I am going to buy a new dodge diesel and I am torn between the standard and the auto. I know the autos have come a long way. I just dont want to get an auto and have to have it rebuilt a few years down the road. I know that a manual will take more abuse. Let me know what yall think.
I struggled with this myself, really depends on how much town/hiway driving you do etc.. I recomend the extended warrenty as well, I went with the auto, it's covered for 5 years with my warrenty, after that most likely before it will get upgraded anyway.
auto trans I always thought I had have a clutch, until I broke down in Texas and had to trade trucks! With my bad luck, I ended up with a slightley used 03 4wd auto. The big red rocket now has 320342 miles of hard use and the tranny is still doing great!!! The 48RE is a great improvement over the 47 tranny. Some buddys with 6-speeds sure wish they had bought autos(price, longevity, replacement problems} has all of them wishing they had gotten the auto~! Guess it all boils down to what you like and think is best!!! Good luck in whatever ya buy!!! Cisco
Depends on what year you are buying and what you are doing with it. I had an 02 with the 47RE, my biggest gripe was that its only a 4 speed. And still a 4 speed until 2007. It drove and shifted fine but with a heavy load and tall gears it just didn't perform. I have always prefered a manual anyway and I am every bit as happy with my 06 and the 6spd.
I have a ZF6 in my 99 F350, and a ZF5 in my 96 F250. Had the 4L60E in my 96 C1500. All were ok, but the ZF6 is my favorite. The high and low gears are essentially the same as the ZF5, but closer together - more choices. I prefer manual every time. In September, I got caught in traffic on I80 east of Chicago (8 miles in 4 hours ). I just put it in granny and creeped the whole way - it was not too bad. I will go MT every time from now on.
You know, it just boils down to personal preferance. People still have problems with the big manuals too. Seems Syncro problems are the main culprit, but I imagine most are caused by people thinking they can shift them like a non syncro trans and not clutch between gears, and people that just don't know how to drive stick and tear them up. I've been lucky enough to have both the 47RE as stock, a 47RE that is modified, and a 5600 6spd in nearly identical trucks listed in my sig. There is no doubt that an auto is the cats meow with a lot of driving that is not strait freeway running. They are faster and easier to drive. A built auto helps to bridge the gap as far as the manual's upper hand when loaded up heavy and/or making big power. There is without a doubt that a built auto with a modded motor is the best for quickness. For flat out towing, you can't beat the six...
What year truck? If the new 6.7, that new Asian 6 speed auto is suppose to be really good!!! If your getting the 5.9 Id get the manual personally. While I dont not care for the performance of the 48RE, I dont know of anyone having problems with em.
i have a 6 speed in mine, if i could do it all over again, i would opt for the auto. its just the 6 speed is just not as fast as the auto. so yeh just my opinion.
i like the manual for towing i have 5600 in mine and it does great its not quite as driver friendly as teh 5 speed that was in my 01, the six speed is easy to hang gears if your not used to it my brother hates it lol. but all in all id go with the 6 anyway my dad has the same truck as me minus the mods and its a lwb auto i dont liek it it seems to clunky for me he likes it though so its all preferance i guess
ive had no probs with my clutch yet..im kinda suprised really with the mods but all is well at 43,000 miles..not as fast as autos ya i wish i had another 6 gears sometimes...well a cpl more any way the motor just seems like it would just keep eating as long as you keep shiftin.... mine tops out around 115-120 and thats all it has i dont like runnin that hard but i have just to see what it would do after the mods. i knew it would be about the same top end but it got there alot faster.
I have had the 47RE in the 99 and now I have the G56 in my 05 and I really like the 6 speed much better, but I never had much use for and automatic. The bottom line is what you like and what you want.
There are advantages and disadvantages on both you must go with what you like in the long term and hope your choice pays off. I have a love hate relationship with my TorqShift, I love that it hasnt given me any real issues, but hate the fact that its not a manual.
