Third Generation Manual Take Rates

I find it interesting that Toyota claims that the Tacoma manual take rate hovers around just 5% currently, as if customers are just going out of their way to avoid buying it? I don't believe that crap. They've limited it, so how are they surprised?

https://www.tfltruck.com/2019/05/to...-transmissions-it-sells-including-the-tacoma/

As Mazda did with their newest Mazda3, they only offer manual at the high end, on their nearly $30k expensive hatchback.
Toyota deliberately set it up that you could only get a manual in certain configurations. Ironically, 2 years ago Toyota dropped the manual option for the 2.7L.


The cheapest price you can get into a manual Tacoma is now $36,000! Who would've imagined that back in the day, when most basic pre-95s were stick and ditto for early Tacos?



Previous generation Taco let you spec one as you wanted, as long as it was a regular cab, 4x4 DCSB or Access Cab of any engine configuration.

Take rate was around 15-20% overall versus 80-85% auto. As opposed to 95% auto (by force) vs. 5% manual today, no thanks to dealers.

Making it a TRD, V6, and 4x4 only affair (plus DCSB only on OR and PRO) cratered the take rate, plus add on the fact distributors and dealers, go out of their way to make them special order only in some regions.








I'm posting this, because I had been in the market for a manual TRD Pro 2 years ago and my local dealers marked up special ordering one, by $8-10k. I ended up back in a larger alternative (from Ford), which I now regret (terrible autotragic mismanaging 411 horses) and now I'm looking again.

Seeing the new/used marketplace for a manual 3rd gen, it's super sparse and when even found, too close to new prices. Let alone, you can't even find those new ones within 500 miles of where I am anyway. Dealers refuse to order, without huge deposits and many month wait.

Is it no wonder that the take rate fell 10-15%, even with the clusterfuck of a transmission the 3rd gen autotragic is? Buyers are not given the opportunity, to even get a manual in any Tacoma they want anymore, save for flagship/halo 4x4 TRDs above $35k, well into the 50s.

Many guys I talk to (enthusiasts), say they wanted a manual, but all they had on the lot were autos, so they caved and didn't look back.

The funny thing is, I never even knew first gen double cabs were automatic only. So it seems like so many choices in configuration was being offered last gen and now, they've limited them to certain sets and force options on you.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate Toyota was willing to somewhat modernize the Taco and still give you that choice (unlike GM, Nissan, and Ford), but...damn.

It doesn't make sense to buy a basic TRD manual DCSB truck at $36k, when a fully equipped example is roughly $40k. In that case, sadly above my "sensible" budget as it stands (trying to be more prudent), unlike a generation ago where I could find a very basic example in Prerunner or 4x4 AC grade.

I can't even get the manual TRD OR Access Cab V6 4x4 I'd want, because of some convoluted decision-making at Toyota.

I'm now finding myself forced to go back 10-15 years, because I never liked the changes made to the 2nd gen for 2012+, so it has to be a 2005-2010/11 ACLB.

 

Supply and demand. Limit supply, and you can charge more for it. Manuals are now a commodity because autos are all but the universal standard.

Get used to it, or buy a sedan. But even in that segment, manuals are slowly fading away.

 

Manual trans was cheaper then auto when got mine

 

Well, automatics are certainly almost the standard in the US.. but in most other countries, manuals are by far in the majority and we are snickered at for not being able to drive them.

 

I grew up on MT's but I do not miss them at all in my daily drivers and that is what I use my truck for, that is also what the vast majority of Tacoma owners also use theirs for.

Toyota is not alone in this, Ford does not offer a MT in the F150 no matter what trim you get. AT's have come a long way.

 

Because it pays more per unit, with a decked out 4-door TRD V6 4x4 DCSB at roughly $40k versus a basic $25k I4 ACLB. I just don't agree with the implication, that the buyer base is outright rejecting it. Many people go with what's on the lot. The dealers aren't satisfied with less than a quarter of sales, thus the inventory managers and distributors, work hard to push out the option, for an easier sale. I'm just wondering what that take rate would look like, if so many limitations weren't placed. It is still nice to have well equipped product with that option, but seems peculiar to limit it to only that choice.

That being said, I have no use for a sedan with what I will still do (after I sell current truck), even though I have strongly considered it. Need something to carry my bike and of course semi-com/commercial purposes. The only other choice I have, is the expensive, yet unproven Gladiator and this yuppie Taco.

 

Just out of curiosity, why do you not like the AT so much? I do not buy the "You feel the truck more" explanation, at least I do not "feel one with the truck" when I had MT's.

 

Yes manual sales are a bit of a self-fulfilling prophesy. The reality is few automakers want to deal with manual transmissions any more because 1) they are less profitable, and 2) they bring down the average fuel economy of all the vehicles they sell (e.g. CAFE)

Bottom line, you manual buyers are a nuisance to them.

 

The F150 is not a direct Tacoma competitor, the Ranger (which also does not) is. I do agree that the automatic transmissions in the newest F150s are great ones, especially the latest Raptor 10-speed with paddle shifters. The automatics in the Tacomas are gloriously awful and just as frustrating as the one in my previous gen SVT Raptor, that can never make up its mind. I've told myself, I will never buy an automatic truck not made during the second half of this decade. People have no choice, but to deal with it.

 

While those two are probably true, well the first one.. the second is easy to prove. I think you also missed the number 1 reason: Buyers are not looking to buy MT's anymore. This is not something new, this started well over a decade ago and the numbers have just been sliding.

 

Most manual transmission vehicles get lower MPG than their automatic or CVT equivalent versions. This has been the case (on average) for the past 10-15 years or so.

I agree with the other part of what you said though.

 

And that would be fact how exactly? Or just your subjective outlook?

 

Manual trannies are going the way of the Do-Do bird. I truly believe that every red blooded male should own a 3-pedal car at least once in their lifetime. Be patient and seek one out!

 

I was about to order a manual Pro until I learned about all the deletes, or options that couldn’t be had with it. I understand CRAWL, but the JBL and smart key system weren’t things I was willing to give up for a manual. WTF?!

 

We were speaking about transmissions, not vehicles.. or at least that is the take I took on it. If we are talking very specifically to just midsize trucks then no one makes a MT except Tacoma that I know of. Jeep Gladiator is not a mid-size truck, or it should not be.. it is a jeep with a bed.

I have had, zero problems with my Tacoma transmission.. I hear people complaining about them in this forum a lot.. however no matter what brand vehicle forum I go to people complain about a lot of things.. so I usually just go by my personal experience.

 

Sorry I was meaning to agree with you on the MPG of MT.. it was unclear in my response I agree.

 

That's my subjective opinion on the auto industry's view of manual buyers. Manual transmissions cost money for them to develop, test, and integrate, and simply put they end up selling far fewer MTs which translates to less profit at the end of the day. Plus, CAFE standards have put a lot of strain on automakers to make more of their fleets fuel efficient, so they are more incentivized to sell autos/CVTs. It's a dual-whammy on manual transmissions, unfortunately.

IMHO

 

Will the 4th generation Tacoma offer a 3-pedal option? I say it will be axed, but we’ll see in late 2022.

 

Don't give up! Keep looking for a '19. Picked mine up about 3 weeks ago and I love it. I enjoy rowing gears. I understand that I can't get some tech with the stick (CRAWL, Terrain Select, and the smart key). It's a trade off that I wanted because if I'm gonna buy a truck then damnit the powertrain is gonna be configured the way I wanted it.

Use Carguru's to help your search. I got my TRD OR DCSB for 32k flat + fees. You're not going to find one cheaper than an auto like in days past so give up on that notion.

 

The 15-20% take rate on the last gen truck wasn't earth shattering, but it was reasonable. You can't exactly prove that theory of "buyers are not looking to buy MTs anymore", you can only guess it based of other statistics on other vehicles. I can believe that on many cars and even full size trucks, but compact-midsize trucks had them as a staple.

Toyota offered that as an option, virtually across their lineup. Now they've limited it to only TRD trucks, particularly DCSB 4x4 versions. Not terrible at all in reality, but it becomes expensive real quick. There is no apples to apples comparison, that Tacoma buyers definitely don't want them, when people who once bought a simple PreRunner AC or non-TRD 4x4, had the choice to not spend too much.

Now they're forced to pay essentially $40k for the pleasure. I'm sure when it's redesigned, the excuse will be "nobody" wanted them, when it was really "nobody wanted to wait months for a special order, pay $40k for it, or dealers favored the 80-90% auto take rate over dealing with 10-20% take rate, thus creating that even lower 5% situation in the first place.