Sounds like a silly question but I have seen 2 cars within my budget, first one is a series 1 TJ sports with the 5 speed auto but no climate control, the second one is a series 2 TJ Advance with 4 speed auto tippy with climate air, my budget does not stretch far enough to get a series 2 TJ sports with climate control air (wife says no), I want the 5 speed auto due to it's better ratios and would prefer climate air.

Now I am assuming that a 5 speed tippy would be more expensive than climate control so the main question is could a climate control from a series 2 TJ be fitted to a series 1 if purchased from the wreckers? Considering the sensors etc which would go with the climate control it may well be an expensive exercise as well, before someone says get a manual, I'm older and would rather the smooth tiptronic auto than the 'grand prix tyre shredding' manual, and I've also heard that the 5 speed tippy is superior to the 4 speed tippy due to the better ratios which help eliminate lag at lower revs, but having not driven either I don't know.

So in question format now that I've explained my reasons:
1./ Is it expensive and difficult to install climate control from a wreckers?
2./ Is the 5 speed tippy that much superior to the 4 speed tippy?
3./ Which option would you take if you could not (like me) have both

What is your budget?

I would take the 5 speed. The climate control is not going to be easy to install, it would be a dash out job and hopefully the loom is the same.

5 speed

m.. there both tippys... lol. i dont know, i would go for the better car, which one was the better colour and in better condition etc..

Well considering the climate control is s**t (i know, my car has it - do a search for eskimo or camel and you'll see what Im talking about), get the 5 speed.

So in answering:

1. Forget it, many wiring harnesses and taiwan made sensors to install, cost over $1000 easy.
2. Yes.
3. 5 speed. Plus you get a slightly more powerful engine.

Get The 5 speed.

I lament Every km I drive in my 4 spd auto. My climate control is small comfort since using it properly costs extra fuel. The 5 spd I believe is superior to the 4 spd.

5spd all the way

i've got a 5spd tippy, and its a lot of fun.......although i do have climate control also :D

5 speed tippy. Its a more enjoyable drive, the four speeds have kind of a flat spot in acceleration, when you are going to fast for it to kick back to first, and it kind of bogs down in second, around 70 or 80 kms. 5 speed has better spaced ratios. Not sure if it is neccessaily faster, but it feels faster. Climate control is a waste of time, i run it on manual mode 99% of the time.

:stoopid:
5spd all the way

i've got a 5spd tippy, and its a lot of fun.......although i do have climate control also :D

5 speed tippy. Its a more enjoyable drive, the four speeds have kind of a flat spot in acceleration, when you are going to fast for it to kick back to first, and it kind of bogs down in second, around 70 or 80 kms. 5 speed has better spaced ratios. Not sure if it is neccessaily faster, but it feels faster.

Yeah I'm with VRwagon on this - I have the 4-speed auto (non-tippy) and while it's not gutless, I drove a TJ MY02 with the 5-speed tippy and really noticed the difference, even with 4 adults in the car.

If I had the budget I would trade up to a 2002/2003 Advance with both features. :)

Yeah I'm with VRwagon on this - I have the 4-speed auto (non-tippy) and while it's not gutless, I drove a TJ MY02 with the 5-speed tippy and really noticed the difference, even with 4 adults in the car.

If I had the budget I would trade up to a 2002/2003 Advance with both features. :)

I didn't know that the 02/03 Advance model came with a 5 speed tiptronic, I know it comes with 4 speed tippy and 155 kw engine, can you get a series 2 Advance with 5 speed tippy?
I thought that you had to buy the Sports or VRX to get the 5 speed tippy.

My budget is only around 12K, I have just bought an investment property and really am limited to that amount, if I found an Advance with both options I'd be happy, I also think that the Sports or VRX models would cost more to insure, but I'd still love either, the VRX looks seductive but then again a clean TJ advance with 17" rims isn't too bad either.

I didn't know that the 02/03 Advance model came with a 5 speed tiptronic, I know it comes with 4 speed tippy and 155 kw engine, can you get a series 2 Advance with 5 speed tippy?
I thought that you had to buy the Sports or VRX to get the 5 speed tippy.

Well I dunno - very possibly it does only have a 4-speed cog-swapper. Sorry for the misinformation there :)

All I know is that my 4-speed non-tippy was very sluggish compared with the tippy I drove (4 or 5-speed, I can't remember!), and my brother's MY02 VRX is quite an amount more responsive than my '99 Solara, according to my mum. :)

Advance never came with a 5speed auto. Only TJ MYO2 onwards sports and VRX, KJ II onwards Verada, in TL VR, VR-X and verada. Oh and of course all AWD's and ralliart.

Advance never came with a 5speed auto. Only TJ MYO2 onwards sports and VRX, KJ II onwards Verada, in TL VR, VR-X and verada. Oh and of course all AWD's and ralliart.

Oops :doh:

Yep, I like my AWD (going to mod it to include map lights). 5 speed tippy and climate control. (would like the LCD climate control though.)

Yep, I like my AWD (going to mod it to include map lights). 5 speed tippy and climate control. (would like the LCD climate control though.)

LCD climate ... mmmm.

I reckon an AWD Magna/Verada would be a decent upgrade from my current ride. When I was looking around for my Solara, TH was the lowest I'd go (I like the 3.5L engine), but I didn't realise that there were so many members in TH Rough Idlers Anonymous :cry: If circumstances were different I might have waited another year and bought a TJ MY02 - but at the time they were about $5k more than I could spend!

5 speed......if ya want to change the temp in the car, do it manually and change the dial on the heater knob...thats essentially done automatically for ya on a climate control

I think all VRX's and Sports TJ's had the 5 speed tippy, I have a brochure of a 2000 model Sports and VRX and they quote them as having 5 speed tippy as standard.

I don't really like the look of the non climate dials (it has not changed since 1996) I prefer the modern appearance of the LCD screen.

I think all VRX's and Sports TJ's had the 5 speed tippy, I have a brochure of a 2000 model Sports and VRX and they quote them as having 5 speed tippy as standard.

I don't really like the look of the non climate dials (it has not changed since 1996) I prefer the modern appearance of the LCD screen.

Me either, but for now I'm stuck with them! :(

I am about to change houses and have a strict car budget of 12K tops, I have seen a couple of early VRX and Sports TJ 2000 models for around 12K (albeit with higher KM's) these ones would not have the climate control but would have the 163kw engine and 5 speed tippy and they look.........wait for it.......fully sick:D and if I really want the climate control I guess down the track I would have to look into how and how much, we need a bigger house more than climate control at the moment.

I am about to change houses and have a strict car budget of 12K tops, I have seen a couple of early VRX and Sports TJ 2000 models for around 12K (albeit with higher KM's) these ones would not have the climate control but would have the 163kw engine and 5 speed tippy and they look.........wait for it.......fully sick:D and if I really want the climate control I guess down the track I would have to look into how and how much, we need a bigger house more than climate control at the moment.

Yeah - priorities are priorities. I was under the same orders; my budget was also $12k and the Solara was the best I could get for that (2 years ago). MY02 VRXes still command around $17k for a decent example (ie. < 100,000 kms) and dealer statutory warranty, and I would imagine the Sports would be around $15k ... you could possibly get a KH Verada Xi that is over the 100,000 km mark for $13k (I think they have a 4-speed tippy), but I dunno. Hmm, at that price mebbe I should look into a switcheroo :)

1./ Is it expensive and difficult to install climate control from a wreckers?
2./ Is the 5 speed tippy that much superior to the 4 speed tippy?
3./ Which option would you take if you could not (like me) have both

1. My TL's climate control has three sensors: one in the dashboard to measure room temperature, one just below the windscreen to measure sunlight intensity, and another one behind the front bumper for measuring outside temperature. Assuming all non-climate-control-TJs are equipped with those sensors, and pre-wired, fitting a climate control unit is a plug & play job, otherwise forget it, it won't worth the hassle.

2. I assume so. My TL 4-speed tippy is so slow and feel underpowered, mainly because of weird gear ratio. With closer gear ratios, you can get better fuel efficiency, too.

3. If you really want a tippy trans, get the 5-speed. It misses the whole point of choosing one type magna because it has tippy trans, but then you get the 4-speed one. I personally love the climate control. It does work. If you enjoy driving, and you wouldn't mind re-setting the aircon when it gets too cold or too warm then get the 5-speed tippy. If you are like me, who does a lot of business calls in the car (jump in and commute), then get the climate control.