I'm new here. (sort of)

The MT and 4.30 gears make this truck a decent puller in my opinion, but not a very nice highway cruiser.

I picked a Tacoma because I had size limitations. Otherwise, I'd have gone for an ecoboost.

 

Dunno about you man, but my previous AMG had great suspension. A little on the soft side compared to M cars but nothing harsh. I

 

I'm likely looking to buy an '18 this fall. I'd like to think that any trans. issues would be solved by then.
Our camper weighs about 2,700 lbs and we go roughly 40 miles from home 5-6 times per year. It's not like we're going on huge cross-country trips.
The auto trans is that huge of a disappointment? I like the one in my '13.

 

It is interesting to see the various experiences had by 3rd gen Taco owners. I initially had some "gear hunting" worries, but now it drives as well as most other truck AT's I've driven. That said, I live in flat-ass Florida, so I don't have terrain or altitude issues to deal with.

 

The transmission and throttle response is probably the biggest and most frequently voiced complaint. It's been a problem since the 2016 hit lots and still is a problem today. There are multiple TSBs in the form of software updates that have been released by Toyota over the past ~2 years to address this but success is debatable and feedback is mixed from owner/operators. There's a sticky up above the third gen section you can read on the trans TSB. There are rumors toyota continues to work on it. In reality there is very little confidence that any significant changes will be made for Model Year 2018.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/t-sb-0077-16-rev-1.457782/unread

 

My 2011 towed GREAT... In 4th. But at 70mph, I was turning 3100rpm. Motor was screaming. So I'd drive at 60-65. This was better (2500-2750) but then I had to get creative with my routes. Get onto the Kansas Turnpike and run 60... it's a frightening experience.

Driving 40 miles towing in S4 on the 3rd gen should not be a huge deal provided you don't need to get there in a hurry. I'm assuming your speed limits are 60, 65 tops? Lock it into 4th and it should be fine.

PS, in 2012 I pulled my trailer to Baltimore an back... did 60mph the whole way. That was a LONG trip but the truck never broke a sweat.