Auto or 6sp Manual

That is awesome!! When I drive the, "backway" as my 5yo calls it, the dirt roads to my buddies house I let her "drive." I have her hands with mine over them on the wheel, and have her help me shift. We go maybe 15 to 20, but she loves it and wifey hates it LOL

 

Yeah my wife wasn’t too thrilled either. I take her to a wide open field where there’s nothing to plow over. If I need to, I can always slap it in neutral and pull the emergency brake. Lol
I took her to some tight trails last weekend and she was asking to drive. I had to politely decline. Too many trees...

 

Everyone always complains about the AT being in the wrong gear when they’re about to pass or off-roading or whatever situation. That’s a good argument for the MT but As some have pointed out, S-mode is your friend in theses exact situations. Once you learn to manipulate it in your favor it is actually kinda a lazy clutchless MT. It’s not fragile. It’s not going to let you grenade the tranny. My wife’s AT Grand Cherokee has sport mode and paddle shifters and I flog the shit out of it.

 

The cons are negligible at most. The clutch I'll learn to control with time, cup holders? Meh, can only really have 1 beer open at a time (I kid, I don't drink)

My auto was a nightmare from the start, which slowly got fixed with tsb updates. I still traded it because there was a horrible surging between 45-60, tsb didn't fix, and dealer wasn't sure if it was tranny or bad ECU. I got tired of being at the dealership all the time with it with issues, so... Pulled the plug and went MT. LOVE IT!

 

If my knees weren’t so bad I would have the manual..miss my gen1 5speed..just me though..

 

BULLSHIT!!!! All Taco owners are effing drunks, just ask me. Okay, just kidding - yeah I had a beer or two tonight.

 

I haven't drank since 2011. Stopped when fiance and I got together, and found out her kids father was an abusive alcoholic. Figured they didn't need 2 father figures who were drinking around them.

 

That is awesome! Seriously, way to step up for the kiddos!

 

I tried the AT, but went back to the manual.

 

Good for you and her. I did the same with my daughter. She's 42 now and teaching her daughters.

 

My wife drives off road with a manual. Her first car was a VW bug. POS but she loved it.

 

I have a hard time believing that as your pool of potential buyers is so much smaller for manual trans vehicles in that according to a US News and World Report article only 18% of the American driving public can operate a manual trans. Typically the smaller your pool of potential buyers/demand the less vehicle will bring at sale.

I have a 1996 with a stick and initially wanted a manual in my new 2018, however couldn't find one with the other options I wanted. When I asked two dealers/salesmen why so difficult to find new manuals they both said they don't order many for inventory because they sit on the lots too long compared to the autos.

 

Can anyone opine on the MPG differences on the 3rd gen? I think the window sticker on Manuals shows slightly lower than Auto. Does this hold up in real life from what yalls are seeing?

Also -- how's the clutch in heavy traffic? My experience with my Wrangler 4.0 in traffic is that it is easier to creep at 1-3 mph with no clutch due to the low end torque, whereas my WRX would require a lot more clutch so as not to stall. With the step down in the 3rd gen from 4.0 to 3.5 liters, are you able to creep in traffic without clutch and stalling?

 

My SR 4 banger has Hill Start Assist. Nice feature.
Too bad this model is not currently offered with MT. It's a great truck configuration.

 

Right, I am aware of the SR, was referring to what you can purchase new in that Post.

 

The Manual has 4.30 gears so it revs a little more thus lowering the MPGs slightly.

 

Holy shit. I swore I read the opposite.. i was wondering why I can sit on a hill with my foot off the clutch and not start rolling.

 

Driving gloves...yes!

At my favorite Toyota dealer the ratio of AT to MT for new trucks is 14 to 2...fortunately, the MT's are both colors I like. Both Sport.

I test drove it recently--coming from a WRX and MX5, TBH the shifting is a little awkward. I'm sure I would get used to it with time.

I'm tending toward getting the MT, but as a second vehicle to be used mainly in the colder months it isn't a huge deal for me.

 

I’ve never had hill start assist. That might have been a MT game changer where I live. Although when someone pulled up too close on a hill it was always fun to give them a little extra roll back and watch them panic as my ARB bumper was headed even closer to their shiny little BMW grille.

 

I wouldn’t get the manual If your objective is mpg. Autos will always provide better (consistant) mpg.

I have a manual, it’s “meh” and probably wouldn’t do it again considering what I use my truck for. Go drive them.