The Glory of Manual Transmissions + Gen.3 Tacoma Impressions

This is a 'fanboy' post. Some will understand and relate. Others will scoff and role their eyes. Many may feel lost somewhere in the middle. Either way, In Joy.

Note - If you do not care much to read through, skip to the bold paragraph at the bottom, which is what the post is ultimately about.

~

Manual (M/T) is a dying art (most prominently here in the NA market).

There is quite nothing like the involvement, control, character and reward inherent to piloting a M/T machine with precision and finesse (from beaters, to off-road machines, to refined sports cars and motorcycles). It becomes a direct extension, a pure expression of you, for each and every critical input from the driver/rider (throttle, steering, brakes, and gearing) that dictates the machines dynamics is under your complete and utter control. A sacred unification between (wo)man and machine, manifest... This, even more so true with motorcycles, where such precision and finesse with the controls as well as that of weight transfer through the positions of your body and feet, along with the additional dimension of lean-angle, thrust such unification to transcendent levels... A nod to VR|46 (for those of you who know who he is).

I have always enjoyed driving and have never seen it as simply a trip from Point A to Point B. It is an involving endeavor that can be challenging and fun. An opportunity to enjoy yourself and remain in a space of awareness, focus and skill. This is even more so true when a M/T is in the mix.

I have been piloting M/T vehicles since I was 13 years old (illegally at the time, but outside of the first world, the term 'illegal' is quite loose) and have never truly enjoyed the experience of Automatic (A/T), although it has its merits in certain vehicles and/or situations such as with the comfort/convenience to be had in heavy traffic over long distances which for me, is still honestly not justification enough to forgo M/T when purchasing a vehicle that comes with the option.

For some time I have been contemplating purchasing a vehicle that is utilitarian, robust, off-road capable, comfortable, safe, refined, aesthetic and comes with a M/T in upper trim levels beyond 'Base Model'. This is a VERY RARE combination of traits (especially in the NA Market) and perfectly enough, the Tacoma checked off all of these requirements.

The first Tacoma I ever drove, approx. six weeks ago, was a '19 TRD 4x4 Off-Road (DCSB) with an A/T (dealership test drive; they had no M/T's on the lot, the barbarians). I enjoyed the fact that I was driving a Tacoma for the first time, however, no serious impression of any real depth was had that truly differentiated the experience. It felt simply like an above-average not-so-midsize 4x4 pick-up truck that was slightly more refined than its competitors, with some character. It is a Toyota in the end... I did notice, however, that the A/T transmission was erratic and unresposive which unfortunately detracted from my first impression of the truck. In fact, this is something I am noticing with most A/T's these days and although they supposedly 'learn' your driving behaviors with time, they remain counterintuitive and incohesive, which for me is intolerable.

A couple of weeks later, after scouring dealerships (surprisingly, SoCal is scant with manuals), I found one (albeit 1 hr. away) that had a few examples of the same specification vehicle with 6-Spd M/T's on their lot. On the drive there, I literally felt like a child on my way to Disneyland for the first time... Without, I may have seemed composed, yet within, I was screaming like a little girl.

From the moment I saw that slightly over-sized manual gear lever typical of off-road vehicles through the window (and the fact that the M/T comes with a now 'classic' key/fob and ignition switch) and sat in the truck, my heart was quickly yet gracefully stolen. (On a side note, I have always found indelible joy in the experience of slipping in the key through the ignition switch notches, dis-engaging the clutch, checking 'neutral' is engaged with the lateral movement of the gear lever across the gates, twisting the key from the 'Off/Lock' position through each mechanical stop until the engine fires and all of your senses come to life with the machine.)

I went for a test drive and was thoroughly impressed (a few 'sub-optimal' details aside). I was surprised as to how explicitly the character of the Tacoma came to life. Its robust, mechanical and functional nature became clearly evident. I honestly felt as if I were piloting a completely different machine. The level of involvement naturally and starkly brought my focus and senses to the moment, where I found myself more so immersed in all the various sensations and sounds compared to when driving the A/T. I especially enjoyed intimately experiencing and controlling the rev range, sound and characteristics of the 2GR-FKS 3.5L V6, as well as the sweet mechanical sounds of whining and whirring coming from the drive-train (reminded me of older model Toyota Land Cruisers and Nissan Patrols). Coming back to the dealership and sitting silently in the seat for a moment after parking and switching off the truck, I realized that I had a genuine, beaming smile on my face with slight butterflies in my stomach... All of a sudden, and for the first time, the Tacoma made complete sense to me.

(I also happened to drive an '18 TRD Pro 6-Spd M/T in Super White that they had brand new on the lot back-to-back with the TRD Off-Road which was revealing... Awesome dealership this was.)

I have since placed a 'special order' for a '19 TRD 4x4 Off-Road (DCSB) 6-Spd M/T in Midnight Black Metallic. With silent patience and excitement, I await its arrival.

Now, this post is not jut about my thoughts on this topic. The point, in fact, is that I would like to hear your M/T experiences (Tacoma and otherwise). Your first (popping your manual cherry), your most memorable, funniest, most embarrassing, and/or scariest experiences... Who taught you? Are you still driving M/T? Which vehicles do you, or have you owned in M/T? What have your experiences been with M/T Tacomas?... Please do feel free to share for I personally believe that this dying art deserves a revival, if not in actuality, then at least in our hearts!

Also, if you have something negative to say about this post, about M/T's, or even about M/T obsessed individuals, such as myself, then please feel free to express yourself, yet be courteous and respectful (somewhat a challenge when you really want to drench someone in your simmering thoughts).

Cheers, Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for reading and forgive the length.

-NeraMezzanotte

 

I'm not as eloquent - that was a nice post - but I'll pipe in. My 2016 SR M/T white work truck with the utility package (solid rear window, black bumpers, rear seat delete, etc.) is the best. My girlfriend says I spend too much time with it. She's probably right. I enjoy it's purring engine, it responsive acceleration and geared deceleration, the way the door sounds when it closes, the way that rain sounds when it hits the roof like it's hitting a tin shed... I love all the modification, modularity of parts, ease of replacing and maintenancing it.

All the reasons folks love driving Tacomas is present for me, plus the absolutely absurd, childlike, irrational, ecstatic excitement I get from physically deciding which gear I feel like driving in.

I hope I land a new job soon with a long commute where I need to put stuff in my truck bed...

 

Back when I was a teenager driving boring ATs as fast as I could get away with for any kind of thrill, I wanted the MT experience remembering driving around in my aunts Canary Yellow LeMans with black vinyl. So, while I hated growing up with parents who smoked, I agreed to take my visiting cousin to find a place for her to smoke if she let me try out her dad's 626 MT.

That cigarette was excruciating, and I was shit at driving that Mazda. Still, I stole every chance I got to row gears in only about four other vehicles until my future wife came along with her Tropical Greem Geo Metro. I wish we still had that. It was stupid to trade it, but we got another fun MT.

The Taco is our (my) first truck, part time 4x4, and RWD MT. I'm enjoying the hell out of it. I never even sat in an AT Taco.

 

Never owned an Automatic in my life, have had all 3 generations of Tacoma's and if there is a 4th Gen Manual I will get one too!

 

On an isolated section of road, with serpentine curves, I let the Tacoma MT run a little. It is not a fast vehicle, but that means you can reach the point where it is fun to drive at lower speeds. Wind the rpms up a bit and power thru the curves. The feel of the rear-wheel-drive pushing the vehicle, along with the responsive throttle, and the sweet song of the engine are magical. Feel "at one" with the truck. Smile big.

 

Great first post OP, but tell us how you really feel about the truck...

 

TL;DR

 

I like a manual for out in the country. In town, it's too hard to hold my burger and Coke and shift all the time.

 

Previously owned a '94 not-Tacoma (and an '83)

 

I'm a firm believer that a manual transmission can make even the most mundane vehicle fun to drive. I learned in a '97 Jetta with 280,000 miles on it. It was red, beat up and the plate had "666" on it. We appropriately called it the devil. My buddy in high school let me borrow it for a week when he was on vacation and by the middle of the week I was comfortable with it and loved driving it everywhere. The tricky part was it would pop out of second gear if you didn't hold the shifter in place. I had forgotten this when driving it back to his house. Started to go through a 4 way, shifted into second, let go, it popped out and in a slight panic I tried to jam it back into gear without the clutch. This made it stall and when it jerked forward my arm popped the steering wheel and somehow hit the horn in a manner that got it stuck. So I was then sitting in a 4 way intersection stalled out with the horn going. I quickly restarted it and peeled out through the intersection with the horn still going. It finally stopped after about 5 minutes. My friend got it up to 325,000 miles before it finally just quit. I've been hooked ever since.

The best one i've owned was a 2010 Audi S5 with the 4.2 V8 and a 6 Speed. That car was pure magic and i'm constantly looking for another one.

 

Be warned its a little long but worth the read.....i think....... I learned to drive when i was 12 in a battlefield near Chattanooga, Chickamauga Battlefield worth checking out if you're in the area... i learned to drive in a 1988 toyota pickup and would later gain ownership in high school and drive it while in the Military, i loved everything about that truck and even repainted it and put shiny chrome rims on it... fast forward through the years and i've owned 7 other Toyota trucks a chevy, a buick regal and some other shit boxes... now i have an '18 with the manual trans the feeling i get from the time i walk up to it and start it to the time i shut it off and look back while locking it reminds me of the times i spent with my '88 i love every single second of it, though honestly i for the life of me CAN NOT drive this damn truck nearly as smooth and efficient as i could any of the older ones... theres a couple guys here that have done the accumulator delete ( god i need this in my life) and have the new TSB done ( literally work the worst hours for this to get accomplished and no dealership wil perform it on my truck, go figure) and its great to hear that having those few things done will bring back the exciting part of driving ( the smoothness of which you can find when rowing gears) some days i can hit it perfect and it feels awesome, most days end up making the entire truck feel like Helen Keller is the owner and has literally no idea what they are doing and should probably just walk or ride a bicycle.. as disheartening as it is to feel like you just started learning to drive yesterday i wouldn't trade this truck for all the money in the world because the feeling you get when you are climbing a hill and throw it in 3rd and race to the top or drop a gear and power through a semi tight curve feeling the weight of the truck shift and the engine ( albeit small but sounds power enough) change in audible tones puts a smile on my face each and everytime... so toyota with all its "issues" still continues to deliver in the FUN department, if its not then you my friend are driving the wrong vehicle...i've had 3 auto tacoma's each one served there purpose and served them well, i just find them boring and lonely, no real way to connect with the road or the vehicle in general and basically puts me to sleep, my GF has a ' 18 Camry SE great car with amazing MPG's still get so bored i ask her to drive if its over 8 hrs because there is nothing to do past turning the wheel..the one reason i love this site is because everyone here is as passionate if not more about tacoma's and the wealth of knowledge and ingenuity is crazy to me.. ok i'm done now

 

Good memories there!

Honestly, find someone to load the TSB update for you. It is worth it and then you don't have to mess with the dealers. Like you are thinking, the TSB and the accumulator delete will transform the experience.

 

Ha ha, I learned to drive in a 626 as well. That poor car. Gears were crunched, engine was stalled, clutch was fried, and suspension was bucked. Still kept going strong for years and years. That was a good car.

 

Haha! Yeah, they had two generations of the 626. They both felt very nimble, like Mazdas are. The only thing close was a friend's parent's loaded Subaru GL Turbo. I enjoyed every ride in that.

I had the same struggles and enjoyed the couple attempts that I had with the 626. I always wanted one, but they were out of reach at the time. I had to be happy with my parent's Celebrity and Malibu. I did come close to snagging a Sunbird MT. It would have been malaise era GM shit, but I would have enjoyed it.

 

TLDR as well.

I love M/T's but the one in the 3rd gen sucks. Sloppy long shifts. Buzzy. LOUD drivetrain clunks and clanks. Springy no feeling clutch. Yeah - no thanks.

Not to mention the horrible throttle response which makes it almost undriveable. (please note I have not driven a M/T taco since the TSB release).

All of the above made me go A/T and my rage factor dropped by 10. A/T still has issues, but i don't feel like i'm driving a POS.

 

Mr. Hammer...I'm from Ft. Oglethorpe myself--grew up on Cloud Springs Road. I learned to drive the same place--my Dad's old '72 Datsun 500 wagon. (When I was a kid I also rode my minibike around Chickamauga Battlefield until a park ranger saw us and made me stop...)

I was in Chattanooga and Ft. O last weekend visiting my mom on her 85th birthday--place has changed A LOT, some for the better, but at least in Rossville not for the better. Traffic is exponentially worse...almost Atlanta bad.

Anyway, I'm a manual kind of guy. My current vehicles are an '18 MX5 and '14 Fiat 500, both MT. I have had a couple of WRX's, and most of my other cars with a few exceptions have been MT--BMW Z4, Saab 900, Audi 80, Subaru Outback.

I also had a Mazda 626 MT for awhile--great car for its time.

I love going through the gears. It's a very visceral experience. I test drove an MT Tacoma Sport recently and to be honest wasn't sold, but I think it's just so different from my MX5 that it would take some getting used to. After considering how I would want to use the truck--for light towing, possibly some off-roading getting to fishing, hiking and camping sites--I think the MT would be the way to go.

Now just have to find one--most MT's on the lots in Omaha are Sports, very few OR's. I might have to settle for a Sport if I want to get an MT without much waiting.

 

I love manual transmissions I have add and it gives me something to do with my hand.
I truly believe it makes you a more focused/better driver.
The only downside being continous stop and go 405 traffic which does get old if your tired.

 

Got my Sport In Village Pointe. Great deal but not the greatest dealer. They tried to sneak all the BS dealer fees back into the email agreed price. Had to go line item through the paperwork. Nope, nope, nope. Dicks.

 

Gents, thank you for sharing. I enjoyed reading not just the words, but the subtle meanings behind your expressions that I trust are close to you and brought the warmth and fullness of reminiscence and nostalgia. Great expressions that made me smile, cringe and laugh.

@OilTruck, I find great pleasure in those simple yet profound moments you listed. Those small details carry much meaning... There is eloquence in your imagination and expressions mate.

@tonered, The shit we are willing to do and go through in this life so as to have those little experiences that so many years later still make us smile and shake our heads.

@shakerhood, I imagine it must be quite unique to experience with such intimacy all three generations of the Tacoma in M/T. Quite rare I would say... What are your honest thoughts about the difference across the three generations? I know that several bash the M/T in the 3rd Gen., finding the Gen.1 & 2 to be more of a solid and precise experience... They are awesome and well rounded trucks to be honest.

@SilverBulletII, Indeed, the intricate details you can find yourself enjoying with a M/T are very special. Something initially mundane may become so enthralling... I noticed when driving the M/T Off-Road that indeed there is a solid weight and momentum with the Tacoma that is further accentuated by the drive from the rear wheels. I found it quite pleasurable albeit the test drive was on straight, level roads around the block.

@akTacoBlanco, I completely agree mate. Often we find ourselves coming across something initially mundane and unassuming, yet as soon as we interact, we find ourselves drawn to it through its engaging, fun and possibly challenging nature, pleasantly taking us by surprise.
I have read your story (thank you for sharing it btw) three times already, and it makes me laugh out loud every time... I have had many a flailing, comic and dramatic moments as such in my days of driving manuals but yours may just take the cake.

@ArmandHammer83, I always do the exact same thing (as many of us probably do) when I leave a vehicle, especially after an enjoyable ride. It is both a final connection and acknowledgement of the bond that was just had (in our own minds and hearts of course). Beautiful moments.
Again, the little details that come to life when driving, especially with a M/T. Priceless.

@OmahaJeff, Indeed mate, it is quite a visceral experience. Good way of putting it.

@Woolybugger, I also have ADD from time to time and find that involving tasks (such as driving M/T for example) have the power to mitigate the shite aspects of the disorder.
Also, I agree 100%. I have always found that when I am in a M/T vehicle, my level of awareness and focus on the road, as well as my inputs and judgements improve (this is also true when you drive quick). I often notice that those who regularly drive a M/T are more proficient drivers.

 

Is that a 'Too Long' or a 'Too Lazy' mate? Or maybe a little, or a lot of both... Either way, I am glad the post moved you to reply something, rather than nothing.