On May 26, 2012, at 8:29 PM, craig cowan wrote:

"When I finally got this automatic transmissioned '90GL on the road as my
winter car.... i was blown away! At first, I had bigtime issues. I was
reaching for the clutch pedal constantly. Finally I got used to it. Then
for two months it was my daily and my syncro slept. I began to like it!
Going in town, it's epic. Its significantly faster on acceleration between
0-20 than a manual transmissioned van. Theres a terrible power spot at
about 35 hitting a hill.... it tries to stay in a gear and really should
downshift, but you always can just downshift it yourself.
It grew on me bigtime. Suddenly I have all the joys of a vanagon, the same
"feel", but I don't shift!
It's a better highway cruiser in my mind than my other vans as well.

The day I jumped into my giant lifted syncro from my tiny lowered GL
(automatic) was night and day. Suddenly I have to do all this work to drive
the car! SHIFTING....pfff.... yuck.
I've since regained my joy in the syncro, but I must say, these automatic
vans rock!
I will forever own a giant syncro, and a lowered automatic bus.

Auto+cruise control rocks. The vanagon cruise control can be used at any
speed, so if you're going through a state park for instance and the speed
limit is a slow 25mph, set it! The auto will downshift as needed for hills."

Craigs experience with his auto-trannied vanagon pretty much depicts mine.
I loved the '91 Westy I had. Learned to use the VERY nicely matched 2.1
with the auto in all situations, circumstances and conditions. It was a GL so
had all the "bells-n-whistles". Being in Utah, it was my daily, so dealt with snowy
conditions. It was a more relaxed-feeling of driving than my current Syncro,
which I dig to the max.

bob