Thats what I'm thinking. I would tear **** up in my Jetta, high speeds, quickly alternating hard braking and hard gas, red line ****fs, **** I used the hell out of my kick down switch and never had issues(Button under the gas pedal, you can floor it, then push a lil harder to hit the button and it'll drop the the lowest possible gear for the speed your going)

 

Thanks for all the good info. It was the cylinder head that I had heard about. Glad to know that's not really an issue.

 

You bet. Just be sure to do a real good comb over on it before buying. I know for me, if I was really interested in a vehicle I'd be tempted to overlook the little things. Learned that lesson real quick when buying my second car as a teen. Sweat the small stuff, get a set of knowledgeable and impartial eyes on it too, and then go from there.

 

X2... don't go alone with all your hopes and dreams involved in the purchase. Get someone to come along before hand and give them a list of the things you want it to have/not have etc. My wife has saved me a few times over the years haha.

 

 

If I may give a small bit of input on manual transmissions, to put things into perspective I've been driving for 52 yrs. then you where I lived got them at 14 yrs. of age. I have driven about everything there is to drive from a lawn mower to a 200 ton Dump Truck at the Berkley Pit in Butte, MT. a copper mine.

There is a reason that diesel pickups have a lower tow rating with a std. trans than an auto, the auto is stronger period. I have active in Drag Racing since 1964 and was an early user of the Tq. Flight transmission that Dodge/Plymouth used with the 426 Hemi's in 1966 my first one. From that day forward I started winning races against the 4 spd's 80+% of the time even faster cars than mine. The reason...the hole shot they would be spinning off the line and I was gone. I have used auto from then to this day.

The auto trans has been made so dependable and standards have fell by the wayside mostly because of costs to maintain them, and very low sales numbers. You will NEVER find a standard trans that will run even 40-50,000 miles if they are babied on the highway only. Not like an auto running several hundred thousand with just fluid and filters.

Personally I would never consider anything but an auto for off road use for myself. I had several std's in CO. and MT. but not again.

 

This is a very poor statement because you are comparing apples to oranges. There is no transmission with an "auto" and "manual" version: each one is different. An Eaton RT-9509 can take more torque than an Allison 1000.

In export markets all XJs with the 2.5L TD or 4.0 gas are rated at the same tow capacity, regardless of transmission.

The XJ's transmissions:

AW4: installed in Volvo sedans and wagons, Toyota cars and SUVs.

AX-15: installed in Dodge 1/4 ton trucks.


Not at all. People are lazy and like autos. This is mostly a North American thing. Go anywhere else and stick is still king.

Um what?

 

I was born and raised on a stick in my driving life. Almost every single car or truck I've ever had has been stick, except 2, one of them being my XJ. I did this on purpose. I absolutely LOVE driving a stick on the street, but HATE driving stick offroad. I have burned up clutches on the trail, and let me tell you, driving off the side of a mountain with no clutch SUCKS. Turning around on a one-lane dirt and rock trail with a drop-off on one side SUCKS. So far my auto has been awesome on the trails. IF I ever buy a street only vehicle again, you better believe it will be stick, but after driving both offroad, I'll take the auto all day long.

 

I have had both man and auto xjs... I agree with you. Auto is better in almost every way offroad. I also hate trying to pull someone else out with a stick lol. Certainly more fun to drive around the street.

 

Straight up they're funner, its always fun to drop the clutch and spool out a turbo haha, but still autos are faster, and this summer when im looking for a more economical(faster lol) car, it will be a VW or Audi with a DSG automatic, either tap or paddle shift. But unless you hand throttle, a manual is to hard offroad, especially in the rocks.

 

I never found it particularly difficult to wheel a stick offroad, handled that just fine. As a matter of fact, wheeling a stick offroad only improved my driving skills. It's just I find it more convenient offroad wheeling an auto. When you're out there hitting lines, there's a lot you have to deal with, a lot going on all at the same time. I just find it easier to deal with taking one of the factors out of the equation. I'm gonna chock it up to old age, LMAO

 

I agree. On the street gimme a stick. Even though the newer DSG's and such are faster than a standard, I still love rowing through the gears. There's just nothing else like it. But like Ronin said, offroad, there are so many details to pay attention to it's just easier and way more convenient to have an automatic and not have to worry about it. I've wheeled with a stick and it does improve your skills without a doubt, but man is the auto more relaxing on the rocks.

 

Kirk, to state that all automatic XJ's are worthless and only good for parts because you got unlucky with just one XJ is a pretty ignorant statement. In fact, I think to part out an XJ because the tranny went out is pretty ignorant in itself. Take your BS elsewhere. The AW4 is known to be a tough old goat and with regular maintenance can last a long time.

 

Driving a stick and rowing through the gears....like you said, there's nothing like it. It makes you feel as if you are one with the vehicle, and I like that. Meshing your human self with a machine and syncing in harmony is a pretty cool feeling. One of the reasons I really love riding motorcycles. Straddle that puppy and hang on, LOL...

 

Best stick I ever drove was an E39 M5. MY GOD!!! Crisp, short, and smooth. You wanna talk about being one with a vehicle...good lord in heaven it was nice. It was my uncle's but I had it for about a month while he was using my Jeep. Every chance I get I drive that thing just to go through the gears.