3rd gen A/T owners, wish you bought manual?

Sounds like there is some dissatisfaction with the 3rd gen automatic transmissions. Would love to hear opinions or regrets? I am about to buy a 3rd gen and after reading here am probably going to try for V6 with manual transmission

 

Test drive the I4 and V6 back to back.

 

NO!

 

My current 08 Tacoma is 4 cylinder with 5 speed manual. Looking for a little more power. But, I will take your advice

 

I wanted a double-cab with a six foot bed, so no MT option available. Having said that, even if I'd had the MT option I'm not sure I'd have gone for it. My DD for the last several years, and really for most of my life, has been a MT, and, quite frankly, I am kind of tired of a MT. I still have my Wrangler, and that's an MT, for when I get the urge to row through gears, but I don't find the AT in the 3rd Gen Tacomas to be problematic at all, it drives just fine IMHO.

 

As of right now I don't regret getting the AT. I had a manual for several years before and I do about 70% engine braking with it before hand. I do miss that part as the brakes are a tad touchy for me at first. Other than that no complaints. Grain of salt though only had it 3 months. Keep in mind you get more bells and whistles with the AT over MT, I have yet to find an excuse to use it, but I have read and looked into the ups and downs and it seems like a good system for what it is meant for. Again grain of salt defiantly drive (if you find a MT on the lot ) both.

 

Nope.

 

I did once i realized how crappy it was, so I went and test drove a manual.

It was the worst manual I've driven. The clutch felt like hot trash. The shifting felt soupy. It barely wanted to go into reverse (I heard that gets better with age).

They've had some ecu updates for the tranny issues and it's much better. The ShiftSense Pro fills in where they left off. The AT is a better fit for me because of the traffic mess I deal with every day. The manual not being that great sealed the deal and stopped me from looking at a trade.

 

That's good to know I'm not the only one who thought it felt a little odd. The wife still doesn't like it with me driving because she gets car sick and apparently I haven't figured out the brakes too well yet haha

 

www.tacomaworld.com/threads/manual-vs-automatic.469933/

 

I had an '08 regular cab I4 M5 for several years, got it new, and that tranny was a bit finicky at first, but did get better with age. And my M6 Wrangler, not that this is a Jeep forum, but damn that thing was temperamental for the longesty time. Could barely get it into R when you needed to, but when you'd be shifting into 6th on the highway it would try to go into R if you weren't careful! Over time it got a lot better, it either broke in or I did. A friend tried to drive it once and said it was the most temperamental and difficult MT he'd ever experienced.

 

Nope

 

No regrets at all, I'm to old fat and lazy to have to push another pedal.

 

No

 

nope. mpgs are much better

 

nope

 

I would love to have a manual if I had the confidence my health would allow me to drive it daily. It doesnt so I bought an Auto and am not disappointed. I'll eventually get a second car with a manual that will be more fun to drive than the truck with that trans.

 

Nope

 

MT here. Kind of wanting a AT right now for the keyless entry and push to start.

 

That's partly why I didn't get a manual.

First off you can't get an access cab Offroad in a manual.

Secondly every car I've had has been manual. Read car. Most trucks I've driven with a manual feel like a big stick stuck in a bowl of oatmeal or something.

So while I dislike my auto a lot. I'm glad I have have it. 1.5 hours of stop and go traffic every day would also suck with a manual. I don't care what you manual lovers say.