same as a manual gearbox. This in turn means that the fuel consumption and performance of a modern 5 or more speed automatic may be comparable to that of an equivalent manual gearbox in some cases. Check the manufacturer's fuel consumption data or, better still, independent test figures, to see if this is the case for a specific model. I have a Volvo est.4x4,xc70,my second one,both auto.I tow a bailey Pegasus at 1500kgs.uprated weight.This the best car ive ever had for towing.2.4,212hp, 28mpg towing,32/34 local,solo.I have been driving a Long time,and would never,never,go back to manual for towing.As everyone hear says,its so easy and relaxed and no clutch slipping whilst I would rather change a clutch than replace an auto transmission. Yes, I tow with a 2.5 Litre 5 speed manual and the Forester does it easily. Usually, I let the clutch up before engaging throttle with no problems. If it looks like a bad hill start, I pull low range and take off gently. Hard to find a manual. The advantage of an auto is no heavy wear of the clutch on take-off, particularly when towing in tricky situations or backing up the horse-box. Tags: manual gearbox automatics buying a used car towing. So you wanna tow your tool trailer, boat, enormous moon-class caravan full of actual crap, whatever. But you think, like in the good old days with your Pappy, hauling your worldly possessions around the country in a rusty old long-wheelbase Defender, you know what gear to be in and Goddammit you're the boss and you're gonna tell the car what's what. Should you tow a two wheel drive vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission with the driving wheels on the ground, catastrophic failure may occur. As the drive shaft or drive axles are turned by the wheels, they turn components inside the transmission. An automatic transmission is only lubricated when the engine is running, which produces Heavier flywheels are usually desired for towing or slow speed technical rock crawling with a manual transmission. You can speed up the shifting of some manual transmissions with the installation of an aftermarket short throw shifter. Reducing the shifter throw by up to 35 percent means you can row between gears much quicker. jeepguy225 said: The automatic has a lot more off-road tech features that come with the JT (controlled crawl speed button, etc.). I really like manual (its not a real jeep or a real truck if it's not a manual), but everything I read from off roaders says the automatic is far superior in every way. The manual is only offered for nostalgia. Automatic. Nuff said. ProfJohnL Mar 14, 2005 15,428 1,827 50,935 Jun 15, 2020 #6 Like Gabsgrandad I have driven countless vehicle both manuals and automatics with loads of different caravans in tow (not all my own I hasten to add) and whilst I've had no problems with manuals, I do prefer automatics. Some automatics hunt around between ratios when towing, which can be annoying. With a manual gearbox, the driver is always in charge so this cannot happen.Manuals and automatics often have different towing limits. It's more common for the manual's limit to be higher, but that's not always the case. Manual Transmission: a manual transmission is easier to regulate power delivery to the wheels, since you have full control over the engine to transmission engagement. This provides you with the ability to recover or get out of difficult situations easier. It is also a much simpler and straight