which is less prone to failure and service for d1,I prefer a stick but will take either,seems like manual would have less failure rate but what do i know,found 95 manual,super clean dealer records

 

Automatic is more reliable, less chance for operator error causing clutch failure and wear on gears... In my opinion.

 

I've owned both automatics and five speeds. My preference is for an automatic. For off roading, you'll always be wishing for a third foot when finding yourself in tricky situations. Around town, the five speed isn't going to perform or feel like a fun British sports car. In terms of reliability, hands down, the ZF is a superior unit. The R380 is an improvement over the LT77 I had in my Range Rover but side by side with the ZF it's just not as consistently strong as the automatic.

 

I have a 96 5-speed. Has over 300,000 on it. The trans has never been touched other than fluid changes. It is on it's 3rd clutch, which is a PITA. Frankly, I just bough a 98 with an auto. The stick is fun, but gets tiresome after awhile. I had a 01 D2 auto. Only trouble in 130k miles I ever had was a transmission cooler line blew.