V6 and 6 speed manual

Hey!

I'm fairly new to the forums, but consistently I see the 4x4 V6s paired with an automatic. I was wondering if the 6 speed is worth it or are there problems with them? It would save a bit of money and weight, but would not be worth it if there were problems in the long run.

Thanks!

 

automatic is much better on these trucks.

 

I picked the manual over the auto for better gas mileage, I was happy with my last fill up getting 13.95 mpg.

 

Depends on you.
I chose the manual because I don't do any city driving, love having more control over RPMs in the snow and ice. My only complaint is higher RPMs at highway speed, but I can deal with that..

 

I'm a manual guy myself and love my 6 speed! I have heard that the autos are better, but I would rather drive a standard and so far mine has been no trouble at all. I would buy another one in a heartbeat

 

I sought out and purchased a 6spd. I'd rather work on a manual trans than auto if/when it comes time. I enjoy shifting. And I dont have nearly the complaints that other 6mt owners on here do. I think the gearbox feels just fine....its a truck. Maybe if I had an xrunner or something and wanted quick, crisp shifts, but I dont. I have my other toy(s) for that. Overall I'm very happy that I chose the manual. And yes, Autos do get better mpg's on this truck.

 

I can coast my manual in neutral down a long mountain road and get excellent gas mileage, you can't do that in an automatic!

 

I can shift gears so smooth in my Tacoma manual you wlll never feel it
I hated the auto in the test drive cause everytime I touched the gas pedal the trans would shift like crazy
You get better gas mileage cause your truck is the 4 cyl, you live in a warm climate with level ground and no long steep mountains to climb

 

I chose the 6sp MT also. I personally like driving a stick better. I did however get the URD short shifter which has made the shifting a lot less like a 18 wheeler.

But...
Auto's are geared better, so better MPG on them.
Also, the double cab long bed isn't available with the 6sp

 

I said I coast in NEUTRAL, not in gear!

I can also shut down the engine and coast in neutral (pwr steering and brakes won't work)
a manual is better to control in winter driving conditions
a manual costs less to repair than an automatic
a manual gives more power and better acceleration
a manual gives better gas mileage cause its a more direct transfer of power from engine to the wheels
( on my test drive between a auto and manual I noticed a big night and day difference in power and perfomance)

 

It doesn't matter how its geared when you float a manual down a long mountain road in neutral

 

And you didn't read properly.

The auto *and* the manual use no gas when coasting downhill in gear. Coasting in neutral you are using gas.

In reality the mpg on the auto and the manual are so close that the difference is going to be in the driver and not the transmission.

 

but I have long steep mountain roads that I also need to climb and I need the power and the lower gearing and the control of the gearing that the manual offers. I don't want a Dodge hemi passing me on a steep hill, then he pulls over on the top of the hill and points and laughs at me screaming at the top of his voice "IT'S A HEMI"

 

What about the throwout bearing in the 6 speed? I thought they all were subject to failure due to their design?

 

I owned an auto. Drove semi for 4 months, came home and traded it in for the stick. Never looked back. And I get 21+ MPG on the interstate with it. The auto.....12.5-27. Mostly under 17 MPG.

 

i test drove both before i bought. i've always had manuals and preferred the manual, so i got it. i still prefer it - love it, actually. it took some getting used to, especially when shifting quickly and at high RPM, like, doing so without making the truck a bit jerky, but i've got it down perfectly now. most people will complain about the rev hang but somehow i don't even notice it now - my driving has become adjusted to it whereas it's almost as if it plays into my shifting now.

as far as mileage, i average 18.5 with minimal highway, mostly local driving. i practice some hyper miling techniques like coasting A LOT approaching sweepers, stops, etc. the only tank where i actually did some highway driving i was seeing incredible mileage but ended up killing it at the end because i installed my intake, reset the trims, and eventually flogged it once the trims settled.

 

I think it's all personal preference. I love my 6 speed manual but hate driving it in the city. I think there's pros and cons with both manual and auto. Just my opinion.

 

I think that little rpm blip between shifts is very dependant upon the actual truck. I test drove about 3 autos and 4 manuals. A brand new '10 had the worst shift assist or whatever it is. The one I now own has almost none. I dont know if its adjustable through the dealer, but I found it to vary between trucks ,fwiw.

 

Yep. I have an love my manual and wouldn't trade it for the world. Historically I've always stated and proved a manual will get better gas mileage than an auto when driven properly. (This is my first tacoma, so this statement doesn't neccisarily apply to my current truck)

HOWEVER, Toyota engineering, for reasons I'll never understand, geared the manual 6th way too low to get comparible mileage to the auto when highway cruising. Basic math and gear ratio says that while in top gear, the auto can, and will always get better mileage. 6th should be an overdrive only, yet I can accelerate with ease while in it. I wish it would just hover along at around 2K rpm at 70mph.

On the flip side though, 80% of my driving is around town, rarely getting out of 4th, occasionally into 5th, so I'd venture that in my situation I get overall better mileage than an auto.