Member Since: 03 Jan 2006
Location: Romiley
Posts: 13710
Auto is the only way
You really think you'd know better than this car when to change up and down?
You mentioned your kids starting to drive... this is even more of a reason to go for an Auto Steve N | 21MY Defender | 08MY Discovery 3 (history) | 06MY Discovery 3 (ancient history)
2nd Oct 2006 8:24 am
Pelyma
Member Since: 06 Jan 2005
Location: Patching, Sussex
Posts: 15496
Drive both and see what suits you, at the end of the day all that matters it what suits you. Sure some options suit most people best, but by that reckoning we would all be driving the Ford Focus! Mine is an auto though!DS3 TDV6 HSE - Silver with Alpaca (old one) Gone
DS3 TDV6 HSE- Silver with Alpaca (new one) Gone
D4 HSE Lux - Montalcino Red Gone
Porsche Cayenne V8 Diesel S
Depends what sort of driving you'll be doing, lots of around town then an auto is going to be easier, lots of motorway it doesn't make much difference as you won't be doing much gear changing anyway, lots of off-road I'd go for the manual
As has been said go and test drive both and see which you preferThe End
2nd Oct 2006 8:50 am
Winger Site Moderator
Member Since: 15 Feb 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 3428
I agree.
I've driven both, and both are excellent.
For me, a manual every time.
2nd Oct 2006 8:59 am
swiss tony
Member Since: 02 Oct 2006
Location: in a sheepskin coat
Posts: 51
personally i would choose the auto. also if you are towing and have the land rover towbar fitted, the car recognises the electrics being plugged in and goes into a "towing mode" leaving the vehicle in first gear for longer.
nifty eh?
2nd Oct 2006 11:26 am
Pelyma
Member Since: 06 Jan 2005
Location: Patching, Sussex
Posts: 15496
So what happens if you are carrying bikes with a light board plugged in, will this leave you in first gear longer? I would have thought the extra load on the engine was enough to hold it in first gear for longer, without a special mode.
I prefer to tow with the auto, but at the same time for very fine manoevering of heavy loads might be easier with a manual. As I said earlier drive both and see what you prefer.DS3 TDV6 HSE - Silver with Alpaca (old one) Gone
DS3 TDV6 HSE- Silver with Alpaca (new one) Gone
D4 HSE Lux - Montalcino Red Gone
Porsche Cayenne V8 Diesel S
2nd Oct 2006 11:40 am
richard 1
Member Since: 28 Sep 2006
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 5
i think you would be committing residual value hari kari if you ordered a manual HSE there would be such a small used market for a car that comes standard as an auto unless when you sell it you give it away, i think that it would have to be priced about £3-4000 cheaper to have a chance as a manual
2nd Oct 2006 11:51 am
10forcash
Member Since: 09 Jun 2005
Location: Ubique
Posts: 16534
Mine's an HSE manual, trading in for another next month, the dealer with the best cost to change stated that they saw no problem with a manual 'box and didn't knock anything off the trade - in price. Another dealer did say it would be difficult to move on though and devalued it by £1k... although they were £2.5k higher on the CtC overall
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50934
caffyns.co.uk wrote:
personally i would choose the auto. also if you are towing and have the land rover towbar fitted, the car recognises the electrics being plugged in and goes into a "towing mode" leaving the vehicle in first gear for longer.
nifty eh?
Is this a dealer who actually knows something about the D3?
Wow ...I spent some considerable time telling my dealer how it works and what spec it's got 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
2nd Oct 2006 12:47 pm
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23369
I drove both before I bought an auto. which I thought better suited the D3. I was also told that an auto. would help come resale time.
I recently had a manual D3 for a week & over 200 miles of mixed roads. I was surprised how hideous it was to drive after the auto. especially as I generally prefer manual boxes. The cars I used most over the last 7 years were all manual, so I'm certainly not biased towards auto.s, but IMO the auto. D3 is far better for the highish amount of miles (c. 25k p.a) that I travel.
My advice would be to have long test drives in both.
2nd Oct 2006 12:49 pm
randalls
Member Since: 02 Mar 2006
Location: aberdeenshire
Posts: 703
personally I have not driven a manual since 2000, when I test drove the D3 I was all enthusiastic about command shift & being able to drive a 'manual' again......I have used it twice since........once off road, once on road. I recently drove a none 'intelligent' Toyota auto, I can see why driving auto's like this may be off putting. The D3 auto literally does drive itself at your command & style. 2007 TDV6 HSE 'Silver Lady'. With 'free' privacy glass LOL.
Taking the greenpi$$ is: Green taxing your citizens more & using some of the money to buy nukes.
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| 08MY Discovery 3 (history) 
2007 TDV6 HSE 'Silver Lady'. With 'free' privacy glass LOL.
