One of the managers at work (years & years of driving experience apparently) was admiring my car today but made a serious (not pi take) comment that even with terrific 4WD abilities, terrain response and even with winter tyres fitted, it would not be very good in snow due to the auto box.

Now, I tried to explain how the TR will step in and how you can change manually etc but it was like banging your head against a wall.

So for the experienced here, no doubt you will rubbish his claim as I did but what are your experiences of auto's in snow and do you prefer the commandshift approach?

P.S, I know we are still in 'summer' but I wanted to see you guys tear into this claim  60 plate SD4 XS, Stornoway Grey, Arm rest pack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly--gT1RJdk

Is this the guy



Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated

He is so wrong. If anything, auto is better in snow. 2013 RR Evoque Pure Tech
2012 TD4 GS Auto Orkney Grey - gone

Freelander 2 is great in snow - I've driven both manual and auto Freelanders in snow and mud on normal tyres and not got stuck. Freelander 2 auto box used in Command Shift (manual) mode will hold the gear you select and linked to the correct use of TR and winter tyres it will be virtually unstopable.

LR Experiemce vehicles all run on standard road tyres so that the instructors can demonstrate how well the vehicles perform in difficult conditions such as snow and mud.

If you got a LR Experience voucher from your dealer then try it - preferably when the course is wet - if you want to show your manager the error of his ways take him along with you.

ad210358 wrote:

Is this the guy

That's so accurate :thumbsup:

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated  60 plate SD4 XS, Stornoway Grey, Arm rest pack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly--gT1RJdk

Derbyshire? a guy who dislikes Auto's, face like a slapped arse?, do you work with 'the doctor'? At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

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chicken george wrote:

Derbyshire? a guy who dislikes Auto's, face like a slapped arse?, do you work with 'the doctor'?

FANTASTIC CG

In fairness though, I don't dislike auto's, I just dislike the FL2 auto. Matt Smith is an unusual looking chap but slapped arse is a bit harsh (being as you haven't met me, we have to use the current Doctor for reference)

Does sound rubbish though. Even I know full well that an auto FL2 would laugh at snow having seen what they can do at an LR day. LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

CG there is no evidence in Kal-El post that his work colleague is in fact a Derbyshire lad or lass (and if it turns out they are) then they a) need their backsides wacking, and b) cannot be of Derbyshire parentage.

So back to the core subject:
As has been already pointed out the Auto box in the "manual" command shift mode and the use of the TR performs admirably in all types of snow and their depths. However Sheik Kal-El, do note that the salient descriptive noun here is "manual" which illustrates that when all said a done in the debate over manual vis-á-vis auto box it is the manual that is the superior and advantageous method of transmission when the going gets tough.

Finally, it is not an auto box or manual box allied to a TR system that gets stuck - it is the dim wit behind the wheel that inevitably "beaches" the vehicle like a stranded whale.

Last winter I had to do a hill start on a bloody steep and slippy hill, fresh snow over icy slush over good old Yorkshire cobbles !

very narrow, dry stone wall at both sides, good chance of trashing the car, and oh by the way I had a VW golf hanging off the back on a tow strop !

so slippy and steep I could hardly walk when I went to shackle up the vee-dub

The auto freelander did the job no drama, not on special winter tyres , just Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain, I would not have attempted the tow with a manual, so I must arrive at the assumption that your work collegues is indeed talking out of his arse 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

MartynB wrote:

I would not have attempted the tow with a manual

Lots of experience = doing the same thing wrongly over and over again

Used mine (auto) around the hills in Matlock last year went down hill with the TR and hill desent is amazing never had any worries at all.

He's a noughut  

Click image to enlarge

Freelander 2 is great in snow (with decent/not worn tires). Even the original Freelander was good in snow. Way more than you will ever need in the UK. We only get automatic Freelanders / LR2's over here, so don't know if a manual is any better.

Can't vouch for the manual, but we have had a couple of very interseting winters recently with more snow than usual. Never got stuck once, driving through snow to and from a quarry in Buxton every day, towing vans and cars out of ditches whenever I was asked.

This was either with the standard Wrangers, or the Goodyear MT/Rs. The standard tyres were good in snow several inches deep, the MT/Rs were good right up to the point were I was in danger of running out of clearance.

Might I suggest your friend is either misinformed, or just making biased comment.

Why would LR build the G4's as autos if they were inferior to the manual when traction was at a premium? Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner