Do people that drive Autos off-road have less skills than people that drive sticks?

Big Grand · 10-04-2003, 01:31 AM

So I was thinking to myself, in my last jeep I had a stick and it took a long time to learn how to be smooth and not stall and whatnot. In my new jeep I have a auto and this thing is a breeze to drive off-road. So what do you think?

**Devious** · 10-04-2003, 01:34 AM

I think to each his own. I prefer a stick over auto.
The only place I like an auto is in traffic.

**LOCKED UP** · 10-04-2003, 01:56 AM

DO auto drivers....

- Have less offroad skills? No

- Have a harder time driving a standard off road? Yes.

Is it harder to drive a stick off road... No, just takes a little more concentration.

Does that mean that people that have Autos have less " off road skills" ? No.

If you have a stick to make offroading more chalenging then go try to wheel a dump truck.

Big Grand · 10-04-2003, 02:34 AM

I guess skills was a bad word to use. What I mean is when I had a Stick, it made me such a better driver and when I finnally got good at it people would be suprised to learn that I had a stick I drove so smooth. Autos involve alot less ability to drive.

isezumi00 · 10-04-2003, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Grand

. Autos involve alot less ability to drive.

ah ahh ahhh

there goes you and that "ability" again.

"Ability to drive" would be things like, proper braking, proper speed, adherince to proper vehicle spacing and road etiquitte.

Now who do you think is more likely to miss something...someone with their mits at 10 and 2 who only has to maintain observancy of road conditions, traffic and obey traffic laws and check mirrors. Or someone who has one hand on the wheel and one hand on the shifter knob has to operate a third peddle. While maintaining observancy of road conditions, traffic and obeying traffic laws, checking mirrors AND watching a Tach.

Its possible for a stick driver to be more competent then an Auto...but you can only spread a persons attention over so many things before they all suffer too much.

**LOCKED UP** · 10-04-2003, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Grand

I guess skills was a bad word to use. What I mean is when I had a Stick, it made me such a better driver and when I finnally got good at it people would be suprised to learn that I had a stick I drove so smooth. Autos involve alot less ability to drive.

The stick didn't make you a better driver, but practice made you a better driver and made you better at using the stick.

Perhaps an Auto requires less of a driver, but that doesn't mean they have less off road ability, just that they don't need to learn how to drive a stick....

**MugZy_YJ_94** · 10-04-2003, 11:12 AM

auto do off-road and on-raod. what they are designed for: automate a technical procedure. so it it true that u need less skill to wheel in a auto: you don't need the skill to operate a manual transmission. you don't have to wonder what gear you need for the opcomming obsticle. and stuff like that. i do think that most trail are easier to drive in a auto, so i guess that is does take less ability. but i'm not going as far as saying that auto-drivers HAVE less abillity

Ex CCS Racer · 10-04-2003, 12:31 PM

Autos are nice when climbing due to lack of stalling out but suck when decending with very little engine braking. I like a stick myself but I wouldn't mind an auto. I cold adjust my driving for either.

Ex CCS Racer · 10-04-2003, 12:33 PM

To answer the orginal question...no.

Nymisus · 10-04-2003, 01:27 PM

funny you bring this up, me and one of my friends were talking about this yesterday at one of the spots we offroad....I think it may be a tad harder to off road using a stick due to stalling but that is about it, I like my stick like EX CCS said, sticks are better at going down large inclines .......but my friend has an ford that is an auto and he likes it just fine, wouldn't want a stick, so i guess its personal preference really.......

LoOpY · 10-04-2003, 10:32 PM

when my foot is slipping off the clutch, when my rpms are bouncing back and forth, when im fumbling with the stick because my smooth movements were interupted by mother natures speed bumps, thats when I wish i had an auto.

i love manual, but automatics are so much less of a hassle off road, that you can probably guess what my next wheeler will have

as to the ability thing, I believe Mugzy summed it up pretty well

**CETROV** · 10-04-2003, 10:38 PM

I like the stick, I like the "feeling" of doing more than just pushing the gas pedal.

YJWOLF · 10-04-2003, 10:47 PM

look at rockcrawl comps. 99% of them use an auto. Why? because they dont have to worry about stalling, and hold gear just fine. So do these competitiors have less skill? i dont think so. Skill is not based in stick vs. auto, but everything else. So to answer the original question: no. And yes i also drive an auto.

**PrfctAggression** · 10-04-2003, 11:43 PM

I find the smell of burning clutch gets pretty annoying on certain obstacles, and ability has nothing to do with that. In some cases you simply must burn it.

jdogg4 · 10-04-2003, 11:46 PM

Im good with both. I have an Auto now cause I've been running a stick for over 10 years now and am sick of it. I at times on the trail wish I had the stick still cause I hate the way the auto shifts in that 1-2 gear thing. I really need to do that relay switch thing.

10-04-2003, 01:27 PM	#10
Nymisus Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Austin, Tx Posts: 355 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	funny you bring this up, me and one of my friends were talking about this yesterday at one of the spots we offroad....I think it may be a tad harder to off road using a stick due to stalling but that is about it, I like my stick like EX CCS said, sticks are better at going down large inclines .......but my friend has an ford that is an auto and he likes it just fine, wouldn't want a stick, so i guess its personal preference really....... __________________ '95 jeep yj, first one and loving it Herculined, rock it air intake, tb spacer, warn heavy duty front bumper with D rings and 2 KC 150watt Daylighters, warn rear bumper with tire carrier, 1" BL and 1" MML, 4"RE suspension w/dicos sitting on 33x12.5 swamper TSLs on rockcrawler

10-04-2003, 11:43 PM	#14
PrfctAggression Web Wheeler Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Londonderry, NH Posts: 1,162 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	I find the smell of burning clutch gets pretty annoying on certain obstacles, and ability has nothing to do with that. In some cases you simply must burn it. __________________ 2004 Wrangler Rubicon-Solar Yellow, auto, air, dual tops. 2" BB with DT 3000s, Homemade discos, Hella 500s, air horns, Okole seat covers, "custom" pinstriping [URL=http://www.pavementsucks.com][I][COLOR=white]Pavement[/COLOR] [COLOR=red]Sucks[/COLOR][/I][/URL] [COLOR=yellow]Yellow Jeep Club and Redneck Jeep Club member #666 [/COLOR]

10-04-2003, 11:46 PM	#15
jdogg4 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Evans CO. Posts: 375 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	Im good with both. I have an Auto now cause I've been running a stick for over 10 years now and am sick of it. I at times on the trail wish I had the stick still cause I hate the way the auto shifts in that 1-2 gear thing. I really need to do that relay switch thing. __________________ 2001 60th Anniversary sport silverstone. Mopar brush guard. Mopar gastank skid. Rusty's Air tube, K&N filter R.E. 6130 4.5 superflex. HD trackbar & bracket OME longtravel shocks 1 3/4 frount spacers and the hack-n-tap RE SYE kit with JKS discos. 32"BFG AT Ko's firegod rockrails. going up to 5.5 and 33s soon.

10-04-2003, 02:34 AM	#4
Big Grand Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 41 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	I guess skills was a bad word to use. What I mean is when I had a Stick, it made me such a better driver and when I finnally got good at it people would be suprised to learn that I had a stick I drove so smooth. Autos involve alot less ability to drive.

10-04-2003, 10:32 PM	#11
LoOpY Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Green Bay, WI Posts: 891 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	when my foot is slipping off the clutch, when my rpms are bouncing back and forth, when im fumbling with the stick because my smooth movements were interupted by mother natures speed bumps, thats when I wish i had an auto. i love manual, but automatics are so much less of a hassle off road, that you can probably guess what my next wheeler will have as to the ability thing, I believe Mugzy summed it up pretty well

10-04-2003, 10:47 PM	#13
YJWOLF Registered User Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 441 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	look at rockcrawl comps. 99% of them use an auto. Why? because they dont have to worry about stalling, and hold gear just fine. So do these competitiors have less skill? i dont think so. Skill is not based in stick vs. auto, but everything else. So to answer the original question: no. And yes i also drive an auto.