Who actually likes their 3rd gen?

The only complaint i have about the 21 4x4 sport 3.5l is the transmission hunting issues. Mine has about 28,000 miles on it and the 6th to 5th on the freeway is awful still. Also the 4th to 5th at about 35-40mph where I want to accelerate a little more enthusiastically and the transmission just says OK I WILL GO INTO 5TH GEAR TO ACCELERATE FROM 35-40MPH EVEN THOUGH I'M ALREADY IN 4TH GEAR AND CANT HOLD 4TH GEAR PAST 2,000RPM ON MY OWN! The truck will then just fall flat on its face and accelerate from 35 to 40mph at 1,100 rpm in 5th gear. #TOYOTA this truck does not have enough cahonnes to be accelerating and keeping constant speeds at 1,000RPM!

 

I've driven both...auto & manual.

For the life of me, I don't understand the immense negative opinions about AUTO's.

Trashing AUTOs on this board seems to be the norm.

You, on the other hand @SwollenGoat, at least suggest an alternative instead of continued bashing.

Get what you want out of life as well as a vehicle that meets your needs and be happy...is my opinion. Take it or leave it.

EDIT: Get a tune for improvement.

Thanks for your cool composure that I see whenever I read your posts.

 

LOL, bashing autotragic transmissions is not unique to this forum; look at any forum for cars available with both types of transmissions and you'll see virtually identical comments shot back and forth by the various lovers and haters of the two main transmission types. Purely based upon my comments here and elsewhere, I am pro-Manual and anti-Automatic.

 

I have a 2019 SR5 DCSB V6 Silver Sky 2wd w/ tow package.

I LOVE it, but there are things about it that are annoying, but that's probably any truck.

Yes it feels like it goes from 1st gear to 5th gear as fast as it can, so it drives as if it's always in 5th gear at anything over 15mph. I think this is to comply with Federal Fuel Economy standards or emissions. Either way it's FAR better than the vehicles that turn off at every red light and start again when you push the gas (I will never). But mine does have the triptronic shifting thing (or whatever the no-clutch pretend-manual shifting is called on the tacoma) and I do use that if I'm actually off road, which in my case means gravel roads in the mountains or through state forests and the like, so nothing serious. I will also use it sometimes on the road when I get sick of the sluggish feel of always driving around in 5th gear.

Also the 2019 3rd gen turning radius is Way Better (tighter) and the mileage is about 4-5 mpg better than my previous 2012 2nd Gen (also a SR5 DCSB V6 tow package).

That being said, the overall ride, power curves/shifting, and feel of driving was Far Superior in my old 2nd Gen 2012.

It doesn't mean I don't like my 2019. But I think a lot of the complaints about the 3rd gens are from people who got one to replace a 2nd gen. I can totally understand and relate, but I still love mine.

In fact, I tried to convince 2 friends to get a Tacoma (or Tundra) but they got Chevy's and Fords, which are really nice for about 40k miles, and now, a few years later, here I am doing oil changes and routine maintenance and never having an issue, while they are replacing huge "not covered by warranty" components and parts and many little things (you know, like the rear passenger window won't roll up if you roll it down past halfway, the indicator lights on the AC are out, and on and on.)

I guess I'd say if you love a 2nd gen and are thinking of getting a 3rd gen just to have something newer maybe think about it. But if you need a new or newer truck, the 3rd gens (imho) are great in many ways.

 

My wife talked me into it. “Hun, ya know you are getting older…” “Yeah yeah don’t remind me.”

Have been driving my 1st Gen recently, I do miss it. Don’t hate the auto either, is kinda nice after beating the shit out of myself on the dirt bike to just sit there and relax on the way home.

It is lame on Toyotas part that the don’t offer it in the lower trims. Have to buy a Sport or greater to get it. While cheap dirt bags like myself wonder why in the Hell isn’t it offer in the base. Toyota baffles me sometimes.

 

but tune voids warranty...it's just that if this tranny is hunting thaat much who knows when it decides to go big bada boom. anything to not void warranty. the kdmaxx tunes i hear have glitches in em also but is an option in the future after warranty.

 

Says who? I have been following this forum for just about a year now and haven't heard of a single warranty issue from folks who've gotten their Tacomas tuned. With this in mind, if any given dealership service department was to try to deny a warranty claim based upon the tune, then they would need to prove the tune caused the issue. Long story short, I do not believe there is any evidence to back up your statement; none, zero, zilch, nada.

 

For me manuals are almost zen like connection to the machine, if you don’t do the ritual correctly it doesn’t work, the less you think the better it is.

That said they can be annoying especially in bumper to bumper traffic, when you’re exhausted or injured. Have driven with sprained ankles and broken clavicles before, that sure is fun!

Don’t hate autos even if they don’t give me any zen, hate to say but actually enjoying it, is kinda nice to just sit there, much better on my back too. After decades of back pain, it has nearly disappeared since buying an auto. That constant slight shift of the hips must have been aggravated it.

You’re welcome and thank you on the cool composure, though feel like I come off as a dick at times. Lol!

 

I was concerned about warranty issues too.

On my first ToyotaCareMaintenance Service with the OTT tune (3rd of 5), I was sweating bullets thinking they would detect a change in the OEM tune.

I can't say for certain but I'm told the Tune is undetectable at the Dealership level.

Unless an engineer from Japan happened to be involved in a service check (which is doubtful), there's a small percent it would be detected.

**Professional opinions from Tuners is encouraged in my reply.**

So far, my OTT tune has not caused any irregularities such as sudden speed surges in engine/transmission application.

That would definitely need to be reported to a Tuner at the earliest onset.

 

Love mine!

 

I’m pro manual, but not anti automatic. I believe that a manual enhances the driving experience because you are engaged in an activity. If I could find a manual and not have to wait 6 more months I would do it. I think driving a manual generally not always makes you a better driver. I believe that every person should learn to drive a manual strictly to increase skill level. What’s crazy to me is that my kids generation would rather not learn how to drive one. When I was looking for a car for my son, we found a Civic Si that was in great shape and he would prefer to not have a car than have to learn a manual. And his friends agreed with him. It was madness to me. I want to buy a manual transmission vehicle prior to the disappearance, Toyota should actually be commended for keeping a manual in a truck for so long. Very few trucks even have it as an option.

 

Never felt the need for a tune, plenty of power, throttle response and trans shifting good enough for me. Do drive slower than most though. Only time the trans hunts a bit is when the cruise is on, interstate driving and the truck is loaded down. Click the cruise off it is fine. Think it is more of cruise control thing than the actual trans.

 

I love my 2022 TRD sport 4x4 MT.....as for "auto bashing", good lord is everybody's skin so thin a little ribbing hurts that bad??....with the exception of my first vehicle.....yes i have only owned MT however i drive a work van that's an auto and i love it too....but still love giving other people "friendly ribbing" about buying auto's.....Each has pro's and con's....lets start another type of bashing....which u like better "ketchup and mustard" or "mayonnaise" on your hamburger.....well screw you all...i like "A1".......

 

Do you have leather seats?

 

I agree with you there, mannys make people better drivers. Client of mine whose family mostly own Teslas says they are horrible drivers when they get in a regular vehicle, even if that vehicle is an auto. Too used single pedal and a driver assistance is my guess. We are all gonna to turn into the humans in Wall-E. Lol!

Wanted a manual in a ACLB, only trim that has it is the Sport. Me being a cheap SOB, didn’t feel like spending the extra $5K to get it. Was already grumbling about spending $10K more than I wanted for a base SR.

They should be commended, don’t think it will survive into the 4th Gen. Have feeling my beloved ACLB is going away too.

 

@Tacoma Trailhead

Both my daughters have driven manual...youngest still drives stick--current vehicle she drives: Mini Cooper-S

Youngest daughter's husband drives a manual 2015 GTI.

Both our girls learned manual operation on a 2000 VW Beatle Turbo back in 2009-2012.

Our eldest no longer drives manual...her husband didn't learn so they drive an Auto 2013 Honda Civic.

I agree that a manual keeps one engaged in driving--worst fear is killing the engine! lol

Getting out of first gear is probably the hardest part for new drivers.

EDIT: then remembering to engage the clutch after getting use to the gear selection sequence.

Remembering to not let the RPMs go too high before changing to the next gear.

And don't forget one can downshift to help slow down the car.

It's a lot to remember for young people who just wanna get in and go! lol

EDIT# 2 It takes lots of practice before it becomes second nature.

 

2017 SR Utility Package 4X4, 4 banger, 5 MT. Love it.

 

What’s crazy though is that after you have learned it takes about 5 minutes to get good at it again. My first 12 years of driving was with a manual, then I owned an automatic for about 7 years and then went back to a manual and within 5 minutes it all came back to perfect shifting.

 

I'm the other kind of member. This is the one vehicle that I can't leave damn well enough alone, and yet I love it. I loved it stock and I still love it after modding. I consider it as one of my hobbies, so that's the mindset when I grab the socket set and jack stands for the third time this month.


Yeah, a lot of people complain about it. I'm convinced that those people are lost souls that were never meant to own a truck, they simply don't know what vehicle is the right vehicle for them. They're disappointed that it doesn't fit and handle like a car. I was drawn to the truck because it is utilitarian as hell. It's practically a tool chest with an air conditioner and a radio. When I saw the wildly versatile rear seat and the bed, I thought that this was a vehicle for doing stuff. I don't care about cool, or manliness, or ride height. I just want to do stuff.

If I'm camping along the Rubicon trail and some lonely mountain hermit has a yard sale going on, then I have the ability to open my cubby, grab the ratchet straps stored there, fold back the softopper, and load that antique Louis XIV armoire I just impulse bought for a song. Poor hermit didn't know what he had. That's the vehicle I want. It's for getting out in the world and doing stuff. It's not built for coddling your butt along the way. That's what most people don't understand.

If you want it to coddle your butt, that's what modding is for.