Old guy with a stick.

Getting the AT would be the “grown up” thing to do.


Seriously, I was in a similar situation and decided to get (my first vehicle owned with) the AT, and know I did the right thing.

But nobody can decide for you- good luck whatever you go with.

 

I'm 65 and got a MT AG Pro yesterday. Came from a 17 AT OR and before that a 99 SR5 MT. Clutch is easy and shifts are smooth. I have no regrets after the 3 hour drive home. I enjoy driving more with a MT.

 

Thanks everyone.

And.......choosing the manual would mean giving up the push button and remote start. Remote start is nice in northern Michigan during the winter time.

And speaking of remote start; does anyone know how this works? It's listed as "Remote Connect" with a "1 year trial". What does that mean? Do you need to pay a subscription after a year?? What ever happened to "you either have remote or you don't"?

 

It also means giving up touch to lock/unlock. Have to use the button on the key.

 

My two cents;
I was a die hard manual driver for 20 years, refused to drive auto, hated every second behind one.. Then we got a westy with a 3spd auto - it was terrible, lunky, shifted like a snail, but went everywhere we wanted it to go. I figured out how to enjoy the ride instead of trying to carve every turn on the racing line.

Both TRD Sports we've had were autos, 2nd gen and 3rd gen. There is a lot of complaining online about the new auto but honestly it's never been a problem for me. Drives well, sport mode, can shift it up and down if I want to play- or completely forget about it and enjoy the ride if I don't.

 

I am several years older than all the kids that posted their ages so far in this thread.
Some thoughts:
Always had an MT since I swapped an engine between 2 cars when i was a student. Recipient vehicle had an MT. donor had an AT.
I have no medical issues that make AT more attractive than MT.
I went to buy Tacoma MT at dealer but due to rarity and I just wanted to get out of there... I accepted AT. I did test drive an MT though.
In some ways I regret it. I still jiggle shifter every time I start the truck almost 2 yrs later.
In some ways I don't regret it. I am glad I don't have to deal with accumulator I read about. Definitely would cut that out once warranty up.
I drive the S mode like a poor man's MT since I live on a mountain. It works and I admit it feels good to be a driver again rather than a passenger.
I am on edge of burbs and rural and avoiding stop and go is easy but occasionally get stuck
on interstate going thru a big city (PDX and SEA usually) and glad I have AT, though I was real good at teasing the right speed without shifting when
I had an MT. I don't get to play that game anymore.

Overall. meh. Pros and cons. No answer. Spent 50 yrs driving MT. I have other things that I dwell on now, by cracky.

 

Easy call, buy an auto, you can’t predict the future. And you can shift over to S mode and play manual all you want without pushing a clutch pedal.

 

Stating this right up front as an attempt at some humor: Are you a Vegan? Do you do Cross fit? If so, a Manual Transmission may be right for you.

 

I’m an Old Guy with a stick, but my truck is automatic......

 

Come on man.

Do it. Bragging rights. We need the dudes.

 

You need to add something like this - the shift knob on my '96 BMW Z3.

 

Lmao!

 

I'm 53, got the urge for a manual again (first manual daily since '04) and figured why not, probably won't be able to get one in a few years, so far so good on my daily commute into a medium size city and its traffic. Plus I didn't care for the 3rd gen automatics that I test drove.

This truck will idle along in gear at ridiculously low speeds, so you really only need the clutch when you actually come to a stop.

As for health stuff, I'll deal with that when and if I have to. I will say that the Glucosamine and Chondroitin supplement I take for my joints helps keep them supple and noise free, before I started taking that years ago my knees sounded like a bowl of rice crispies every time I bent them, due to some youthful stupidity and abuse. Without that supplement I probably wouldn't have gone for the stick. Which means I'd have my old 2nd gen still. Or something else. But not a 3rd gen.

 

Been driving stick since i got my first car at 17. Hell i drove it out barely not knowing how to drive the damn thing out of the dealership hahah. I couldve gotten a manual tranny but for some reason it doesnt make sense getting one since its not a sports car and its not like ill be redlining it..auto for me now cuz i feel like i could just cruise and chill while driving.

 

I'm 68 goin' on 69 soon...........my 2013 OffRoad is auto, my 2014 2500hd is auto but my daily driver is a 1998 SR5 and is a manual and I love that I still have that "connection" to my youth . Back then if it wasn't a 4 speed with a Hurst, it wasn't worth having.

 

The 2.7 needs the torque multiplication that the auto provides. That made the decision easy.

Arthritis put the kibosh on a lot of activities, including my Hayabusa. At 67, it ain't going away.

 

Listen, I'm almost 62. Anytime I get to thrash my stick through six gears, I'm jumping on it. Could be the car wash, Whole Foods, the mattress store, etc......when she says let's go, I'm going to town in the driver's seat. I mean, 5th AND 6th are OVERDRIVE. Holy cow, you aren't getting any younger. Sonny. Get off my artificial lawn!

 

LOL

Must be why they call it a SPORT eh?

How does that clutch feel? They don’t have any manuals at the local dealer to test drive. I’m imagining it to be fairly mellow. Not like my mid 70”s vette that took two men and a boy to push the clutch in.

Does it seem easy to live with?

 

The clutch is super tame in my opinion. BUT there is what is called an "accumulator" in the hydraulic line. Makes the feel really puffy. A blind drunk garden slug could drive the thing. Remove the accumulator. Stat.

 

Not that "old" but it's a fun truck to drive with manual. And I've driven manual over about 20 years