3rd gen 3.5L 6 speed manual owners

Yep. Its a mid-sized, Japanese V6 with wide variable valve timing and direct injection making peak torque at 4600, peak hp at 6000. Let it rev, they're made for it!

Fun fact: the silverado mentioned above made 335 lb-ft at 4000rpm, 295 hp at 5200rpm... the proverbial low rpm power v8 had to be wound tight to actually put that power out too. It felt unnatural.

 

Yep, my work van (gmc express) with the 4.8 vortec, operates at about 200 rpm lower with normal driving on the same roads. Dont understand peoples complain with this 3.5 engine. Unless you have a big diesel, most engines need to be wound up to get into the powerband. I think its a fantastic engine, good power when needed, but good on gas when driving conservatively.

 

I’ve driven more powerful vehicles and stuff faster off the line, but I’ve never once felt like I needed more power than I could get out of this engine

 

Having put right at a million miles on 2 first gen tacomas, now i own a 2020, i will say that it is not better nor worse than the first gens. But i will say it is different, to me you have to rev it a little higher to get the same smooth shifts. I notice it more between 2-3 than 1-2....

 

I never drove 1st gen MT but i shift 2-3 at pretty low rpms sometimes, and its always buttery smooth. Goes for all the other gears, no need to rev it high to get smooth shifts like a lot of others are complaining about. Maybe i just got lucky with my tranny? Haha

 

high to me is 2500-2700. low-high is relative depending on the person i assume

 

1-2 i usually shift at 3000
2-3 around 2500
3-4 around 2200
4-6 around 2000

I barely use the 5th gear. Ill go for a drive later on today and will double check the rpms.

 

Thats exactly how I shift, but 1-2 I slip the clutch a bit more so I don't hear that noticable clunk if I just let off the clutch like normal

 

If you been driving manuals as long as i have, you really dont know the rpm's you shift at its all about sound. That maybe another reason the 2020 shifts different, because i am not use to the sound. After 450,000 miles in my 02 on the original clutch I think it just shifts itself

 

If im in traffic and need to get moving fast, since people are in a rush here, i will bring up the first gear to 3500. Otherwise some people in the back freak out when doing that 1-2 shift at lower rpms.

 

I barely look at the tach when i drive, thats why i said i will go for a ride and double check.

My first vehicle was 1990 mazda b2200 5 spd, had no tach. Was very fun to drive. Miss that truck man...

 

My first vehicle was a 53 Chevy pickup and do i dont miss 3 on the tree. The GF mentioned my new 20 shift from 2-3 when she drove it, and yes her DD is a manual so she knows how to drive one.

 

I think it just needs to be broken in. My tranny loosened up a bit after few thousand KM. A lot of other members reported similar thing.

 

After driving sport cars with short shifters and lightweight clutches, this is the softest and easiest MT ive ever shifted

 

Russian bear?

 

lol indeed

 

Haha! Zdarova bratan.

 

Ayyy the ruski taco club

 

Yep

 

You can't be slow on the 1-2 shift. If you get it from 1 to 2 quickly, the rpms will not drop below where you need to be when letting the clutch back out.