Whilst among slow traffic auto is king, otherwise manual is fine but would prefer 5 speed over 6 in manual form as I lose count in something as high geared as the Freelander...is it in 3rd or 5th or 4th or 6th.

Which is probably another reason manuals are limited to 6 gears, unless the box is sequential and has a dash readout, a double H box would be a touch confusing on 9 speeds plus a reverse.  my PC is slightly to the right of Genghis
2012 HSE SD4 In Orkney Grey now gone, best car ever.

Sd4 Freelander everytime

Mark 2009 FL2 TD4 SE (Sadly gone)
2007 FL2 TD4 GS (The wifes , gone after 8 great years)
2012 FL2 SD4 SPORT LE(Gone and missing it)
2015 DISCOVERY SPORT 2.2SD4 HSE (For now ?)
2014 Ford Bmax 1.0 ecoboost ( Gone but what next )
2014 Ford Focus 2.0tdci Zetec S

Same for me!  Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

I’d have to say I can’t imagine any good reason for choosing a manual gearbox. We don’t have manual advance and retard (on petrol engines, obviously) nor manual chokes anymore. Why on earth would one choose a manual gearbox? On a different level I’m reminded of the introduction of autofocus to single lens reflex cameras by Minolta in 1985 - all the diehards came out of the woodwork saying they’d never use auto focus, they could focus better and faster. Blah, blah. Yeah! Right,

Quote:

I’d have to say I can’t imagine any good reason for choosing a manual gearbox.

If fuel consumption is a concern perhaps something other than a 4WD Land Rover would be more suitable? And with modern auto boxes, is there really that much difference anymore?

Fuel consumption.

Let's say you save 1L/100km with a manual, which I doubt it, & do 10,000km per year. Down under at $1.50 per litre. That's $150pa. Less than a cappuccino a week!

Driving a 1.8 tonne 4WD with the aerodynamic finesse of a brick & one is worried about fuel consumption!

P.S. Save for a clutch replacement while at it. Removing towbar saves weight, remove mudflaps & roof racks for wind resistance & get rid of AT tyres (about 5% improvement) will improve fuel consumption!  Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

Perfectly happy with my TD4 manual here - previous vehicle was an auto, fortunately I can drive both though I do admit I generally have a preference for manual trans and I could not give you a good reason for that!

The anti stall system really does work, I live up a very steep single track dirt road and the FL2 will take itself up happily in 1st gear with no need for me to touch the throttle or clutch pedals - would I go extreme rock crawling in it? no of course not!

Also for those that talk about potential clutch issues, I don't see many threads here....... the one I do recall where the clutch burnt out was due to operator error - riding the clutch offroading rather than letting the anti stall do it's thing - in fact I seem to recall he didn't actually know about the anti stall system, but I do hear about the lurching and jerking that apparently some autos do.. but then I'm a noob to Freelanders, I'm just going off the reading I have done here for the last few months

Ultimately I'd be happy with either I think & like the OP I specifically wanted a TD4 not a SD4 2014 Freelander 2 TD4 Manual Dynamic
1956/7 88" Series One Land Rover
1956/7 88" Series One Land Rover - undergoing restoration

Simon J wrote:

I’d have to say I can’t imagine any good reason for choosing a manual gearbox. We don’t have manual advance and retard (on petrol engines, obviously) nor manual chokes anymore. Why on earth would one choose a manual gearbox? On a different level I’m reminded of the introduction of autofocus to single lens reflex cameras by Minolta in 1985 - all the diehards came out of the woodwork saying they’d never use auto focus, they could focus better and faster. Blah, blah. Yeah! Right,

Auto all the way

OLOSTEVE wrote:

Simon J wrote:

I’d have to say I can’t imagine any good reason for choosing a manual gearbox. We don’t have manual advance and retard (on petrol engines, obviously) nor manual chokes anymore. Why on earth would one choose a manual gearbox? On a different level I’m reminded of the introduction of autofocus to single lens reflex cameras by Minolta in 1985 - all the diehards came out of the woodwork saying they’d never use auto focus, they could focus better and faster. Blah, blah. Yeah! Right,

I have to add, would you buy a, "Twin tub washing machine"?
I've been driving automatic cars since 1972. It's taken a long time for the driving public to catch up.

No point in a manual box now. Back in 84 we had an auto Vauxhall Magnum, it was ok but more thirsty than a manual. Also a Massey Fergy 675 with a change on the move. Move on a few years and we had a new Massey Ferguson 3065 with 32 gears and a press button speed shift. In 97 we changed to a 32 speed 6170 with dyna 4 and electric shuttle. All our Landy's however remained manual while the tractors got ever more complex but user friendly auto box's and flick of a lever to get all the same gears going backwards. No point at all in buying any car now that hasn't an auto box, so much more relaxing to drive and now that it is common for Landy's and Jags to have 9 speed autos that are that imperceptible with the changes that there isn't need for paddles either because you don't have a clue which gear it is in. And don't need to know which gear it is in! Perhaps car gearboxes will get even more advanced to catch up a bit with the lowly tractor that has way more technology and it is technology that HAS to work unlike some of the cheap made bits and bobs on cars that disintegrate at a whim.

What about the dreaded 'turbo lag'?

I've read reviews of the 2010 autos having turbo lag and a friend that had a first series Auto Evoque recalls finding it hard to reverse and park due to the lag. How noticeable is it? .

All I can say is ‘what turbo lag’.