Hell Hath Frozen

Auto Over Manual Tranmission

Posted September 9 2011 03:04 AM by Christian Hazel
Filed under: New Jeeps, Jeep Enthusiast Culture, Christian Hazel

I'm a hardcore manual transmission devotee. So it's with a small slice of humble pie I make this admission: I much prefer Jeep's new 3.6L Pentastar/WA580 auto combo.

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Yup - I was shocked as well. I really, really wanted to love the 3.6L Pentastar/ NSG370 combo better than the auto. But when I step back and consider the matter objectively, the auto trumps the manual.

Historically, Cappa did most of the new Jeep reviews for Jp. Now that he's at Four Wheeler, I'm currently rowing through the new 3.6L Pentastar-powered Jeeps to get up to speed on the company's brand-new offerings.

Last week I was driving a '12 Wrangler Unlimited Sport model with the 3.6L Pentastar, five-speed auto WA580 transmission, 3.21 gears and 255/75R17 Goodyear Wrangler SR-A tires. The thing was blisteringly-fast (for a V-6 Wrangler) and the engine readily whanged up to 6,500 rpm. It was a hoot.

This week I'm closing out my time in what should be the ultimate hot rod Jeep: a '12 Rubicon two-door with the 3.6L Pentastar, NSG370 six-speed manual, 4.10 gears, and 255/75R17 BFG MT tires. Sure, the Rubicon T-case is beefier inside and the mud tires have more rolling resistance. However, the manual just doesn't seem as eager to pull redline with the same ferocity as the auto. It's fun to row through the gears, but you just don't get the same sensation of blistering acceleration as with the auto. To know for sure I'd have to step into an auto-equipped 4.10-geared Rubicon. That'd be the true test. Perhaps at a later date.

Don't think for a minute I'm taking away anything from the new 3.6L/NSG370 combo. It's worlds better than the old 3.8L engine any day. However, the 3.6L/WA580 combo is just that much better.

Reader Comments:

1. Yeah, I agree. It's hard to like the manual when that new auto in the '12 Wrangler works so well. So much better than the old automatic/3.8L combo.

John Cappa - Posted September 9 2011 06:34 AM

2. How's the compression braking on the automatic? Can you row through gears with an electronic button on the wheel or is it all on the shifter? I drive stick primarily and it's a hard thing to give up the control it affords in mountain driving unless the auto has a good kickdown up hills and a simple way to gear down when going down hills to save your brakes.

ArrowheadChief - Posted September 11 2011 02:08 AM

3. There's actually decent compression braking - about on par with the manual. Perhaps a bit less. Neither fully closes the throttle body blade, but the auto will hold gear on steep grades without toggling. Coming up the mountain to my house it held at 4K rpm the whole way even after I went to about half-throttle. Nice. There's no electric button on the wheel, but you can toggle gears by banging the shifter sideways (side-side). The tranny responds and holds gear when you manually toggle it.

Christian Hazel - Posted September 11 2011 10:44 AM

4. I'd like to believe that the 2Dr 6spd Rubicon JK '12 exemplifies some kind of factory effort to keep lead-footed owners from doing burnouts until their respective Pentastars are broken-in.

I'd check this 2Dr Rubicon at 5,000-10,000 miles and see if it still performs sub-the-par set by your Unlimited Auto.

However, if Jeep factory types have tipped you guys off, then I can, frankly, live with the 5spd auto.

china4x4champion - Posted September 14 2011 08:34 AM

5. I'm about to purchase a new 2012 Jp unlimited 4dr. My jps have always been stick and I truly love the whole throwing in and out of gear as I see fit. Is the automatic really that great that I should dump my idea of getting a stick? I'm also thinking of having Jp build a new one for me on account of there is very few dark cherry red, hardtops with the 3.73 ratio in them. I've been trying to keep to a budget of no more than 30k, as I think even 30k is way too much for a jeep wrangler. (my first one was only 12k... in '84.)

Bone

BoneShkr - Posted February 6 2012 09:18 AM

6. You need to test-drive both and decide for yourself. However, I'm a die-hard, opinionated, old-school manual-transmission guy and if I were buying a new Pentastar-powered JK, I'd get the automatic in a Sport model, not Rubicon and expect to upgrade the front axle and regear the rear for 35 or 37-inch tires.

Christian Hazel - Posted February 7 2012 07:58 AM

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