4cyl stick vs. auto, undecided need ur thoughts??

hey guys, i found a used 13 reg cab in auto. after test drive, it seems to have no balls. can i get some input on your thoughts of an auto over a manual? does the stick feel like it has more power?
i prefer auto since my wife may need to drive it in an emergency. My plan is to buy a truck for 3yrs and then buy a newer C7 Corvette while keeping the truck.
so....any insight is greatly appreciated since I need to make a decision soon.

thanks!

 

The manual may help, there was no way I was going to buy a 4 banger in this size truck.

 

I have the 4 cylinder/auto in a 2013 Access Cab Prerunner and I really like the combo. Its no hot rod, but I have no trouble accelerating up to freeway speed. Lot of hills here in Texas, so it does have to downshift going up some of them, but so has every other vehicle I've had, with the exception of my old half ton GMC with the 350/350 drivetrain.

 

Its gonna be slow no matter what. Just decide if you want the convenience of an auto

 

With 3200 lbs of truck & only 159 hp to move it auto or 5 speed isn't going to make a difference. Buy the truck if it meets your needs & the price is right.

 

You can't beat a Toyota 4 cylinder/5 speed manual combo for longevity.

 

I just got a 2014 4x4 access cab auto. Keeps up with traffic just fine. I plan no hauling or towing. I came from a mazdaspeed6 with 274hp/280lb/ft torque and a six speed manual. I drive in the right lane now instead of the left. I let people pass. I'm not always first to arrive anymore. In all seriousness though, the truck keeps up just fine. It will downshift in the hills to keep up but nothing ridiculous. It all depends on what you want out of it. I knew going into this that I was going to give up speed and it suits me just fine. ho-hum is my new calling.

 

If you can drive a truck with a manual transmission EFFECTIVELY you can wring a bit more performance AND MPG out of it with the manual. But is you hate shifting or if your wife needs to drive it and never learned to drive a manual trans, then get the auto and live with it. To maximize potential keep the weight down (no heavy bumpers, minimal skid plates, etc. And a light bed cover will help a tiny bit too by reducing wind drag.

 

I love my regular cab 4 cyl with the 5 speed manual. I have not hauled a heavy load but it likes to go 80 mph on the highway. It is necessary to use the correct gear on hill. I had no problems on as steep mountain pass with downshifting to the correct gear. One might want more power for heavy loads or towing.

 

Only a drawback if you don't like driving your truck and/or you are drunk.

 

The 14 4x4 reg cab auto I test drove vibrated and was incredibly slow to downshift from 4th to 3rd on small inclines. The manual is your best bet. I had a blast with my 89 4x4 5speed and all of its 110 horses!

 

LOL your funny.... hills... more like bumps.

A reg cab 4x2 would be about the only config i would get the 6 lug taco in the i4... anything more than that it is going to be dog slow no matter the trany. I really dont know how they get off selling the 4x4 dcsb with the i4.

 

2.7 5 speed FTMFW

 

I'm the same, I must drive a stick.

 

Expert on Texas terrain, are you?

 

im just saying it was funny the multiple times i have been out to TX when people talked about the little rolling hills like mountians.... when right outside my window, sitting at 150ft above sealevel, i can look ~10mi out and see a peak thats 3300ft up all of 5 mi away from the ocean.

Also +1 to the 5 speed, i am usually an auto guy but the 2.7 and the 5 speed go well together.

 

My 2010 4cyl, 5-speed manual Access Cab 4wd, 4x4 does a very nice job when lightly loaded. I traded up from a 96 4Runner with 5-speed manual and v6, and honestly there was very little difference in drivability.

OTOH, loaded full of firewood, or towing 3/4 ton trailer loaded with firewood, and I'm the old man in the right-hand lane that everyone is passing. At least I'm not the tractor trailer driver speeding up anytime there is a passing opportunity, then falling off when traffic is backed up.

 

thanks for all the insight. i want the stick, but may settle for auto. i am in traffic everyday going to work. also, i dont think u can do remote start in manual. decisions, decisions, decisions!

 

I just bought a 2014 4cyl 4x4 5spd Access-Cab. No regrets. Have to drop it to 4th gear on 7-8% grades (i.e. steep) when driving in the hill country (no, not bumps like whoever said that) to maintain 75mph. Not unpleasant at all.

 

My 4cyl 2012 5lug is slow as mollasses. I could not imagine how much slower it could possibly be with an auto. The only reason why I purchased the 5lug instead of the prerunner was because the 4cyl prerunner was discontinued with the 5spd (which really made me angry).

I love shifting however, I am not a huge fan of the 5spd in my truck.

My truck has 21k, its been used, but not severely.

The clutch seems weak. It has massive travel.
The gears are clunky - as they were on my old 5spd 4cyl 2010 prerunner.
I hated the stock gearing. This became especially evident after I put 32's on, I then swapped out the 3.31's for 4.30s. Its much better now. On the contrary, the 2010 prerunner 4cyl 5spd had an awesome gear ratio. Before I put my lift and tires on, I was getting on average 25mpg freeway and 21mpg city. Now I average about 20mpg both freeway and city.

Hope this helps. I would go drive both if it were me and I wasnt so picky on having a manual. Even though the manual sucks in this truck, there would be no way I would opt out for the auto.

Oh yeah - for towing.. Meh. This is definitely not a towing vehicle. Small loads are fine. Anything over 1500lbs your definitely going to notice, especially when it comes to stopping.

This is just my opinion, I am sure many disagree.