Please help with buying a new truck

I would really recommend you take both an automatic and a manual for a decently lengthy test drive and plan on not leaving the dealership that day with anything. Sleep on it, and give yourself time to soak in the options. Coming from a 2015 Lexus IS, naturally my Automatic 2017 taco feels like it shift like a 1998 Ford... Very sluggish, but I have got used to it and I would say it is definitely more comfortable off road (especially with crawl control that has saved my butt a few times). I sometimes wish I had found a manual, but it's not a huge deal. Like I said, don't get over excited about leaving with a new truck and pull the trigger then and there. Get a good feel for all the options.

 

Thurst hectoring... sounds like a guy in Mexico needs some water haha!

 

Lmao. My phone does that, predictive spelling. Vectoring. Hector ha Mexican made F-22 with turbine whine

 

I say get whatever feels better on an actual test drive if u haven’t done so. I have had both manual and auto Tacoma’s and I still prefer the manual.

I really can’t go wrong either way, but many people have mentioned the shift points of the auto as an area for improvement.

Also, u CAN add a locker, but u may wanna research what that entails from both a technical and financial standpoint. Sounds easy, but may not b what u r looking for as far as ease and efficiency. It’s up to u bro. Either way, u r still straight pimping in a sweet Tacoma. Used to live in BC so I got love for the Canadian bros as well! Have a good one.

 

A couple of notes that would matter to me in your situation without getting too technical.. With a MT you lose the crawl mode with is cool feature on the Off Roads. With the terrain further up north I would stick with the auto to keep that. MT is mostly fun in a sense to be able to control the torque with your shift points. Also I've always enjoyed the push button start compared to the traditional key. The latter is a minor preference but the crawl mode you get in a automatic OR is sweet.

 

They are releasing a new Ranger and a Ranger Raptor

 

First of all, sorry hear about your current situation, but welcome to the club

Have you considered the DOUBLE CAB V6 SR5 4X4?

• 4WD Part Time, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), Auto Limited Slip Rear Differential, 2-Speed Transfer Case, Automatic Disconnecting Differential, One-Touch 4WD, Engine Undercover

 

Good for Ford. As for me it’s always Taco time!!!

 

You see the pictures of it? It's as if they looked at a Ridgeline and said how can we make it more like a minivan? No thanks.

 

I'd get the Sport, add some good quality skid plates and call it a day. Shocks and skids can be added later and the aftermarket ones are usually better than OEM anyway. As for the locking diff, I've never been in or known someone who's been in a situation that calls for it. But you know your property much better than anyone here. Of course, lockers can also be added later. I vote manual transmission and some sick mods.

 

At heart, I’m a manual transmission guy, and would have got the MT if it came in the configuration I wanted in Canada (double cab off-road), but it didn’t so I went auto. After some time, I realize if I had to buy the same truck again, and both transmissions were offered in Canada, I’d probably go auto again.

Here are my thoughts:

Driving in city traffic and parking I never miss the manual.

Driving on pavement during road trips in hilly terrain, I miss the manual. Without a doubt, the manual transmission will be a more engaging and enjoyable experience cruising the coast or through the mountains. No argument there.

Driving off-road on logging roads, the ride in the TRD off-road package Tacoma is so perfectly dialed, no regrets. Really the best stock truck I’ve ever driven off highway, and feel the tuning of the stock Bilsteins is perfect. Would be the same ride of course in the MT, but in Canada we cannot buy the doublecab MT, and I need the extra seats for the family. The TRD off-road package lives up to its name.

After months of driving this truck I no longer notice the auto transmission being sluggish or overly shifty. On hilly pavement drives with a fully loaded bed of camping gear, I will use ECT mode, as recommended by Toyota in the literature. Unless I am focused on it (as reading TW will cause you to do), I have no problem with the shift pattern, unless the truck is laden, or the hills are frequent and steep. Pressing the ECT button happens at much the same time I’d press “OD off” on my Ford F-350.

On technical off-road I do not miss the manual at all. Backing up and nosing over things are just so much smoother and safer in the auto. At this point in my life, I’m not looking to prove anything. Happy to be safe, and slow. I especially appreciate the ability to slowly turn the truck around on a narrow logging road on a hillside, without worrying about rolling or clutch slippage, or wheelspin. Especially in reverse, this is a major upgrade in safety for me over a stick shift 4x4.

I thought the crawl control was a gimmick until it totally saved my ass on an icy road:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...y-i’ll-never-talk-sh-t-about-it-again.525408/

Some days I do pine for my old manual transmission vehicles, but then I take a sip of the coffee I have in my hand, while steering with the other hand, and forget that thought. It’s a trade off I am ok with.

Final thought: if I’m ever hurt in a remote area, I can count on anyone to drive me out in my truck. They don’t need to know how to drive it.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BE_NMaIL5IQ

 

No argument from me that the reverse gear in the manual trans is a pain. Something to consider for sure.

 

Thanks everyone for the awesome responses. Truly appreciate. I think I need to take some lengthy test drives. I'm not in a rush and all opinions are great. I'll get behind the wheel in downtown Toronto traffic and probably love the automatic. I'm sure they would be pissed if I started testing the MT in the city parks and snowbanks. I'll keep posting on my progress and test drives. Thanks again
Also I need to sell my ranger before the new ones come out and it's worth half as much. lol