5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

Hey everyone, Just joined the forum here and have been reading it for about 6 months. I'm going to be getting a used 2008 H3 with the adventure package and was hoping some one could help explain to me the pros and cons of both transmissions, it would be very helpful.

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

Howdy and welcome.

The auto trans costs more, the manual require hand and foot work. Very few 5speeds are sold here in the US. The 5 speed may gat a tad better MPG on the Hwy.
Matter of pocket book personal preference I would say.

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

Well.....
Auto Pro's
Easier on the left leg in traffic
Easier for a novice off-roader
Don't have to worry about burning up a clutch

Auto Con's
Sluggish/slow to react
Only 4 gears to choose from (larger gaps between gears)
Tend to run hotter
Less efficient (although modern ECT's have closed the gap )
Cant pick and choose the gear as quickly in off-road or emergency situations

Manual Pro's
Choose whatever gear you want whenever (to an extent) you want
Better crawl ratio/gearing
More gears to choose from
More efficient (slightly)

Manual Con
Traffic
Keeping momentum when going up hill from stop
Harder (more skill required) when off-road and rock climbing
Traffic
Harder to hold that 44 oz big gulp ;-)
Traffic

Every car I've owned has been a manual (mainly sports cars). Every Truck, an automatic. I just prefer auto in truck/towing/off-road situations. HATE the 4 speed, but oh well. I guess it depends on what you are doing with the truck.

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

After I installed the "PCM4less" computer my shifts in my auto are nice and crisp. Parasitic loss of the new automatics are nill.
Stirring a gear box was fun when I was young but now the auto suits me fine! Even my Corvette has an automatic.:)

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

^^^ Pretty much everything they said – especially the Big Gulp ^^^

My only disagreement with the above comments is in the significance of the difference in efficiency (mpg). The difference can be pretty substantial - 10% or more is not at all unrealistic depending on how you drive and under what conditions. In terms of mpg, I'll grant that an automatic is probably better in stop and go city driving. I suspect that there’s not much difference on the highway (not sure why there would be). I've found, over the years, that a manual is far better when cruising around the suburbs with minimal stops. I’m speculating that maybe this is because it tends to downshift at various thresholds while your decision whether or not to shift is based on what you know you’re going to do next (or maybe you’re just lazy ). In any event, there are many situations where you might tend to stay in a higher gear than an automatic would, resulting in less gas used. Add to that the benefit of coasting to a stop – something an automatic typically doesn’t do on its own (I’m sure there’s a good reason for that, though I can’t imagine what it might be). I've been getting around 18 with my H3 in the 'burbs in the month since I bought it - getting better as I keep an eye on the Scan Gauge. Before that, I was doing a pretty consistent 20 with my ’04 GTO, while a friend of mine with an automatic was doing closer to 17 under roughly the same conditions. Both are higher than I would have expected based on the EPA numbers.

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

I drove a big rig for five years, so I am partial to manual tranny. I will try to keep to facts . . .

Manual Pros
Higher crawl rate (lower gears - about 69:1 with adventure package)
Better gas mileage (I consistently get 20-22 MPG, but I also have 3.5L with Gibson cat-back exhaust and K&N intake)
Can use starter to pull out of difficult situations (clutch safety switch has been bypassed on mine)
Unique (I always get comments from people that think I put the manual in it)
Runs cooler when pulling steep grades.

Manual Cons
No after market parts (custom pedals, shift knob, and gauge background available only for auto)
Lower towing capacity
Not good for sand (a higher gear rate and auto shifting can be a big help in sand)
Rare, may be hard to find people to work on it, even though it is the same tranny as the Pontiac Solstice
Many people in car washes or valet lots can not drive a stick.
Wife may not like manual shift (I am not going to give any more details to protect myself)

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

I wanted a manual, but the dealer did not have any in stock. The dealer told me they have only sold 1 manual in the last 12 months!

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

Yep, you are more than likely right!! And I was the dummy who bought one and only 5-speed!! Perhaps I grew up since my last manual tranny, but I sure hate shifting now!!

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

While the manual in the Hummer is not nearly as much fun as the 6-speed in the GTO, I'd hardly call it a hassle. As long as you know how to shift, you'll be doing it unconsciously after a week or so. Before the GTO, I hadn't used a clutch in over 20 years, so it took a bit of getting used to. Another advantage of the manual is that fewer people will borrow it :)

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

I had to order my H3. I wanted the 5 speed with a sunroof and Adventure kit . . . none available in the western US, including Sewell!

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

Thanks everyone for the reply's I'm pretty new to off roading so it sounds like the automatic is the way to go maybe in a few years if I need it I could trade it in and get a manual. Anyway I have a few more questions I will ask in other threads, this seams to be a great place to learn about Hummers from experienced users.

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

Incidentally, with regard to availability of a 5 speed, though I could be wrong, I got the impression that the dealer ordered only one 'base' model so he could advertise what might otherwise be considered a lowball price. I happily took it off his hands. As others have suggested, mpg aside, I suspect an auto might be better for off roading - enjoy!

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

When I bought mine, it was 1 of 2 5-speeds in the entire Chicago area, the other being the now-discontinued green one, which I regret not waiting for, but I got lucky and found the 5-speed.

That being said and having driven both of them, I prefer the automatic, especially in traffic. If you commute to a city every day, the 5-speed makes you despise driving stick after a while. If you live in a more suburban environment and do not have to commute as much, the 5-speed is nice.

The biggest issue I have had is finding people that know how to work on it. It's been a nightmare for me. Luckily all of the kinks were worked out and the drivetrain is in top condition.

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

I just bought a 2008 with 5 speed. Drives nice, no problems. I have driven stick for over 40 years. The only complaint came from the wife. She pointed out that my teenage stepson can't drive a stick. That clinched the deal for me. :)

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

Hi everyone. I'm in the same boat. I'm looking to purchase a HUMMER in the near future and am indecisive on which transmission to buy. I am partial to manual trannys as I've driven many in my lifetime....'01 Camaro SS, '01 Corvette Z06, '06 Caddy CTS, and a '98 Jeep Cherokee. I tend to think I'd lean towards the manual, however I'd like to hear what others think? Thank you.

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

I wouldn't have bought my H3 if they hadn't been able to find one with a stick. I've owned 5 vehicles prior to my H3 and only the Blazer was an automatic. After driving that for 5 years, I was ready to go back to driving a stick and I still love it as much as I used to. Sure it can be a pain in stop and go highway traffic but that aside it's more fun to drive than an automatic.

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

The chances of finding a manual w/ adventure pkg are very slim. I know of only a couple and they were special orders. There wasn't one on a lot in the country when I bought mine.

I don't get any better mileage with the manual than most report getting with the auto, but I'm not light footed.

The pros /cons otheres have listed are pretty accurate.

One con for autos is that on extreame inclines they can lose presure and quit utell they level out again.

With the manual you can leave the x-fer case in low and start out in 2nd or 3rd if you don't need the lower gearing. Saves a lot of stopping to shift the x-fer case.

As far a manuals go,the clutch isn't bad and it'sprety easy to drive in traffic.

Valets always jump out and have to close the hood because they find the hood release before they find the brake release.

I just came to the realization that I've been driving manuals for almost 20 years and now I feel old.

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

What happened to the old days when it seemed everybody ordered their new car from the factory?

Exactly what I did when I went for my test drive!

RE: 5 Speed Manual vs 4 Speed Automatic
 

They put the 4l60e automatic behind v8s with upwards of 345 horsepower in other gm models. This manual transmision never was to my knowledge except the 2.9 four banger and the I-5. The Automatic is tried and true and I dont like pumping pedals so much in traffic.