2016 TACOMA AUTO VS MANUAL

Sorry to hear about your lack of coordination. Not everyone has the fairly minimal amount of ability required to manage not only three pedals, a shifter, steering wheel, infotainment system, climate control, and maintain situational awareness in traffic. At least you're honest about it.

 

You forgot to add cup of coffee to that list.

Edit: and a smoke.

 

Well call it what you want. I just need to get from point A to point B with the least amount of hassle

 

On a semi the blinkers don't turn themselves off like a car. The trick is turning the corner, range shift then shifting gears and turning off blinker and not dropping Sonic chillidog in your lap all at once. LOL

The more shit I got to do in the cab the more fun the trip is, Semi or this Tacoma.

 

Hanging out in this thread, that other one was pissing me off. I do like a good auto VS manual thread.

 

I drive the hilliest parts of Seattle daily in a MT. NBD.

You don't tailgate, give plenty of room to keep it in a constant gear, use hand brake as required (grr, silly under torque taco) ...

 

If you buy the manual, you get an engine without the ECT. That said, you will obviously have more power. You also get 4.3 gearing instead of 3.9. If you're going to bigger tires, that will help with power also.
I had a manual in my 2011, just got tired of shifting in traffic all the time. I purchased the auto and have to say I'm quite pleased with it. At just over 2000 miles, I've had no problems and the shifting has gotten much better than when new. In Drive, it will still go to the highest gear possible in the quickest amount of time for mileage. I usually drive in Sport mode in 4th around town and 5th on back country roads and hills. I seldom find a need for the ECT to be engaged. My best mileage so far has been 26.2 for a 60 mile trip over the Oregon Coastal range. I consider that to be really good for a V6 4x4 SR5. I like to shift, but really love the automatic in this truck.

 

Although I have an SR5 V6 AT on order, I went to local dealer and drove both auto and manual V6. I'm glad I did because after reading some of these posts I was convinced I should be going with the manual. For me, the auto with V6 is best. I appreciate all the posts about this subject as it forced me to drive both and now I feel good about trading back my 16 SR IL4 AT and up grading to SR5 V6 AT.

 

Resale. An automatic will more then bring back the price , it will be much easier to sell and heaven forbid, you should need shoulder or knee surgery. My wife and I were diehard manual fans until I started having a surgery every five years it seems and had to do the amount of towing we do. Today's autos are safer to drive in areas of more traffic and especially with a pickup truck carrying and towing loads. Yah, it's not the manly thing to own but without a doubt, it's the safest. In working vehicles, it's a no brainier. In fun vehicles, it's fine. If that is the way you drive a truck, that's fine. But, no one is kidding themselves anymore, manuals are just not as practical as a good auto and Toyota makes sme of the best.

When buying a new vehicle, you should try it out in the way you plan to use it as much as possible. Pick ups with their multi uses, just beg to be automatics.

 

Ok gramps Yes, if your getting to a certain age, auto is probably more suitable. For myself and many others who are energetic, active and actually like driving, a manual is awesome. I don't agree about resale. I can guarantee I won't have a problem selling mine, especially where I live

 

I despised the 5A in my 06 V6 SR5 4x4. It couldn't maintain speed on hills, driving to and from work it was never consistent. On inclines it was lugging and losing speed or revving and gaining speed. Declines were unpredictable, sometimes it would downshift when the brakes were applied, other times it would stay in OD and coast wildly.

 

I agree, if all you do is drive your truck around like a car. I actually use mine like a truck. But, if that's your driving toy, sure, go for it. I use mine like the small work truck it was meant to be. The only advantage I can think of, is when engine braking down a steep ice covered hill, when it engine over braked , I could hit the clutch quicker then shift an auto into neutral. Bit I can't think of anything else the manual trucks I had did better.

Also, come trade in time or resale, just remember this conversation when the dealer knocks off more then your auto costs, or the first ten calls "don't come". The market is much much smaller for manuals then autos everywhere. You will have no problems selling it....because it's a Toyota but you will loose lots of money. You live in dream world to think otherwise. I always liked manuals. But in a truck that you use like a truck.......not even close. Manuals are bad "investments" not that a car is anyway. Get a Miata. That's what we "gramps" do around here. Manuals in trucks are control freak issues. (Kidding.....but not much)

 

When you get in these situations, you reach down and manually change gears. Driving situations become best guesses by a computer that is not always correct. Mine down swifts predictably when you apply brake harder then normal. The transmission is the best thing about the truck. Of course your newer Nissan is better ? Should react similarly.

 

So, first of all. I'm an electrical contractor, so my truck is a work truck and a play truck. Also, I tow a pretty good size trailer everyday. I live in Canada, which is not the USA so you don't know shit about what people like or don't like in my area. I'm 46 and not a teenager like you seem to believe. All I'm saying is, don't knock something if it not your taste

 

Everything I said is spot on regardless of where you live. You could live among the Eskimos ( joking) and nothing would change. You drive a manual because you like to.

I don't pretend to know "you" but I know some Canadians and travel there. In general, the ones we do business with prefer autos like we here in Maine. So, I don't pretend that suddenly a manual truck will be worth as much there unless I lived in my own compound and just swap trucks and pay as much for them among us.

I am not knocking your taste, you don't seem to get it. I am a control freak too and love shifting. But, that is all it is. I know it's limitations. You drive to and from your jobs. I drove trucks in use for many hours a day for a living both doing contractor work and in cars earlier as a cop. I know the difference between fun and practicality and what it costs. If I had the option, like you, I would have a manual Toyota. I don't. They are too impractical. Btw, Your first surgery or injury, remember this conversation. You aren't immune. Don't fall. We were driving two manuals. It wasn't fun being carted around by your wife all the time till we made an emergency trade. I gave up my truck to get freak'n Rav. And then took over my wife's 4Runner......That was a come down for her.

 

my fingers hurt! Well, now your backs gonna hurt cause you just pulled landscaping duty.... The injury thing is kind of silly, Anyone who drives a manual often can shift with both hands. I was driving mine a week after a compound fracture. Sure it's not as convenient but you can operate with the opposing limbs in a pinch. I suppose I understand chronic issues though.

 

Some people say, "I can text safely too". We all have war stories and those who survived say it's not big deal. Those that didn't, they are pretty quiet. You think the injury thing is silly...that's a pretty silly thing to say.

 

I say it's pretty silly not to choose a manual because of fear that you might get just the right injury that wouldn't allow you to drive a stick but still be able to drive an automatic. War stories?, we're talking transmissions.

 

No one shouLd ever choose a car based upon a fear of what might happen in your personal life. Everyone is invincible....after all. When we had three cars in the family with two kids my wife said one WOULD be an automatic. It save me once. I was extremely fit at the time but over did a workout in heat and had an exercise induced hypotension episode and my body heat went crazy. My 11 year old daughter without a licence who could at least drive an auto, took me to a close Doctor friend and PC for an adrenaline shot in a matter of minutes about 5 miles away. It was not life threatening at the time, but was scary. I was glad my wife insisted we have at least one auto in the family. I just though it was for the kids and not me. ;-)

We have had a couple of occasions where friends had car break downs and had to be somewhere quickly. It was comforting to know I was loaning an auto and not a manual to a friend in need.

I like manuals, but at least one auto in the family has it's place. I always recommend at least one auto in this day and age where no one but a few can drive a manual. Yeas ago, everyone could. Now, you just don't know.