4 cyl - why the 5 speed?

I'm looking into buying a 4 cylinder 2013 access cab sr5. I don't tow or haul much weight so a v6 seems unnecessary for my purposes. I will be taking it off-road into high, sometimes steep, mountain logging roads, and spurs and some old deactivated with cross ditches out here in BC Canada.

The specs always list the automatic at 4 speed and I see on here people are always recommending a 5 speed, why is that?

 

The auto will sap some power. It will be slower in acceleration, which can be a problem on freeway on ramps. There are some that insist an automatic is the best choice for 4 wheeling. I find that a stick shift works fine for me. It helps to be in the correct gear when starting up a hill--sometimes shifting down is a pain while climbing.

 

My only complaint about the 5 speed was it's tall gearing. Toyota could've shortened the first 3 or 4 gears.

That said...it's still a decent setup.

 

Ok thanks.
I also hear about getting a vehicle "geared" for better low gear off roading. what does that involve and is it possible with 4 speed automatic?

 

I'm not familiar with the axle gearing available with 4 cyl engines. But some vehicles are geared with better fuel mileage in mind and will have axles with gear ratio's of around 3.31:1 Not a lot of power for pulling or climbing climbing hills. For real power you will see gearing starting at 4.11:1 and even over 5:1. Most modern trucks have 3.55 or 3.73 gearing which is a pretty acceptable compromise for most people.

And then you have the transmission gears and low range transfer case gears.

A manual transmission really needs lower gearing in 1st and reverse than an automatic. Manuals have their fans, but with modern automatics the manuals offer very few advantages.

At one time you lost a lot of power between the engine and wheels with an automatic.
At one time a manual would get 2-3 mpg better fuel mileage.
At one time a manual could be expected to last a lot longer.

None of this is true today.

A manual will cost less initially and they do a better job with engine braking when going downhill. And some just enjoy driving a manual more than an automatic. Other than that an automatic does everything better.

 

You can change the gearing in the rear end regardless of what transmission you have.

 

If you plan on adding larger tires to it down the road and aren't confident you will have the cash to regear it to 4.56's I would go with a 5 speed. If you know you will have the cash and prefer an auto then go auto. A 4 banger with an 5 speed is "tolerable" with 33s. I can't fathom a auto on stock gears with 33s, it would be a real slug. If you can swing the extra cost I would get a 6cyl if at all possible. Better re sell and there is nothing wrong with having more power. My single cab 4cyl got worse mileage than my current DCSB 6 speed. Just food for thought. It's your cash, get what you want and makes you happy!

 

It appears stock gear ratios on 2013 4cyl 4-speed auto are:

1st: 2.8
2nd: 1.53
3rd: 1
4th: 0.71

What size tires would I be limited to without re-gearing?
What is an average cost with labor for a regear?

 

I have 2014 4cyl auto, I have never driven a 5 speed model but mine does pretty decent. I towed 3000 lbs before in mountains and never lost 55 mph, I have bigger tires too 32s and only notice loss of power on long mountain climbs I just shift to 3rd and hold 75 mph at 3400 rpm. next time for tires in getting 33s

 

The 5 speed is a MANUAL transmission.
Automatic is a power robbing piece of crap. The manual does a lot for you including, 1) get ALL of the power to the wheels, (2) do what YOU want it to do, not what IT wants to do. (3) a worn out or blown automatic costs $5000-$10000 to repair or replace while a manual costs a couple hundred $ and a saturday afternoon. And then of course, you gain a gear ratio, which will ALWAYS be useful.

 

Still do.

Still WOULD, if they'd give a proper 5th gear ratio, but instead, its about the same (even with lower gearing).

Not only will a manual MASSIVELY out last any automatic, when it does come time to work on it (and *EVERYTHING* eventually breaks), it costs WAY less.

Costs a little bit less initially, costs a LOT less in maintenance, safer to drive if you're competent (automatic transmissions are a safety hazard in inclement/slippery weather, like driving on ice), capable of much harder work, do EVERYTHING far more competently than an automatic.

 

agreed. the 5 speed is much cheaper replacing if need be. gives you control of hills and is just so much more fun to drive than an auto. i have never owned an auto just because 5 speeds aren't boring but i kinda have add when it comes to sitting in a car. and since you like to go off road and are more likely to get bigger tires i would re-gear to 4.56. im running 285 75 16's with stock 4.10's and its a drag so im going with the 4.56's once i get the chance to. and if your gunna be going any bigger than 33's go with 4.88 gears. so anyway in my opinion 5-speed all the way.

 

After reading what I wrote about the costs, I suspect that it doesn't come out quite the way I intended. Basically, I refer to the severe maintenance cost of an automatic being a "complete rebuild" or replacement, where with a manual, the "equivalent" maintenance would be replacing a worn out clutch. While it certainly is possible for a manual to need a complete rebuild, this is usually a result of very severe abuse, negligence, and incompetence. I've never met ANYONE who has actually had to do that, while I've seen it happen LOTS of times with automatics. I've been around manual transmissions all my life and everybody I know has predominantly had manuals.

 

Just curious, are you considering the 4 cyl because its cheaper? Mpgs of the v6 aren't that much lower than the 4 cylinder. Plus if you up tire size it wont affect much. Power is always there.

 

Perhaps with the 4 cylinder auto, but the v6 auto is a beast. Hands down better than the manual. Better mpgs and has a better 0-60 time. 6 speed manual is troublesome.

 

by all means go with the 4.0 v6 if u want power auto or manual is truly preference to me manual i like having control. up to you bud we can argue which is better all day long but neither is really better than the other its just preference. there are pros and cons to each yes, but just get what you are comfortable with.

 

This is very true. And it wasn't even that long ago. The automatic that was available for T100s was terrible. Easily cost 2-3 mpg. Back in the 90s, other than American vehicles (or Mercedes?) you really wanted to do your own clutching.

I drove manuals exclusively until 2009 when I got a Tundra v8 auto. I personally prefer 4-wheeling with a manual, but autos can engine brake just as effectively as a manual. Even better in some ways. On a really steep descent, you pretty much have to stop to downshift a manual (in 4 low). You can just change the lever position with an auto. That said, I've noticed with the Tacoma auto that if you do a downshift to first, the automatic clutch will slip for as much as 3 or 4 seconds before engaging. So you need to use the brake to control your speed until the clutch is engaged. This is assuming that you are descending something über steep. I almost never use first unless I'm in 4lo. First gear/4 low is low. So it means that I'm pointing down.

My Tacoma was ordered with exactly what I wanted. And by the time I ordered it two years ago, I was over shifting and clutching, so I ordered an auto. Guess I got old somehow when I wasn't looking.

 

Liking manual or auto is preference, but when it comes to the 6 speed manual or auto, the auto is more reliable. Its very rare for there to be any issues with the auto. They easily go the life of the truck with no issues. The manual has had some issues with bearings.

 

very true this is mine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmVZG4bNI8Q but its covered under the warranty i got with the truck.

 

You need to look at the difference between PUBLISHED mpg and ACTUAL mpg. The 4-cyl will do *very significantly* better on fuel than the 6.