Well I have been looking around for an late 80s to late 90s F250 and Dodge 2500. I cant seem to find to many manuals and autos are easier to find in my area. So Auto or Manual? The only thing that scares me about an auto are the 150K+ ones. I peffer manuals because thats what i have driven all my life. I do alot of highway driving and offroading. I dont tow to much but i when i do, i really do need a diesel. Working on a diesel is my ocupation, so no worrys about working on them.

 

I would never buy a vehicle if I couldn't get it in a manual. If my experience they are faster, better MPG, stronger, more reliable and most important, your actually driving.
With newer auto trannys people will argue that they are just as good or better than any manual.
I think it really comes down to personal preference and as I said I believe manuals are better and I like driving them so it's win-win for me, but that's just my opinion.

You should be able to find a manual in that year. They become much rarer in the later years.

 

Having used standards a lot and asuming you did not experince clutchs wearing out,( the enexperinced can go thru a lot of clucthes),I vote standard. Hear's why. When and if you test drive a std you will have a much better ability to sense problems (even engine to some degree). You can leverage the price of a standard(how many want/can drive a std). When and if a problem starts,you are more likly to realize it earlier and take measures before it gets worse. Although standards a more complex than in the pasted,there is better odds you can diagnose and repair with a few pointers if needed from a trans tech. Most important,YOU WILL LIKE YOUR TRUCK . Good luck

 

Autos in those years you are looking at weren't the best and even today they aren't the best behind a dodge. If you were to be getting a torqshift that would be a different story. The only reason mine needed a rebuild is that I'm pushing a lot more hp then it was designed for.

The only reason that is still valid with today's autos that F250racer mentioned is the actual driving part and that is going to be heavily individualized. Computer controlled and locking TC(which they don't have in the years you are looking at in stock form) make it on par with the standards and with computer controls you can diagnose an auto pretty quick as well providing that you have the right software and you can get a good one without breaking the bank if you are doing alright.

In those years, stick with the manual. Hold out and get what you want. The only one that I would get that would be an auto would be a late 90s 7.3, but make sure the auto has been rebuilt stronger with a stronger TC and you should be good to go, however, finding a 7.3 for sale might be pretty hard as people are trying to hold on to those.

 

Thanks for the input. I just never drove an auto diesel. so i wanted to see how much of a difference it was for some people. I'm a manual guy but i would give in if i could find a decent auto one but finding a manual anything is kind of hard. If you do find one its way over priced or has 1 to many miles on it.

 

Always had manuals until this truck. iwas looking at a manual dually or my current truck and it pretty much came down to traffic,it`s a pita to always shift in bumper to bumper traffic. I just enjoy the hell out of it I suppose not having the clutches and knees goin out

 

If it were me I would go manual in an older truck, if you are looking at 03 the up then I would consider an auto....but never a Dodge.

 

Autos have an additional advantage with a turbodiesel that doesn't apply with a gas motor. With a manual, you have to completely come off the throttle to shift, losing boost. You then have to wait for boost to build before it starts really pulling again.

Autos shift under power, therefore you maintain boost through the shift. When you're pulling a steep hill you loose less speed both during and after the shift.

But then again, auto transmissions of that era weren't as good as they are now. I would NEVER chose a manual transmission over a modern automatic behind a turbocharged engine.

 

Tom,
I would have to disagree with you. Have you ever driven a manual equipped truck on these newer diesels? When going up a 6%+ grade with the horse trailer I rev her up to 3500 rpm's before I shift. With that much energy going through the gear train the shifts are really smooth and no loss of power in the next gear since I am well above max torque. Rpm drop is on average around 750 rpm's so that puts me right around 2750 rpm's in the next gear. With a quick shift there is minimal boost lost. I have a short throw shifter that helps shift faster. Now for those that don't know how to drive a stick I could see big problems. And with a diesel they are a bit trickier than they are with a gas engine. I also need to drive into a city for work and have to deal with stop and go traffic. It can be a hassle at times but it is really not that bad. I just keep extra distance between me and the car ahead so I don't need to step on the clutch and shift gears as much. With more engine breaking I don't need to use the service brakes as much as I would with the free wheeling auto. I say this with comparison of my 1997 f250 7.3 diesel that was an auto truck. If I bought that truck with a manual I would still be driving her around. When I sold her with around 130k on her the trans was slipping so bad when towing a trailer it would make the shifts harsh feel like a dog. A least with the manual if there are harsh shifts it would be my fault. The debate of manual vs auto can go a long way and in the end is personal preference and weather the driver is really able drive a stick or not.

 

I would say it's more the former then the latter, or atleast I like to think I can drive a stick, but maybe I can't, I dunno. However, I'm a convert and it really isn't a fair comparison between the autos in trucks now versus the auto behind the 7.3. Those autos did suck and sucked big time.

 

I would have to agree with you tex. I have let a few of my workers drive my truck that said they knew how to drive a manual. Both times the truck came back with a burnt clutch smell. They will never drive the truck again. I am a bit of old school and learned how to drive a stick when I was 15. I then always had a car or truck that had manuals in them. When I did have an auto I hated it. Even when I drive my wife's expedition I am always putting my left foot down looking for the clutch pedal. I know comparing an older auto trans to a newer one is not a fair comparison but it is the only one that I personally can compare never have driven a newer one. The debate can go on forever.

 

Tazo, I do the same thing I get in the wife's car I am pushing my foot looking for the clutch. I to grew up on manuals so no auto can sway me.

 

Go with the stick, they are much better.

If you really want an auto, get an 03- PSD or 05- forward V10.

The autos in the older trucks are ok at best empty and make me wish it was a stick constantly well towing even an empty trailer.

Tazo, your sig says PSD lariat 6 speed? I thought ford dropped that and you had to get the auto if you got the higher trim.

 

It wasn't easy to get. I had to order it through a Ford fleet dealer. It took 6 months from when I ordered it to delivery. Well worth the wait.

 

Well, there are a lot of interesting points and personal preferences posted in an attempt to answer feelings on your question, Iverson-fords. As far as Ive known it, manual trannies do seem to hold up better in older trucks than do the autos. Beyond that, I also agree that you get better fuel mileage as you can govern when and where to up and down shift. Other than that, I couldnt say whether or not they have more power (unless of course your power band is higher up in RPMs than an auto allows) either way that is to do with the engine and gear ratios not the tranny so much. I guess its up to you and whether or not there are tons of stop lights where you live and or travel.