TheRealCJ wrote:
Well, with an auto you have to approach things more carefully, and of course you have to remember to put you stock into neutral when you get bogged.
But otherwise, they drive fairly okay. And 4 wheel lock still works the same. So as long as you tackle tough stuff with a bit of extra care, you shouldn't have any problems.
I really don't understand what any of this means.
Why do you have to approach things more carefully? What things? What do you mean by more carefully? I'd say the opposite is true - being able to stop and pull away at any time without having to dip the clutch or attempt a handbrake start without rolling back tends to add confidence, likewise, incorrect gear selection is far less of a problem.
What does "having to put the (I assume)
stick in neutral when bogged" mean. I'm not being facetious, I really have no idea.
What is "four wheel lock" Did you mean "four wheel low"?
If I was looking at an automatic jimny, I'd be terribly confused after reading your post, and I'd always wonder what "taking it easy" meant or if, when I was driving my car, I wasn't "taking it easy" and my car might break.
The availability of an auto (and power steer) is the best thing about the jimny. Automatics are massively superior in all offroad conditions. Automatics are stunningly awesomely full of epic awesomeness on sand - you can change gear under load without bogging down, not possible with a manual.
You need to take the time to properly learn automatic driving technique. It's quite tricky to get the hang of, because it's all about left foot braking and understanding the torque converter stall speed, but once you have it nailed, you'd never go back to a manual offroad.
Steve.