... hmm...   in other circumstances I'd agree, but with the manual gearboxes LR have produced I'm not sure that is true.

As well as that, because the auto power delivery is smoother there is less strain on other transmission components too.

Thrasher:
Lets see ..... I have :

1 x Discovery V8i 4.6 V8 AUTO - Offroad? AWESOME - you have to learn the hard way how to drop 3 tons of heavy metal off a drop with an auto .. and the trick is left foot braking to lock up the torque convertor - master this and there's no heart in your mouth moment (however - I like the adrenalin rush... <giggle>)

1 x Freelander V6 2.5 STEPTRONIC - Offroad? MILES AHEAD of the manual I borrowed - it was AWFUL offroad, the auto variant is years ahead - keeping drive to wheels and enabling the fancy traction system s to work independently of the numpty on the clutch ;-)

1 x Range Rover Vouge 4.4 STEPTRONIC - Offroad? STUNNING. I don't know how to to start describing this box offroad - it has so much more control than either of the above ...  drive one - you'll understand ;-)

P.S. Piglet has trashed a gearbox .. at 120,000 miles ... that's not bad considering he has the WRONG engine up front and weighs so much - and the failure could have happened to anyone.

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