Coming from a 2017 Ridgeline

This will provide excellent highway acceleration.

 

Ridgeline owners will need a sex change, before the dealer will even sell them that!

 

I assume the bold is compared to the "standard" put it in drive of an AT Taco. Also, it's important to distinguish that the Tacoma doesn't have sport mode - it just allows you to shift through the gears like a normal automatic without having D/5/4/3/2/1 on the shifter. I believe the manual's technical term for it is "Sequential mode," but all it really does is lock you out of the higher gears - different from locking you into the selected gear.

Why are 0-60, 0-100, quarter mile times relevant? OP was asking about throttle response, not acceleration. Unless Toyota starts dropping in 2JZs with twins at some point, the answer to all of those times is going to be the same: SLOW.

The whole benefit to a manual is that the truck shifts less frequently, which appears to be everyone's chief complaint around here. Sure, I have to do all of the shifting, but I can guarantee I'm not hunting through gears going up a .5% grade at 65 mph. I'm keeping it in 6th and chillin'. Hell, around town I stay in 2nd and 3rd gears unless I'm starting on an incline, then I'll go down to 1st.

It will. At around 5700 RPMs....

 

I agree with this. I had an 06 TRD Sport 2WD DC SB and a 17 TRD Sport DC SB 2WD. I got the 21 TRD OR DC SB now and is a huge difference. Much smoother ride. I’ve always heard that the sport was better on the road. Specially if you don’t off road. I’m glad they didn’t have the sport in stock this time. Very happy with the ride.

 

All 3rd gens with the MT have the 4.30 rear gear ratio, even the 4 bangers.

 

I’m sorry for getting all you manual owners up in arms for questioning a long held truth that might be an anachronism. I am a happy manual owner myself. Most of the automobiles I have been manuals.

As far as the quantity of shifting, I’m pretty sure I shift my manual about as much at highway speeds as my previous auto. I downshift to pass. I downshift to climb grades. I downshift when I someone slows me down and I need to get back up to speed. I’m often mystified why auto owners are pissed off that their auto is shifting for them. It’s an automatic transmission after all.

 

Not up in arms, just clarifying things that I think better fit the OP's original question. The acceleration does not matter. If you're buying any pick up for the 0-60 time, you're probably choosing the truck for the wrong reason. AT/MT Tacoma, the difference is negligible.

As for shifting, that's your prerogative and driving style, and aftermarket equipment is probably a factor as well. My truck is stock aside from a bed topper, so 6th gear at 45mph offers enough acceleration for me to happily get back up to 55-70 in a reasonable amount of time. If that's not fast enough for some people that's ok by me.

 

I think we are in agreement. One of my first posts recommended the OP buy a sports sedan if acceleration and comfort are the primary criteria. When questioning the acceleration of a manual vs a auto I was replying to the poster that blanketly said to get a manual taco because it accelerates better. Sometimes there are so many disjointed posts that it’s hard to understand the context of a single one.

 

I test drove both Ridgeline and Tacoma before I purchased the Tacoma. And I think they are completely different vehicles altogether. Driving the Ridgeline reminded me of my Odyssey, it was smooth, powerful, and roomy. Tacoma was rough, slow, and tight in the back cabin. However, I wanted a manual transmission with 4WD so I am willing to forego the smooth drive and roomy cabin.

 

If you like the size and shape of the Tacoma, and can deal with the truckish ride, test drive a frontier. Not sure exactly how much they’ve changed since 08, but my XTerra OR 6MT would absolutely blow the doors off of my Tacoma. Those VQ motors haul some serious ass

 

If throttle response and comfortable ride is important to you, get a Tundra. Best decision I ever made car-wise. Tacoma is an awesome truck; I had mine for 16 years and did not want to give it up when traded for the Tundra, but specifically for the things you mentioned as needs/wants, it will be the answer.

 

those frontiers are missiles. I drove one before buying my 1st gen.

 

Ridgeline I can’t take anyone serious when talking about this turd of a vehicle

 

The 2021 RL has a 9-speed automatic, which should make for smoother driving. Acceleration is essentially the same as the Taco, so no win there. MUCH better gas mileage—“routinely gets 25-30 on the highway” from a review I saw last night. My Taco gets 20 on a good day.

I agree they’re different vehicles, marketed to different folks. FWIW I think the RL is more capable more mild off-roading than people give it credit for. With some new tires and a skid plate it would be pretty decent and better than anything else unibody except the Jeep Cherokees.

https://youtu.be/oN7uT-8A5OI

If you like ruggedness, don’t mind a truck ride, don’t need more refinement and like shifting gears manually the Taco is the winner. And don’t mind buying gas. Otherwise you’d probably be happy with the new Ridgeline or a different unibody vehicle.

As far as the Frontier, why buy one until the 2022 reboot comes out? Unless you like 10-year old design.

As far as the Tundra, it will tow better, otherwise more expensive, bigger and MUCH WORSE gas mileage, in fact as best I can tell about the worst in its class. Gas mileage is the glaring defect in Toyota trucks IMHO. Not a problem when gas is in the low 2’s, but will be painful if prices continue to rise (likely as the economy heats up).

 

You do know what’s on the side of the OffRoad and Pro, don’t you?

 

I’m going to buy a Ridgeline

 

My 6MT Frontier Pro-4x is damn good.

2020+ Frontiers have a 310hp VQ38DD with a Mercedes 9G-Tronic (Produced by Jatco). It's heavily refreshed for '22 and goes on sale later this year.

 

Until I put the 91 octane OVTune in I was not happy with throttle response of the V6 Taco. After that, it is a great truck finally. That is my opinion and is not shared by all for sure. So .. drive the truck, try it in areas that you normally drive. Find a person who owns one and ride with them, especially if they have tuned it to see the difference that can be gained by a minor tune (took ten minutes to tune my truck).

 

So right in line with Tacoma owners then, since more women than men buy Tacomas?

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/the-toyota-tacoma-is-the-best-truck-to-this-demographic/

 

Unfortunately l think 2019 was the last time you could get 6MT in a Frontier.