Buying 2008 FX4 F250 -- Manual or Auto

[ejh25]

Hello all.
This will be my first truck and first Ford. I am buying a 2008 F250 Crew Cab short bed FX4 diesel. I am trying to decide if I want to go with a manual or auto.
Let me give you my auto background and then my pros and cons and see if anyone can help me make a decision.
I currently drive a Subaru WRX that has basically turned into a unstreetable monster...although it is still tagged for street use in MD. The car is a manual with a straight cut dog box that is the sickest transmission I have ever driven. The car put down 507/510 at the wheels.
I don't like American cars but when it comes to Ford trucks I love the way they look and have heard great things about ownership. I want a big toy to tow my little toy to the race track plus be slightly more practical than my race car on the street. I love love love manual transmissions and am worried that I will be disappointed with an auto in my F250 diesel. Initially the truck will not be modded except for an exhaust and a bed liner. That will be the extent of it.
Manual --
Pros:
(1) Fun to drive
(2) less expensive
(3) Fun to drive
(4) More control off-road

Cons:
(1) Possible resale value issues
(2) Friends will be scared to drive it
(3) Ease in towing might be compromised
(4) traffic can be a bore...but in the end manuals are second nature to me

[Strõkër~X]

get the auto, cant beat it in the long run, shifting sux! (for me).
anyways, sounds like big time to me!welcome to the site,

[ejh25]

Originally Posted by Strõkër~X

get the auto, cant beat it in the long run, shifting sux! (for me).
anyways, sounds like big time to me!welcome to the site,

I appreciate the advice. I don't really mind shifting. I have to double clutch and rev match gears in my tranny since I have synchros. I can't imagine the F250 manual is that hard to drive. Has anyone out there driven one? I was able to test drive a Ram 3500 dualie with a 6psd manual and that was a piece of cake to engage gears. Light clutch feel and easy gear engagement.

[ejh25]

Double post...sorry.

[97stroker_roalin_coal]

Originally Posted by ejh25

Hello all.
This will be my first truck and first Ford. I am buying a 2008 F250 Crew Cab short bed FX4 diesel. I am trying to decide if I want to go with a manual or auto.
Let me give you my auto background and then my pros and cons and see if anyone can help me make a decision.
I currently drive a Subaru WRX that has basically turned into a unstreetable monster...although it is still tagged for street use in MD. The car is a manual with a straight cut dog box that is the sickest transmission I have ever driven. The car put down 507/510 at the wheels.
I don't like American cars but when it comes to Ford trucks I love the way they look and have heard great things about ownership. I want a big toy to tow my little toy to the race track plus be slightly more practical than my race car on the street. I love love love manual transmissions and am worried that I will be disappointed with an auto in my F250 diesel. Initially the truck will not be modded except for an exhaust and a bed liner. That will be the extent of it.
Manual --
Pros:
(1) Fun to drive
(2) less expensive
(3) Fun to drive
(4) More control off-road

Cons:
(1) Possible resale value issues
(2) Friends will be scared to drive it<-----------------im going with this is a pro the no one can fk up ur truck
(3) Ease in towing might be compromised
(4) traffic can be a bore...but in the end manuals are second nature to me

how much city driving do you do? do you tow often? people will love that manual is 10 years when they really want to mod it just look at the old psd and 12v 5 speeds their hard to find every body loves them

[Diesel Freak]

I'm like you..... Manual much more fun to drive! Less Expensive in the long haul. If ya drive in trafic all day it sucks! If ya four wheel a lot it sucks! If ya tow a lot ahhh 50/50...... in trafic it sucks! The older ya get yer gonna want the auto fer sure! harder to drink n drive with manual. Dang stick seems to get in the way at times when yer gal wants near......maybe that's a good thing though....lol. Don't worry about the resale value.........YOU AINT GONNA WANT TO GET RID OF IT!!! GO FOR MANUAL DUDE!!! YOU SEEM TO LIKE IT MORE...IT SHOWS!!! just my

[ejh25]

Originally Posted by Diesel Freak

I'm like you..... Manual much more fun to drive! Less Expensive in the long haul. If ya drive in trafic all day it sucks! If ya four wheel a lot it sucks! If ya tow a lot ahhh 50/50...... in trafic it sucks! The older ya get yer gonna want the auto fer sure! harder to drink n drive with manual. Dang stick seems to get in the way at times when yer gal wants near......maybe that's a good thing though....lol. Don't worry about the resale value.........YOU AINT GONNA WANT TO GET RID OF IT!!! GO FOR MANUAL DUDE!!! YOU SEEM TO LIKE IT MORE...IT SHOWS!!! just my

I'm almost set on going with a manual. I am a city dweller...DC metro area but I've driven many many miles with a manual in traffic...doesn't bother me one bit. Towing will be limited to a few times a year to race tracks for my Suby.
I can't wait for this big toy!

[TwinTurboStroker]

Driving a big truck with a stick is a lot different then driving your Suby....I had a 2005 Chevy Silverado RST reg cab short bed with magna charger, cam, 4:10s out back, manual, I was puttin down 450hp at least to the ground. Anyway the point is that the truck was a blast to drive and zip in and out of traffic because it was set up that way, to be sporty, quick, and nimble......these trucks are a totally different animal. They are big, heavy, long, powerful and can be a handful in traffic, meaning that the last thing you want to worry about it shifting the thing in traffic while watching for other morons in traffic just ask RodSlinger hahahaha, j/k....also if you plan on modding it, which I'm sure you will, you will quickly find that it is difficult to run as quick as the autos simply because half of the power these trucks make is off the line with the turbo spooled. You can ask anyone one here about that and how much of a hard time the guys with manuals have. Its alot easier to simply mash the brake and spool up that turbo then trying to slip the clutch and bang gears without breaking the tranny from all the torque...anyway just my and welcome to the site

[pipelayerjdh]

I'd go with the auto. The new trannies are great. I have a manual and changing gears gets old. I say auto for a daily driver.

[ejh25]

I took the plunge...I ordered a manual FX4 in black short bed crew cab!!!!!!!!!!
Pretty much fully loaded except for leather seats which aren't availabe with a manual in FX4 trim. I might do that aftermarket.
I'll keep everyone posted and will post up pics as soon as I get it.
- Eric