Should i buy an MT Tacoma?

Hey all new poster here, first off let me start by saying next year i plan to buy a new vehicle. I've driven some of my buddies manual vehicles before but have never owned one so i'd like to experience it more. Now i live in the U.P of MI, if you don't know we get absolutely blasted with snow in the winter like 200 inches on average and it's pretty hilly. Now our road crews are pretty good at keeping roads clear but sometimes you got some thick snow to plow through if it's a bad storm. My current winter vehicle is a 03 silverado 5.3l that thing is an absolute pig and a little rusty. I'm thinking about getting an 2020 Tacoma with an MT just for the 4wd plus manual experience. I wish it had a little better mpg but i would no doubt still get better mileage on a tank then my current truck. Another one of my concerns though is apparently the tranny clunks in neutral or shifting somethings going over bumps? Is there a current fix for that? Kinda annoying if you buy a new vehicle to have noise like that. Otherwise to get a manual experience i could get a car for cheaper but only FWD (don't really care to get a subaru) which you can still make it work here with good snow tires but not as good if you really need the 4wd or awd. Give me your thoughts on owning one and suggestions.

 

I have a manual trans and if I lived somewhere that snowy, Id get auto trd off road just for crawl control.

Manual is awesome but functional use, that crawl control seems nice. If you want a long bed, youre getting an auto anyways.

Dont expect a ton better mileage.

 

Best thing you can do is go test drive the shit out of 1 and not just around town.. look for some hills and different terrains. A lot of people love and hate both the A/T and M/T of these trucks I own the A/T which gets the most hate but mine drives great flawless even! And to the snow I didn’t even need 4wd this year for snow. But being a nice new truck I used to give me the advantage to avoid other stupid people and wow! Didn’t even realize the snow was still on the ground!!

 

There's no compelling reason to buy a manual unless it's a sports car

 

I should tell you my other vehicle being a hand me down is an 07 hhr FWD that thing absolutely blows in the winter but with snow tires i've made it work here. So i don't think a manual Tacoma would be a problem if it had 4x4.

 

A manual can be a PITA in city traffic. Driving with a stick in traffic interferes with my morning coffee. A manual can also be an issue in certain driving situations e.g., starting from a dead stop on the beach. You need to be real fast going from 1st to 2nd. YMMV

 

I live in MN and am very familiar with the UP......this MT truck is a ball to drive in the snow. Wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s absolutely fantastic and will eat up all those back roads on your way to camp.

I have to disagree with @xxtavixx and say that I’d much prefer the MT over an AT in the snow.....the extra gear control really makes this truck a beast in these Midwest winters.

That said, the stock tires aren’t great. Upgrade them or get a dedicated set of winter tires. If you don’t want to run a second set of dedicated winter tires it’s worth looking at the Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/cooper-discoverer-at3-4s-review.557727/

As for that clunking in neutral, I forgot about it until you mentioned it! It’s really not bothersome. You can just hear the little bit of play in the transmission, and only sometimes. Most guys on here will tell you this is one of the better MTs they’ve ever driven and I would certainly agree. The MT in this truck IS why I picked it over the 4Runner.

 

Yes.

 

Youd know better, I live in FL and only see snow on hunting trips.

Zero chance Id trade my manual in for an auto. We have suger sand beaches here, and I make that work.

 

No.

 

2 very good points let’s see how this one plays out.

 

NORMALLY I'd advise anyone on the fence to go with an auto. In 2019 with MOST vehicles a manual offers no mechanical advantage. Fuel mileage, long term cost, durability, etc will be about the same. You buy a manual just because you like to shift gears.

The auto has a huge advantage when towing though. I've not driven a manual made by anyone in the last 20 years that was geared low enough in 1st or especially reverse to really work right when towing. Lots of guys have to resort to putting 4X4's in lo range just to maneuver a trailer with a manual. The automatic eliminates that issue.

BUT... I've read enough complaints about 3rd gens and the auto to believe there is something to it. Apparently they don't shift at the appropriate time and are giving some guys grief. The MT guys can shift when they want to and they seem happier.

 

Toyota builds a bulletproof automatic, which is one of the reasons I went AT on my 19. It's not uncommon to see these trannies going 300k+ miles and still running strong. Crawl control is also a nice feature to have, and there are enough 'modes' to the auto to make it somewhat fun to drive. Not as fun as a manual, but overall I'm satisfied!

 

Yeah but i have no need for towing, the most i've used my current truck for is a load of crap to haul to the transfer station or pick up some home improvement stuff, nothing entirely heavy.

 

if you have to ask.... no.

 

Downshifting will help rid the driveline backlash clunk.

Also these MT trucks do not drive like FWD cars.

 

well either that or your option is a third gen Tacoma AT.

 

I have the manual and I love it. I live and work in a small city where traffic is never an issue. The only time i ever dont like the manual is the rare occasion I go into a bigger city and hit traffic. I have towed 3 or 4000 pounds with it with no real complaints. You will probably get a little worse fuel economy than with the auto. A lot of guys complain that the transmission is slow and clunky, which it kind of is compared to a sports car, just remember that it's a truck and not a racecar

 

I love my ‘17 MT, in any weather or traffic. My ‘16 was an AT it was ok but I much prefer my MT.

 

It’s all good!

Wish we had some sugar beaches here....