my dads 6.7 2wd 6spd manual and 3:73s gets 19 or so on the highway and about 16-17 in town.
if your worried about the hastle of shifting all the time, you'll get used to it.
MY 93 has an auto and i cry a little each time it shifts without any direct input from me
Sometimes I manually shift with the collum shifter for a slight placebo effect.


but if your not going to be doing any regular heavy pulling then I suppose an auto would be best for you. Im just not an automatic person at all. Dont trust 'em.

 

I'd take a manual over a 4 speed auto any day of the week and generally prefer manuals. In the here and now if I were spec'ing an 08 today it would be a tough decision but I think, and it's hard for me to say this, I'd go with the auto...

 

I have the 6 speed auto and love it. I test drove both b/c I was undecided. I drove the auto first then the 6spd and there was no comparison. The auto is sooo smooth. If I can stay out of it I get around 18.5 on the highway, that's with 3.73's.


My brother in law did the same thing I did and went with the auto hands down. It's his first automatic transmission in a truck for 15 years, haha. So that may tell you something.

 

I am dealing with the same decision. I test drove the manual originally wanting an auto and really liked it. I still need to test drive the auto, but I really feel like the manual was so fun to drive I will probably end up getting one. I do still need to decide on the gears. The one I drove had 3.73's and it was nice because you really didn't have to shift that much, but I will also have to drive one with 3.42's.

 

Thank you guys for all the responses. I will definetly need to test drive both and than make a decision from there. I will probably be going with a 3500 SRW with the 3.73's and the same cab/bed configuration that I have now. Hopefully I can find a dealer that has both on the lot.

 

These 6.7's seem to do so much better the lower the rpms. I have the manual with 3.73 and I can only get about 16.5 to 17 on the freeway at 65 to 70 mph. The best I've gotten was 18 and that was when I was a pilot car for a D9 we were hauling. With that said I would opt for the 3.42 with the auto if you can. I have not driven the new auto, but I've only heard good about it.

 

I have always prefered manual transmissions for towing. The auto's are always shifting up or down depending of terrain. I have driven the new six speed auto that is in my son in law's truck, it's a nice tranny but still it was aways shifting up or down. Also I live in the desert southwest and see outside temperatures of 110 plus every summer. The manual keeps alot of heat out of the engine. If my truck was a daily driver or I drove around the city alot I probably would like the auto more. Advantage's and disadvantage's to both.

 

I drove both this weekend and even a hemi auto, what a waste! The auto/manual choice is very hard one to make. Definitely alot easier when the choice was a 48re, my father's is a dog in his 07 5.9. Told him but we all know dad's won't listen! I am still undecided about the transmissions but I can tell you the little flippy button on the auto is a LOT of fun!!!!

 

What kind of fuel mileage numbers are you guys seeing with the 6 speed manuals?

 

get the 6 spd manual. i have 3.73's and im getting around 23.3mph in town. figured by hand. i have thought about getting 3.42's.but im happy so far.

 

I've got 305/70s and get 17-18 on the highway and about 15 in town, but I only have 6800 miles so far. The mileage has increased since new but not much.

 

The 6 speed auto is very nice. I like that Dodge makes the shifts very firm already from the factory. My 48RE shifted very firm which I like and is good for the tranny. My Allison shifts frim on the 1-2 but every other is like butter.

I have also read from guys that post on here that build the tranny at DC that the internals are pretty beefy.

 

68RFE or G56 ?

Since 2007.5, they're all six speeds !

Anyway, you'll be very happy with the six speed auto. I do some towing and it performs great for me.

 

Had on 05 six speed manual 3500 dually, was very impressed with 07.5 six speed auto. bought the 07.5 not liking the milage much but the auto is great. have a 40' toy hauler with 3 harley's in the back much easier to pull with the auto and didn't have to add compression brake this time (as i did on my 05). Compression brake works great on new truck as long as your not in town (gearing down at low speeds slams pretty hard) works great coming down the mountain switchbacks. Wish i could say the milage is better but actually was getting about 2mpg more out of the 5.9 dually manual with 3.73 over the 6.7 megacab 3.73 auto.

 

This is a confusing post, it seems that half of the negative feedback on autos are from 5.9 guys and some don't know that this is a 6.7 post. I have had three 4 speed auto cummins trucks (one built a little and one built all the way), two 5 speed stick trucks and two 6 speed stick trucks up to yesterday. Always loved towing with the sticks but hated (esp. the 6 speed) trucks in town empty or loaded. I test drove the 6.7/auto when they came out and waited to see what happened (as long as I could) then bought one yesterday. I would not consider the 6.7/manual combo now, even if I never unhooked from the trailer (I seldom do unhook). Auto's have come a very long way and it's time for you to get one. The switch on the shifter is so much easier and faster than big ol' stick poking up out of the floor,and not having to shake the left leg is nice.

All that said I am pulling the allison 6 speed out of my 94 FL80 and putting a stick in it, the auto technology from allison in 1994 sucked, but I might leave the auto if I had to drive that truck all the time, and didn't have this sweet new Dodge auto to drive everyday.