Anyone gone from Auto to Manual?

I'm had my 2016 DCSB since March 2016 and she is an auto with 78k and has been paid off for almost 5 years. I'm thinking of going with an access cab manual which I'll have to order and have never driven one of these in a manual.

What feedback do you all have that have maybe made the switch?

Does an access cab allow the seats to go back any farther in the front?

Pluses or Minus? Thanks in advance!

 

If you get a manual, please don't turn into one of those guys who TELL everyone that you drive a manual transmission truck.

 

I went from manual to auto.
Why? Too tall reverse gear for backing trailer means constant slipping.
Start/stop traffic for construction for 11 miles makes you hate manual trans.
It's fun but if you drive a lot, auto wins.

 

What else do they have to live for? My theory is that the giant H-key pokes through their skinny jeans whenever they sit down to browse the internet, so the constant irritating jab to the ol' pill box is a constant reminder of their choice of transmission.

I have to forgive them. If my nards were uncomfortably prodded non-stop, that would be all I talked about too.

 

The Access Cab MT only comes in Sport Trim Level if that matters to you, and no the seats don't go any further back.

 

Test drive one. If you've driven a manual before, you can decide if you want it again. If you've never driven a manual...well, that's another discussion.

My first manual was a 1981 Toyota 4 x 4 truck and I loved it! I purchased my 2004 AT Tacoma in 2007 and still have it (just turned over 100,000 this past weekend). I have a 2020 AC MT and it really is a lot of fun to drive and keeps me far more focused and in tune with the vehicle. Ultimately, you have to decide what it is you're using the truck for and what kind of driving experience you want.

 

Ya, I was planning on a Sport. I've had this OR and it's never been OR so there's that. I grew up driving 5 speed Nissan and Ford trucks. Just miss the manual. I hate, and when I say hate I mean it, this auto trans. My tuner has tuned it multiple times and I just hate it. Every morning since I got it, it always slips from 2nd to 3rd, always. It can be 115 degrees out or -10, doesn't matter. Love, love, love the truck. I spent a lot on it, but I just hate the auto. Even the auto shift option isn't even real, it doesn't work anywhere near like it should and still shifts when it's not supposed to. I donno, just kicking the idea around.

 

If you truly despise the auto, then definitely get an MT; you'll like it.

 

I'm thinking so.....I've been looking at tundras and everything else under the sun, but just really like tacomas. I guess it's love hate lol.

 

dangit. i was really hoping this thread was detailing the conversion process from auto to manual...

 

Thats like having buyers remorse if having an automatic and now wanting a manual.
As far as the seats in the access cab, they do move back, and forth. The driver seat is power. I don't know what you mean by farther? Their only built to move so far.

 

In 2016 I bought an access cab 4cyl auto… great truck, slow off the line but capable of doing everything I needed it to do.

things I did not like about it: hesitated between gears, confused some times (left turns with incoming traffic) once it almost stalled on me in the middle of a left turn and it did scared me… rest 95% of time it was ok.. never used ect too much…

i missed manual and had a kid and it was pretty tight back there on the access cab..

I wanted a manual Tacoma, it didn’t matter at the moment if it was 4x4 or off
Road or sport (pro too expensive)

Ended up buying an off road manual in 2019. I do city driving 100% of the time with 50% the time stop and go traffic.. does it gets annoying? ABSOLUTELY. BUT the time traffic clears I get back to LOVING it.

I am 35 yo and I know from 1 son, now I have 3. So I might end up driving a full size pickup like tundra. So I can carry 3 boys, comfortably.

I am probably NOT selling this truck. My 4yo will learn how to drive on it and take it to school and or college.

If OP REALLY MISS manual and every day thinks about it, then do it, if it is not as intense and op does city driving then auto will
Always will be more comfortable.

Bu the way.. I drive way slower with the manual now than with the auto.. since it is me who has to change shifts, most of the time I do it relaxed.. until, I want to enjoy it and then I have fun…

 

In previous various autos before this, I had a few models that were the same brand and model, but extended cabs had a couple more inches the driver seat would go back. Just curious if maybe the AC did.

It's not really buyers remorse, I think I am just ready for a change.

 

I do 50-50 driving. How does cruise feel on the hwy w/the manual?

 

The auto having such a high 6th gear felt like it could go faster at slower rpms so I used to cruise at 80mph most of time, but manual gears are lower (I believe) so I find myself cruising at 65-70 most of the time. Engine seems to sound more.. so not sure why but I have the feeling that truck does not like to cruise at more than 70mph.. this might be 100% subjective but it is how I feel.

Two days out of the five work days I use my truck I always try to change gears from 6th to 7th (by ear) realizing that I do not have it. So yes, to me since 6th gear is lower, it revs a bit more than auto 6th and makes more noise so I tend to cruise slower than auto.

So between me trying to save some gas, lower gears on manual trans and my ocd in terms of engine noise, I cruise slower than before.

clutch has this actuator that makes it feel weird sometimes… it makes me feel that I released clutch earlier or later than sweet spot and after reading I understood that clutch will disengage in slightly different height because of actuator (if I am not mistaken) so sometimes is clunky.. I guess I will do the actuator delete at some point.

you will see yourself changing gears all the time (obviously) and be more connected to the road.. less hands to check on phone..

 

Well, the seats go back in my access cab plenty far enough for me being 5' 10''. They go back far enough, but not to interfere with the rear seats.

 

Here are a couple of things to think about. I have drove MTs for 26 years before getting my AT Tacoma. My pre-pandemic freeway commute to work was getting awful, so I wanted an AT.

I drive an MT and an AT very easy, so with an MT, I would probably keep the RPM shift points close to how the AT shifts, so either one is fine for me.

Consider building a dog platform even if you don’t have a dog. Very useful for toolboxes and making Costco runs.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/access-cab-dog-platform-udpate-pics.72761/

The passenger seat I leave all the way back to against my dog platform to assist in holding the platform in place. Seat seems to go back far enough for tall people in the passenger seat to be comfortable.

 

You're right. The manual final drive ratio in 6th gear is .71/1. The auto in 6th is .58/1.

 

This why I cruise now at 70 instead of 80

 

The auto, in 5th is .69/1 vs the manuals .71/1 in 6th. That's one of the reasons the auto (gear hunts) at highway speeds going between 5th and 6th.