2012 Six Speed Shortage?

Hey all.
Anyone else looking at the lack of 2012 6 speed manuals out there? I was toying with the idea of getting a new DC 4x4 Off Road this year but checking the Southeast Toyota dealers incoming trucks (via Toyota's web site) there isn't much out there. Is this normal? Not going to be ready to jump for a month or 2, but wanted some input. Had my '06 DC 4x4 since new, and loved it. Just want to shift for the next few years.
Thanks.

 

6 speed owners are the minority. Most people want the auto, so that's the reason. I'm on the west coast and they seem to be available here. I drove one last week.

 

Yeah it's all about supply & demand. Once Toyota developed an automatic that got better MPG than the stick, it was all downhill for the manual from there. And at $3 a gallon and climbing, that won't be changing soon .. if ever. Toyota dumped manual 4Runners in 2000. I can see the Tacomas going that way too.

 

Makes me want one even more.

 

I understand there are a lot of people who would never give up driving a stick. But to me its all a novelty now. I dont mind my manual but when i upgrade it will be back to an auto. As mentioned before the auto especially in the 6cyl gets better mpgs. So there would be no benefit to "toe -tapping" your way through traffic etc etc.

 

Manual everything is dying out, been that way since the 80s pretty much, I hate it, but that is the way it is. I love the 5 speed in my 2.7 and would not pass it up no matter what!

 

I love mine, get a 6 speed you won't regret it...most of the complaints come from people that either don't know how to drive a manual or think they are driving a sports car...

They brought the manual back to the 4 cylinder 4runners in 2010 but dropped the 4 and the MT for 2011...

 

Drive one for a while first. Toyotas drive by wire blows. It is extremely unresponsive.

If I could do it all over again i would have gone auto, even though I hate them.

 

I guess I can see that for some people. I have been driving stick my entire life. I drove a semi truck for a few years as well.

I just want the truck to respond to my inputs. When let off the gas I want it to slow down immediately and when I push in the clutch i want the rpm's to drop, not 5 seconds after.

 

Have you driven an auto Tacoma ?

 

Yeah, but most auto's are like that regardless. I didn't get the auto for that reason. I thought the manual would be fine, turns out not so much.

These trucks would be perfect if there was a way to fix it.

I feel like every time i let the clutch out I'm distorting my driveshaft and motor mounts if the timing isn't "perfect".

Most of the time i shift 1,2,6 just to avoid it.

 

My advice to the OP would be to do some searching and reading about the manual transmissions. Educate yourself and then go drive one with attention to the shifting. Drive it the way you normally drive and see if you like it. If you do great, if not, drive an auto and see how that feels. Some people are hell bent on denying the issues with the manual transmissions. Educate yourself!

Given the choice again I would still buy the 6 spd. I just don't like automatics. You may find yourself in the same camp. I do wish I had been educated about these things before I made the decision though.

I drove a 2012 manual V6 last week so that I could compare the shift quality to mine (2007). It does feel to me like some improvements have been made. It seemed especially better on the downshifts. According to toyota records, 4 or 5 revisions have been made to the synchros but I do not have corresponding years for those updates. The issue with the throttle remains. Much will depend on your driving style.

The aftermarket has fixes for some of the problems like short throw shifters, and others are still in development.

 

I didn't even know such a beast existed. Man that must have been slooooow. The 5th gen 4Runner is a big dog.

 

I drove a 2011 6MT last year. Also a 6MT FJ. Both had the rev hang, although the fj's was not as bad. It wouldn't be a dealbreaker for me. By the end of the test drives i had got the shifting pretty smooth.

 

6 speeds are a minority. When I purchased my previous '06 with the 6 speed, it was the only 6MT on the entire lot. To put that in perspective, the lot was Toyota of San Bernardino which is one of the largest dealers in SoCal.

 

Ya hardly any Manuals around here either. Around here I think you would have to special order one. Of course then there is a wait. I thought about getting a stick, but then I thought against it, since its my DD, I'd rather have an auto around here.

 

Here in Hawaii they are also very rare. In the first shipment of 4x4 there were only 4 or 5 in the config I wanted. Luckily I got one.

 

When I was shopping for my 2012 6 speed double cab, the dealers all tried to talk me into auto. I have always had manuals and its just like a second nature to me. Plus I like the manual better for towing and you can help save breaks alittle by downshifting.

 

That is not correct. The did have a 4 cylinder 5th gen 4runner for a short time in 2010 but only as an automatic. No manual trans was offered. and only 2WD!

 

Canada has been sold out of 6speed double cabs since July.

I have to wait until 2013 because up here they stupidly don't make a DCSB in auto.