Commnets on the auto trans 'manual mode'

Quite interested to see a 'manual mode' (or whatever the official designation is) on the new 6 speed auto.

Can someone explain how it works? Would I have full manual (up and down) control of shifts?

Thank You...

(Borrowed pic from Mike330 thread)..

 

Thanks
I believe I read somewhere that it locks out the two OD gears. I live in a hilly area and don't drive freeways much at all. If it does away with the typical 'hunting for gears' on hills that will be much desired...

 

I guess the best option is just to test drive one. Local dealer does not expect any till the end of Sept. I do like a manual shift, but really dislike the 'clutch pedal FEEL' of my 2013. (I believe that issue is the strange 'torsion return spring' Toyota has been using on its manuals, perhaps that has changed in 2016..?).

 

My wife's Venza has it. The good thing about it is, you don't have to travel through a lot of indents in the old taco gate shifter to go from Reverse to first . You can shift vertically to D from park, which automatically uses all six gears. Once in D you have the option to shift a notch to the left into S ( the sport mode) when you do go to S, the trans automatically shifts into 4 th gear, eliminating the two OD gears. When in S, the lever us spring loaded and you can flick it up and down, going up to use 5 and 6 and down to go to 3,2 and 1 . When the trans is in any if these numbers, it becomes the upper limit of the auto which will still down shift as need. For general driving, we just shift to S mode and leave it for speeds less the 45 mph and put it in D for highway speeds. It's great for down and up shifting for engine braking. Once I got used to it, I hated my 5 speed Taco shifter and I will never go back to a manual if I had a vehicle with it...,works great, very quick and responsive. They have had it since 2009 in the Venza and I think Highlander so it is nothing new.

 

^
Thanks very much for the thorough explanation. Sounds pretty much what I am looking for in control (well, paddle shifter with full-control would be great, but we will never see that in a truck.....).

But 'Sports Mode" and "ECT" sound the next best thing..
Now to wait for a test drive..

 

You're welcome. As far as paddle shifters are concerned, I don't think I would miss them at all on a truck with this. This gives you as much control as you need on a truck......certainly as much as a manual and much quicker then you could clutch and shift.

 

In our 2009 Camry SE and 2015 Rav-4 with 6 speeds you just nudge the shifter to the left and it drops to 4th in sequential mode and tapping the shifter forward or backwards up or downshifts and keeps it from exceeding that gear. Fun on winding mountain roads.

 

Same in my '11 Camry SE, which was the " sport " part of that car, looked nice, rode nice, handling could have been a lot better, but the bump shift in sport mode did make it more fun on winding roads. Would have been nice if the shifts were a lot more firm though.

 

You could also get actual manual.

 

No six-foot bed OR with manual...

 

I've driven hundreds of cars and have never seen one that "goes into 4th" when shifting to "sport" mode. Shifting to Sport mode should keep the gear you were in while in Auto mode. In other words if you were in 5th gear and shift to Sport, you will still be in 5th gear. You would have to shift to another gear "manually" if you wanted to select a different gear. It shouldn't shift from 5th to 4th. Did I misunderstand you?

It should also hold the gear you are in requiring you to upshift or you reach the rev limiter. This is the case in every car I've driven with a Sport mode. That's the whole point- it holds the gear. It will downshift automatically when coming to a stop and start you in 1st gear.

I'm still thinking manual for my future Taco, but I definitely want to drive the auto to see.

 

Have you driven a 2009 or 2011 Camry SE out of the hundreds of cars you mention?

 

Paddle shifters are available . The application is for a Supra that uses the same transmission . You can read about paddle shifters here http://www.latentsolutions.com/suprastickuv.html

 

Those 100s of cars must not have been Toyota products. Wife's lexus drops to 5th when you move the lever over... Lower depending on speed. 8 spd transmission...

 

Well, that is one preference. Toyota feels differently and because the bottom four gears make the best set for around town driving, why would you shift to sport then have to shift again ? Toyota doesn't pretend to make the sport mode more for people who just want an excuse to "shift" . It's made for practicality of "knowing" what gear you're going to be in with out looking. They think the lazy people like me out number the "control freaks" . They know that too much think'n hurts my brain.

 

Can you explain this? In the Tacoma, "selecting" a gear in an auto just keeps you from passing that gear, correct?

 

In my Taco, and with my wife's Venza, which ever gear you select becomes the upper limit that the auto will shift into. It still automatically shifts to lower gears as needed.

So, I fondly remember the old four auto in an old Corolla we had. If I shift it into sport, that Corolla auto feeling returns to me.

 

I would much prefer a manual in the DCLB I plan to get but I have resigned myself to the fact that it is not going to happen. Last Denver traffic jam I was in the manual did get a little old constantly being on the clutch. So I think I will be able to adapt to an auto.