The Japanese truck of my dreams always had a 4 cylinder and 5 speed..

What are your thoughts? I'm 48 years old and this 4 banger 2015 Tacoma is my first. After years and years of Chevy V-8/auto. combos, I just figured that when I went looking for a Toyota it should be a four cylinder with a manual trans. I'm sure a V-6/auto. is easier to drive and a bit more fun power-wise, but I just like the utilitarian aspect that I always had in mind if I got one of these. Can you relate?

 

Ive had two 2.7L I4 4x4 manual tacomas with manual locking hubs and manual transfer case. They were nice

 

I wish I had the manual transfer case. Mine just has the switch and actuator. I haven't learned enough to know when that changed.

 

I had a 4 cylinder 5 speed 2wd Frontier several years ago that I really liked. Had good power and decent fuel mileage for what it was. Traded up for a V6 and newer generation version and it was even better, although lower fuel economy. Still 2wd as I lived in the South at the time. Never swore off 4 cylinders at the time until about 4 years ago I bought a 4 banger 5 speed S10 (3.42 gears too...) as a beater and Home Depot runner. Thing was about as fast as a snail with a hard on. Problem is where I live now there's several mountains I have to go over and it wasn't cutting it. Swore off 4 pot engine trucks since, this is why my current truck is a V6. 4 cylinder truck just do not work where I live. Maybe in the flat lands, but not here. A 4 cylinder turbo would do ok, but not non-aspirated.

 

This is my second 4 banger Toyota with 5 speed. Serves my purposes well. Like you, I wish this one had a manual transfer case. More reliable.

 

More satisfying to have a stick in the hand than a dial on the dash. And no double entendre meant by that statement.

 

It's way better to have the manual t-case shifter, agreed. I think mine was probably never put in four-low in it's first four years/30,000 miles before I got it. As a result, it didn't work very well at first when I tried it. It was getting stuck in four-low and beeping at me after I tried to shift out of it. It seems to have gotten a little better with use.

 

I love my 2.4 5-speed Taco, although it does sometimes struggle to make it up the hills here in Pennsyltucky. It's somewhat fun to drive and easy to work on, and I like the fact that I'm in the shrinking group of those who prefer to mix their own gears.