The new Holden Colorado my mate has 2 of them and one is a year old and he has a new one now as well, I drove the new one and it's a bastard to drive because when you change up a gear you get a cut out going on, as you hit the gas peddle it takes a second to respond every time you change gear.
Talk about bloody annoying to drive total crap like that.
Old mate said the other one is just the same rubbish.

Now he is getting a new VF series 2 SSV manual next week and I have come across a dude that has one the other day that said he has just bought one himself and it's for sale as he hates it, because it does just the same rot as I pointed out with the Colorado and he can't stand driving it as it's a total shit box to drive like such.

What the hell is Holden thinking with such crap and what is it for ? and why the hell would such be fitted to a car.

Old mate talked to a top tuner and this dude said he can not get rid of it, but only make it a bit better.

I was thinking of getting a new SS myself but now I think the Turbo Falcon maybe the way to go now.

Easy, buy an auto VFII!

If its done to protect anything it will be clutches. The dual mass flywheel clutches are garbage - even the V6 Hilux has a lot more torque with the auto engine than the manual (I think it was about 20-30Nm). If you drive a V6 manual Hilux or a manual 3.2L Ranger, then get in an auto version of either you'd swear the engine was a litre bigger in the auto. When I test drove a PX Ranger auto I flattened it at a stop sign and it left rubber in a big way! The Hilux does it easy but I didn't expect a diesel to do it.

Despite any of that though, I'd never buy a manual again - the autos today are that good. As far as i'm concerned manuals are essentially redundant for everyday use vehicles other than for special purpose applications. If you are going to do any sort of towing don't even consider a manual.

I have also been looking at getting a ute before they are all gone, been looking at VFII SSV auto and XR6T auto. VFII is a better car in all areas other than price, towing ability and if you want a tray rather than a tub. If you are buying a manual and want to do any towing you want a VFII as these can legally tow 1600kg, Falcon XR6T manual is limited to 1200kg. The Auto XR6T is legally able to tow 2300kg but the VFII auto is the same 1600kg as the manual. If you want a Ford grab it NOW. You can no longer order one, the schedule closed in March. All you can buy now is plant or dealer stock. VFII schedule will probably close next March or maybe earlier.

It's not people, it is the manufacturer. I can vouch that my VY SS manual ute was absolutely useless for towing, but auto ones are OK.

Mine was so bad that I sold it and bought the Overlander. I towed with it once to get a trailer-crete load of concrete, 750kg. It couldn't even pull it up a mild slope concrete driveway without stalling, and reversing up any slope was impossible. I sold it at 15,000kM, as a ute it was useless, should have bought an auto. I've used an auto version if VZ and VE and both do the same thing easily.

I agree with HK1837 comment regarding manual transmissions being all but redundant these days.

I preferred manual gearboxes but have owned a Ford with the ZF 6 speed auto for the last 3 years. Smooth, crisp and well spaced ratios have me convinced todays current 6 speed auto's are the way to go.



Jim

I disagree, the autos are great in both. I would not buy a manual ever again especially in a ute. When I've had manuals in V8 powered commercials (like SBC FJ40 and VYSS ute) I've only ever used 2 gears in the FJ40 and three gears in the VY most of the time (around town), so might as well have an auto and save your left leg the trouble! Something you might take to a track day and have some fun with like a HSV I get it, but not in an everyday driven ute that has to see load carrying and towing duties. The only car I've driven in recent times where the manual was better to drive was a 2012 diesel Hilux. The one that surprised me was a 2015 Ranger, the manual was AWFUL (awful is being kind), the auto was brilliant - the only reasons I decided to not buy one and keep my V6 Hilux were it was still inferior than the Hilux engine wise and I didn't want the ticking timebomb of a highly stressed diesel. If they didn't come with the Russian Roulette system where every third one ends up back at Ford for injector or other such fuel issues they are a great thing. We've got three here, two have been good (so far) but the third has been in and out of Ford every 3-4 weeks and apparently using 15L/100kM of diesel and blowing black smoke like a truck is normal!

F1 are/were auto (or semi-auto with paddle shift) with a clutch for takeoff.

F1 auto is nothing like a cars auto, they are a total race box.

I see a few diesel 4X4 of any make driving about blowing heaps and heaps of smoke
you can't even see the thing at times in the last year getting about.

What was wrong with the 2015 Ranger manual ?

My mad mate got his new VF 6.2L SSV UTE with exhaust and tune 375KW and she has and the 6speed manual box that works spot on, non of that Colorado cut out crap when changing gear.

He asked the dealer about the Colorado manual problem and he said it was the first he had heard of it, old mate said you are not changing gear fast enough to tell, then took the dealer out in the 375KW ute giving it some stick.

They still are paddle shifting without a clutch though, no clutch pedal or gear stick required for normal racing.

Go drive a new Ranger 3.2L manual, then drive an auto straight after and you'll see what I mean. It is that noticeable.

No, the manual seems like a different engine, it seems to lack torque and runs out of breath a lot quicker than you'd expect. To me the best comparison I can make is the manual drives like a 202 manual and the auto feels like in comparison a 308 auto. This is last year's Ranger i'm talking about. It is a wierd sensation, as the 3.0L D4D Hilux is the opposite.