Grit dog wrote:
Gdetrailer, yes I understand and am quite familiar with most trucks and drivetrain combos from the last 30 years. From driving, owning, managing fleets of (aware of overall cost of ownership) and wrenching on them.
Correct, clutches don’t last forever. And I agree that high miles original clutch is a liability. No more than an auto trans with the same miles though. And both could be great or both could be junk. The more info, service records etc the buyer can get, the more informed a decision they can make.
I don’t agree that the, now 20+ year old feature of tow haul is the best thing since beer in a can. Yes it’s good, yes it is merely a substitute for grabbing a lower gear yourself when talking downhill runs. Higher shift-points are plus though. But a manual trans has that capability too. Just requires operator input.
Just like this entire discussion, whether it’s which brand of vehicle , which engine,etc, in the old, high mile, low budget category, in general, the best condition, lowest miles vehicle wins. Auto or manual.
Grit dog,
Even the OP Fin has posted
"Just wanted to add, I found out the manual xterra does have a lower tow rating, it's 3500 for the standard and 5k for the automatic."
That is direct from the manufacturer that they have and do derate a manual over automatics.
Ford has done this also, can't say for sure GM or Ram but most likely they have derated for manual.
When faced between a manual with LESS capacity and a auto with MORE capacity for nearly the same price, the HIGHER CAPACITY of the automatic trumps the lower capacity of the hand shaker..
They HAVE a reason to derate manuals so, otherwise they WOULD be rating manual transmissions the same OR HIGHER capacity over automatics if a manual transmission was superior..
Come on, it IS time to move from technology designed back in the 1920s (manual transmissions and manual clutch)..
The standard manual transmission train has left the station 10-15 yrs ago and it is never coming back. This really should not be a conversation but I get it, the stick huggers have a hard time making a change and playing taps for their old friend.
