Why shouldn’t I get MT on a 2020 TRD Offroad?

What do

Crossfitters
Marines
Manual transmission owners
People who live in Hawaii

all have in common?

They tell you about it

 

all these other responses give you all the good reasons, pros & cons. I'm just here to tell you it's the most fun and engaging vehicle I've ever had as far as MT driving goes. i spent time setting it up for a responsive drive, so the potential is there in every MT. the ATs are probably good but not responsive or engaging as much. i live to drive, so MT only for me.

 

You mentioned MPG's with the MT in your first post, there does seem to be quite a variation of what guys seem to be getting. I find the 3rd Gen to get better MPG's than the 2nd Gen's did, my truck stayed above 20 the entire Summer this year.

 

But see you’re on a thread where folks are giving their input on it sooooo....
I’ve personally come across a few people I know who’ve specifically waited for manual Tacomas to be available in their area to buy one. Just because we happen to be the minority of the market, doesn’t make us any better or worse than anyone else.

 

You forgot about vegans.

I fucking live for Kale and Quinoa.

 

Way back in 2006 the dealer couldn’t find what I wanted anywhere. So, I special ordered the truck the way I wanted it. It came down to even knowing the build and ship date of the truck. Pretty cool thing to know. It was a three week wait but worth it in my opinion to get what I wanted. Still driving that truck and it’s an auto. I get the manual thing. I’ve had them loved them. I had a Mustang manual just prior that about killed me driving in stop and go traffic every day. The auto sounded quite relaxing and has proven to be the best decision for what I use the truck for. If I was a big time four wheel drive enthusiast then a manual would have been the better choice.

 

Need more responses to help push you and justify getting a manual?!
I'm coming up on a year with my truck that's manual and love it everyday. I had a manual accord as my first car, then switched to an automatic for work. When it was time to buy myself a new car I knew I wanted control over changing gears again. My wife drives stick, she doesn't drive it often but she has fun with it when she does.
As other members have mention traffic really isn't that bad (I drive in Chicago traffic). I leave it in either 1st or 2nd and cruise. It's also really nice being able to pop it in neutral at signals and relax my feet.
I don't tow so can't give any input there.
Other thing to note is push button start is not an option.
I installed Borla Exhaust and HPS intake and love the sound.

 

Because the manual transmission feels like driving an old tractor and the AT gripes are overblown to be polite.

It's current year and any benefits manual transmissions had are long gone, especially one that isn't fun to shift.

 

First of all, I have owned 49 cars and trucks. 38 were manual transmissions, 11 were automatics. (yes I make lists lol)

I choose a TRD Off Road with an automatic transmission.

There are a couple of reasons why I made this choice. First of all, a Tacoma is not a dynamic drivers oriented vehicle. No truck is in my opinion. Don't expect spirited acceleration with all the right sounds and rev matching goodness. If this is your goal, buy a fun little sports car or better yet, a motorcycle.
A truck is a utilitarian vehicle/tool and the Tacoma adds ease of use due to its size. It also adds some creature comforts and value to make it one of the best choices IMO if you are looking for a truck.

The (Canadian) TRD Off Road Automatic package also includes Multi-terrain Select, Crawl Control, Keyless entry, Push button start, Remote start and probably some other options that are not available in a Manual.
All these extra's makes the truck easier to live with on a daily basis and it will hold its value more during trade in because it will even be more in demand. So choosing a V6 Auto over a V6 Manual is a no brainer.
I also have 4 banger pickup truck with a manual transmission which is a perfect combo for that specific truck.

There are a lot of complaints about the tranny, the shift points, the lag during acceleration etc.. There is some truth in these complaints, it is after all an automatic transmission. It will not always shift when you want it to because it does it automatically and it does not read your mind. But a lot is blown way out of proportion and I am actually quite happy with the way the transmission performs. The drivetrain is focused on efficiency, which implies that it shift up as quick as possible in order to save fuel. In fact, like with most cars, the auto is more efficient than a manual.
Some complain that it is 'only' a 6 speed. I for one don't believe that more gears makes it better or more efficient. If anything, it will make it more complicated and nervous/shift happy. If you drive your Tacoma like a normal truck, you will be happy with the way the transmission performs.

The manual versus automatic discussion on this forum is notorious. Some manual transmission owner defend their choice to the extreme. I find this 'vegan behaviour' quite annoying. They even find ways to sneak 'MT' comments into threads that have barely anything to do with transmissions. Driving a car or truck with a manual transmission does not make you a better person. Driving a stick can be a lot of fun but I don't think it that is the case with a Tacoma.
If your truck for a specific purpose and the purpose is better served with a manual transmission, then please go ahead. But please don't be one of those short sighted 'I drive stick so I am better than you' braggers.

 

You SHOULD get the MT.
1. Fun
2. Most transmission complaints are about AT
3. Most naysayers about MT are AT guys
4. Fun

 

Wow! Totally forgot about the Gladiator with MT somehow. Thanks.

 

the MT is awesome. If you don’t have a left leg, I guess that would be considerate to get the AT but I can’t think of any other reason

 

Itchy, are you bitter because:
A) you are obese
B) you are in Coast Guard
C) drive AT
D) live in lower 48
E) all of the above

You know, there is a fix for all of those ;-)

 

i see this a lot. makes sense. but as a driver there is more to the story.

no sports car is fun to drive on the street for me. i have never been able to approach handling limits on a public road without terrifying multiple folks, and that just ain't right. i gave up the sports cars because they are so damn boring on public roads where i drive.

i setup my truck with a tight responsive drivetrain, a zero camber alignment with good caster, hard-as-rocks E tires that don't grip tarmac until you strongly weight shift the truck into them, and a very spirited drive style... all within speed limits. the engagement level is high and demanding to drive due to the low grip setup. that's what makes it fun. around town I'm having way more fun than any sports car I've driven just short of it's limit. because I'm often driving at the grip and handling limits around town with tires scrubbing and leaning all the way into the chassis. and nobody even knows.

 

Oh I hear you on new GM truck problems. In 1996 I bought a new GMC 1 ton dually. The first one was a lemon off the lot, so I took it back and demanded a new, "working" truck. I owned that POS for 18 months of hell. I GLADLY ate the loss to get that shit box out of my life. 23 years, multiple car purchases later, and not once have I set foot on a GM dealers lot.

Your first post didn't mention anything about problems, so I assumed you were just another MT vegan here to stir the pot. Seriously, buy and drive whatever floats your boat. Personally, I'm firmly in the AT camp for everything, except sports cars. The Tacoma is many things, but it is not a sports car. I grew up driving only MT and I was in my 30's before I bought my first AT, that GMC POS. I bought the AT because it had a higher towing capacity than the MT. If the truck wasn't such a steaming pile I would have loved it for the AT alone. The AT just makes life easier when backing, driving in traffic, maneuvering in tight parking lots, off-road, things I do 99% of the time. I say this from having driven both MT and AT. I commuted for 20 years in stop and go traffic in an MT, and didn't give it a second thought. Then I got an AT and was like, why did I wait so long?

But, when I was in my MT driving days, nothing anyone could say would have changed my mind. So drive what you like, when someone else makes your payments they can have an opinion.

 

I disagree. I love how this MT tows. I especially like being able to stay in one gear up hills. No gear hunting and can stay in ideal RPM range.

First gear is low enough most of the time for reasonable towing weights.

I will give you that R is stupidly long. It's the worst feature of this MT. I back trailers up hills in 4L though and have no problems. The only time I could see it being an issue is backing up around a corner on pavement (where one wouldn't want to bind up in 4L), but that is a rare endeavor for me.

 

All good reasons, pro & con, in this thread. Buy what you want & what suits your circumstances, but as for me & my house, give me a manual for the driving experience.

 

Ah yes. The classic regretful and envious AT owner throwing rocks at the boastful MT strawman...

Envy will eat you up, son

 

lol

I'm just a stupid millennial who doesn't know how to drive stick

 

Drive both, see which one you like most. I bought the manual. I have about a 160 kilometer (100 mile) round trip commute, about half the year in wet and snowy winter weather, and often heavy stop and go highway traffic. I enjoy driving the manual transmission and the control it offers of the gear selection to engine rpm. I get better than the advertised fuel economy when traffic is moving around the posted speed limit.