Auto tranny: My '85 Westy was manual, my '90 is automatic. I wouldn't go back to manual unless I was going to a syncro. FAR nicer to drive, in town or on the road. My '90 is far better on mountain passes. I attribute most of this to the 2.1l vs. 1.9l engine and the different power curve on the 2.1l setup, but the automatic helps. Mileage: In my case fine on the hightway cruising at 60-65, lousy in town. The highway milage is about one or two mpg below what I was getting with the 1.9l in the '85. Part of this is due to the fact that the final drive is 1:1 on the auto, 1:.86(?) on the manual. Others have reported better in town milage than I am getting, I don't know if this is the way I drive, the tranny getting long in tooth (106k miles, never opened) or the way my engine is tuned. I'll be exploring this in the spring. Reliability: most reports on the list place the auto above the manual in reliability and durability. |
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