How do you like your Automatic?

Thanks guys, I love coming back to this thread any time I question if my 6MT was the right choice

 

Only because they geared it right, the auto should have the 4.88 from factory at least, a lot of us living in the mountains are going 5.29.

 

What was the RPM?

 

I had a beautiful 2017 TRD Off Road. I hated the transmission. It was rear ended while parked at the young age of 7 months and 13,000 miles. The market wasn’t like it is today and I took a huge hit to settle with the insurance company. Yes I fought and got about a grand more than the original offer. Now I have a Ranger and love it.
Before I get beat up, understand I am a Toyota fan. I have owned several. My wife’s car is a 2019 RAV 4 Limited. She flies to Jacksonville, Florida to see her daughter and grandkids. The golden retriever and I will leave a couple of days later in the RAV at 3:30 AM and arrive in Jacksonville about 10:30 PM. 1,198 miles from Oklahoma City. We love that car.
My farm truck is a 2013 Tacoma Access cab 4X4 with 190,000 miles. I would fill it with gas, leave now for Florida, and enjoy the trip just as much. That truck will be with me for years. If I would have known in 2015 what I know now, I would have bought an identical truck but with the TRD package and would keep it until my son takes away my keys sometime later in life.

 

I understand the appeal of the Ranger, especially the turbo 2.3 + 10-speed. I had a bad experience with an old Ranger and just couldn't take the chance on a new one. But I am excited about the rumors of the next-gen Tacoma getting a 2.4T and plugin/hybrid options.

 

A the time I had mine there was a programmer called Shift Sense Pro if I remember correctly. It held the transmission in a gear longer to prevent some of the gear hunting. It was an improvement. I was able to remove it before the truck was hauled away. Still have it if anyone is interested.
Nothing like returning from lunch in Santa Fe, NM after a couple of good margaritas to find a Corolla under the rear end of your truck.

 

If the Ranger had come in a tan color and the dealer had worked with me, I would of chosen a different color, but they where asses, otherwise I would be in one right now.

I am glad you’re happy with your decision

 

If your truck is in fact going into 6th while in S mode 5, then there is a problem, bottom line. I still think it’s likely that it was just going between 4th and 5th in that circumstance, but definitely something to make sure of, because electronically controlled things do fail sometimes.

My ‘21 doesn’t do any of the stuff you describe ever. And I travel more various terrain than most people.. I work in the mountains and live in the foothills at the base, so I routinely travel up and down a 6K feet elevation change several times a week, but I never have issues with the gears or shifting that others talk about. I normally do use S mode because, like any auto it will shift a bit more often than I would (especially when I know what’s coming up around the next corner), but in regular auto mode, it’s no worse in any way than my wife’s 2017 4runner, or any other auto I’ve had for that matter. I will say that the bigger tires you have will exacerbate any of the shifting and power issues that others complain about though. I’m running 276/75/16s, so just one size bigger than stock. I will also say, compared to my ‘97 4Runner that I still have and the ‘98 Tacoma I used to own, my ‘21 feels like a rocket ship in comparison to them.

 

I have just over 2,000 miles on my 2022 Tacoma trail. The transmission tuning is absolutely the worst of anything I've ever driven. They definitely geared the truck wrong, and also apparently program the truck to upshift at all costs. Driving up a hill at 65 mph it will run out of power in 6th, then 5th, then 4th shift to 3rd then have too much power and immediately upshift back to 4th and 5th and 6th only to downshift back to third and will repeat this until the hill is gone. Even early 2000s Chevy pickups would only repeat downshifting a few times before they would hold a gear until the hill was done. Just terrible on Toyota's engineering department. The 3.5 doesn't seem like a bad engine, probably not the right choice for a truck but has some pretty cool power all over the rev range. It just seems to shift the cams or intake profiles around a lot and not always at the right time. Sometimes it'll feel totally gutless at 2,000 RPM and sometimes it feels like it has plenty of torque. I'm definitely going to put 4.88s in it provided I decide to keep it. Honestly I think at this point I might wait a year, get rid of it and buy a bronco. I really like the way it goes up and down the mountains while I'm manually shifting it, but it does seem kind of silly to have six gears and only functionally be able to use four of them. The only hold up for me on putting 4.88s in is the fact that could potentially avoid my entire powertrain warranty. I really like everything else about the truck, so it would be kind of a bummer to get rid of it. But why buy a new vehicle if you can't use the warranty. And why spend so much money on something with such a major flaw. At least they hold their value.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Automatic-...Device-for-a-Toyota-Tacoma-2016-/123768419718

 

Didn't you take it for a test drive? If so, why did you buy it?

 

Should have kept your 2015 SR5.

 

Yeah, something you don't really notice until you get on longer hills. Flat lands around the dealership I bought it from. Feels pretty good around town, and on flats.

 

Probably, got a little excited that the '15 only depreciated $3500 in 70000 miles so I thought I would give a new one a shot. It won't hold a gear but hopefully it will at least hold it's value.

 

If I could put 4:88s in it and keep the warrant upstream of the diffs I would do it and probably love this thing. And to anyone out of warranty, it would be my first mod.

 

Hey, it could be worse. They could have given us a CVT... lol

 

I would prefer a CVT, honestly

 

ECT doesn’t help?

 

Nope. ECT is better on accel, or in the curvy bits, but on long straight hills on cruise it makes no difference.