Talk me out of a manual transmission

I am in the market for a new truck. Its been a long and tumultuous process and Im running out of time. Ive been considering exclusively manual transmissions which cuts the market down by about 95%.

I would be happy with a 4cyl manual, I used to have one and I loved it. I would never buy a 4cyl automatic. I have driven them and feel the stick is necessary to get the utility im looking for out of the 4 cylinder engine.

I havent heard much great about the v6 automatics but am trying to open my mind as there are so many more of them on the market. I generally prefer the stick but am not
married to it. My concerns include fuel economy, durability, utility and driveability. Can anyone with an automatic truck tell me why they love it or accept it over a standard trans? For reasons other than its easier especially in traffic or tight quarters. Ive been driving a stick my whole life and truly dont mind crawling through Manhattan in one so thats not really my concern.

I'll use it mostly on pavement, though I live on dirt roads. I also do a fair amount of off roading but not for the sake of offroading, really just to reach the destination. Its rare that Im in extremely technical situations beyond a washed out forest service road.

Thanks!

 

I prefer manual but it's not the end of the world if I daily an auto. They can be fun in their own way.

 

How much time do you spend in stop and go traffic, and how often do you do really technical offroading? If the answer to both of those is "a lot", then with a stock truck, I'd go with the automatic.

Other than that, it's dealers choice. I've mostly owned stick shifts, but I just kinda prefer the auto at this point.

 

Well, most trucks now days link your phone to the information screen. So your hands are free to steer and shift. So, I can not say that's is a problem. There are cup holders now, so beverages are not a problem. People that smoke can mostly shift with a cig lit so that's not a problem. But if you want to do all three at the same time, that may be a problem.

 

I’m assuming you’re looking at 2nd gen’s since we’re in the 2nd gen forum. I’m a manual guy all the way, but the 2nd gen V6 manuals can be a bit quirky. From the factory at least for certain years, they could ship with mismatched clutch pressure plates and throw out bearings that can turn problematic over time. Another issue is that the quill that the throw out bearing rides on is aluminum which means it wears out from the throw out bearing movement over time and sadly it’s part of the transmission case so it’s not replaceable. This doesn’t mean I wouldn’t buy a manual 2nd gen, but there are problems to be aware of is all. The 2nd gen 4 cyl manual doesn’t have these issues.

On a 3rd gen I’d go manual all the way. They went back to a conventional steel quill that is also replaceable, so no more or less problems than any other transmission on the V6.

 

I'm a die-hard manual fan but Toyota goofed up the gearing with these IMO. If you plan on towing at all reverse is terrible and is way too tall. This coupled with all of the throw out bearing issues turned me away. I ended up going with the auto and haven't had any regrets.

 

@mikalcarbine Are you referring specifically to the v6 manuals as having these issues?

 

Thanks @BLtheP I didnt know any of that. My last one was a 1st gen 4 cyl with 0 issues.

Does anyone have issues or complaints with the way their automatic 6cylinder transmission shifts? And if so, are there any aftermarket solutions?

 

Don’t have a 2nd gen nor have I driven one so I can’t speak to that part. I’m just in the loop on the V6 manual issues because my curiosity lead to me searching and finding the differences between 2nd gen and mine a while back. Only guy I know with a 2nd gen is @Texoma, he has a bunch of miles on his second gen, maybe he can help.

 

I find the V6 clunky and annoying to drive anywhere below 30mph. I don't look forward to driving them. My sibling owns one oddly enough.

I adore the 5 speed 4 banger combo, I can rock it perfectly.

So V6? Auto
i4? Manual

 

The problems he speaks of are from the 6 speed in the 4.0 truck.

The manual transmission in the 4 cyl. trucks are pretty rock solid units.

 

If ya like manual trucks keep looking till you find what you want. They are out there, you just cant get in a hurry

 

It sounds like you want my truck. 2010 4 banger with a 5 speed manual. Mine’s s a Prerunner access cab and has been the most reliable car I’ve ever owned. I believe the 4 cylinder 5 MT may be one of the most dependable configurations. The V6’s are solid as well so I don’t think you can go wrong either way if you stick a manual. Best of luck.

 

I feel that the Automatic is on par and equal to the 6 speed in these trucks.
The only down side to the automatic is you "should" do regular maintenance on them.
The automatic, properly cared for, should last as long as or longer then the engine.

 

All the 6-lug toyotas I had were manual up until my current 2015. I wanted a double cab/long bed and that was that. Haven't really looked back

There were many times in my manual trucks I got tired of shifting and wished I was in an auto.. But there has never been a time in my auto that I wished I was in a manual

 

I decided against the stick in mine because it didn’t come in the SR, which was the trim I wanted, and it was a huge pain in the ass when people wanted to use my Civic Sport 6M when they visited from out of town. I really miss it though. If it fits your lifestyle, and it’s what you want, it’s hard to beat shifting your own gears when it comes to enjoying a vehicle like the Tacoma. Sport 3-4 and ECT Power make it fun, but I still think about the manual.

 

I don't own a V6...but my four cylinder manual is still on the original clutch. 233k miles. I love in mostly flat states, if I lived in the mountains I might want the extra power the V6 offers though. Either way, you won't go wrong in my opinion.

 

I have a 2nd Gen manual regular cab and a 3rd gen v6 auto double cab. I like them both. Auto for the sheer convenience of it, but it does not put a smile on my face like the manual does.
Really is a personal preference.

 

I was about to type some long winded crap….but, nah! Get the V6 auto if it has to be a 2nd gen.

 

Today? I’d go 2wd 4cyl auto. Drive straight to the tranny shop and have a Trans-Go shift kit installed with a firm shift then go out and beat the living shit out of that thing.