How do you like your manual transmission? A couple other Q's too

I too see it 2 to 3, but like somebody else said - if I get it up to 2500 or 3000 rpm before trying to put it in third, it's smooth as silk.

 

I'm starting to figure mine out as well.


I did notice that in first gear it sounds like I'm really straining the motor even when I'm only at 2000-3000 RPMs....its really strange.

 

I have a 2.7 with small lift large tires not to mention its a 4x4 a/c i get about 22mpg hiway doing 70. but around town i get about 17mpg or less. i idle alot.

 

hey mr. 1GR-FE GTFO. this is a 2TR-FE thread. Mahalo.

jk jk

 

Do you think the lugginess has to do with that "20/25mpg"?
For me, if i keep the rpms a little bit higher, around the 2K range, i get better mileage in the city and highway.

Is the 6cyl manual transmission this luggy?
Not as bad, but you have to remember it's a 6 speed so the ratios are much closer, and the fact of the matter is the V6 has more low end torque.

Do they make the base Tacoma (2wd) with a 6cyl?
In a base model form, no. There is one 5 Lug 6 Cyl Tacoma, it's the XRunner. Available with the V6 and six speed only, and is quite pricey.

Also as the tranny and engine pass their break in period the truck becomes much easier to drive. still hella long throws tho

 

Interesting. Anyone else experience this? Or explain why?

 

its a 4 banger so compared to the v6 you gotta rev a little higher, you get into the powerband a bit more. i do have bigger tires than stock so that might play into it a little

 

what rpms you are at does not determine you mpgs, it is how you get to that rpm and how you control your throttle. Engine load and throttle determines the most for mpg. for example, if you have a scan gauge, you can be in 4th, 5th, or 6th gear doing 40 mph, and if you just hold the throttle steady, you will pretty much get the same mpg reading, but if you start varying your speed or throttle, thats when the mpgs start changing in the different gears

 

our 4 bangers have sht power before 2K. if you cruise it below 1800 rpm you gotta gas it more. ive noticed that when i keep it around 2K all the time, it gets better mileage

i know what ur talking about tho. the v6s have much better low end than the 4s. i drove one for a couple years too lol...so yah...the two engines are kinda different. esp when you have a slightly underpowered vehicle.

 

Really? I was always under the impression that more you're cam was turning the more it was opening and closing the valves to let gas in the cylinders. Does that not play heavily into your fuel consumption?

 

one fact that undermines ur hypothesis is engine breaking...when you are at 5K RPM and you are engine breaking, your valves are opening and closing but your fuel delivery has halted, thus making your fuel consumption an absolute zero. People think high rpm = higher consumption because, usually, at high rpm, you are also accelerating, making fuel consumption higher

mpg depends on throttle and engine load, not rpms

 

Is that so? Man, i never knew that. I've always just thrown it into neutral and coasted to a stop because i figured i was burning gas.

 

coasting in neutral to a stop does save gas, but it is also burning enough gas to keep the engine at idle revs...engine breaking to a stop consumes almost no gas, as the fuel is cut to a certain point until around a little over 1K revs and then fuel delivery is retained IIRC, however, engine breaking slows ur truck down fast than coasting in neutral, so you will stop sooner, which means u might need to give it more gas to get to where u really want to go. Thus, to save the most gas, slow down by engine braking, real braking, and coasting to reach maximum efficiency...along with gentle acceleration, throttle wise (ie staying below 50% throttle, or watever)

 

I recently learned the coasting in gear which I will start doing. I find the 4cyl very adequate around town and on the flats. Its not until the mountains at freeway speeds when you really realize it is lacking power. Remember it is a 4cyl and don't be scared to wind it out. I try to stay above 2k when cruisiong and shift between 2.5 and 3k to avoid lugging. The throw is long, but so are all truck shifters. To add perspective, I drove a v6 4x4 6spd and thought is absolutely ripped. Tons of power in that v6...

 

Got 185,000 on the original clutch and still runs like I first got it.

 

I engine break all the time when coming to a stop. Definitely saves wear and tear on your breaks since you don't have all that momentum to stop all at once.

 

Yea, that makes sense...no reason to put wear and tear on a 60 dollar pair of break pads, when you can wear down a 400 dollar clutch/pp/throwout bearing.

 

yeah 1st to 2nd is not the smoothest shift ever so i second this. but i have only had mine about 2 weeks and it only has 350 miles on it. like every other car or truck you have to get used to operating it. the seat adjustment makes the biggest difference to me the seat back needs to recline on the standard bench seat i have never seen such an oversite in vehicle design it makes no sense to me what so ever. btw i drive a 2010 regular cab 4x4 5speed manual 4cyl, i just wanted a well built 4x4 that got good gas millage and can haul a couple hundred pounds in the bed and be good in the snow. i plan on rigging my taco for snow duty. big beefy tires and a lower enter of gravity than say a truck built for the trail.

 

you arent looking at it for what it is , my 4 cylinder goes up any hill w/o big downshifts , its mostly economic/utilitarian . Luggish , no , its only 159 hp that means its just a slower steadier accelration , 259 would be faster , as well as 359 hp faster yet . youll find at the speed limit , both do 75mph or whatever speed the same , 6 cyl gets there faster.
Simply put the 4 cylinder is an excellent setup , as is the 6cyl , but each is different , either will get me up the steep grade to the ski slope at the same safe speed , just on a 400mi trip ill save more fuel.

 

The 4 cylinder is plenty for what most people need. I say unless you need to tow a heavy load, go with the 4 cylinder. I had a '99 V6 TRD that was bought back through the frame recall. My new truck is a '10 4 Cyl. 5 Spd. regular cab 4x4. When I bought the old truck I was young and thought I needed all the power and speed, the problem is I also got 16-18 mpg with the old truck. This one has plenty of get up and go and I'm consistently getting 23 mpg. This biggest thing I had to learn was to not be afraid to mash the gas. That little engine will get up and go.

I'm glad to see more people say they like the simplistic route. My wife thought I was nuts when I got my regular cab this time. In my old days I wanted all the goodys, now I like things that are basic and have utility. The truck gets me where I need to go and does it economically. Although it was funny seeing my bosses 14 year old shocked at the window cranks (his parents apparently have too much money and he's never seen anything but power windows). Also, by saving money on the engine size, you'll have more money for mods.