4 cyl - why the 5 speed?

Nobody. Heres a used one on ebay for $480 with free shipping. Im sure a new one doesnt jump $9500.

 

if you know how to drive a stick or just have to learn, which isn't that hard to do, then id say get the 5 speed with what you plan to go up against with steep switchbacks and what not. not much of a difference between auto and manual in climbing but downslopes with a manual (especially steep grades) is your best bet. stick it in a lower gear once you get to the top and cruise down nice and easy without using much of the brake which in turn can save you from over braking and slipping off track of where you need to be on the trail.

 

I would also add. I haul MX bikes and whatnot frequently. I also go away and do trips to our cabin in the mountains. We do mild offroading there etc. I don't have a ton of time in my truck, but I bought it knowing it will need to do all of that. So far it has done everything I have needed and hasn't been a big deal at all. The manual might be better for some people but I'm just saying the Access Cab auto seems very capable.

 

Very common misconception that you can't downshift an automatic. With my auto, when I'm descending something steep I shift down and "cruise down nice and easy without using much of the brake which in turn can save you from over braking and slipping off track of where you need to be on the trail".

I've lived in the Rocky Mountains for 35 years. I can't imagine not engine braking. If there was no way to engine brake with an automatic, there's no way I would have an automatic. Luckily automatics are absolutely just as capable of engine braking as manuals.

 

Ya, I was going to say that I believe my owner's manual shows how it can be done. I thought that was why the shifter was laid out the way it is, with the 3-2-1 gears off to the side. Also, it gives a break down of the 'safe speeds' to do it. So that is really a non-issue as it can also be done on an auto.

 

@Chupa have a look through my build I think you'll find its up your alley as far as the capabilities of the 4cyl 5spd. There have been some places I'll admit an auto would be nice but I'm pretty much in 4lo as soon as i leave the main fsr anyways... here's a shot from one of my very first trips in a basically stock truck I drove it up a deactivated mining road to an elevation of 9k ft above sea level, some of the auto trucks were starting to cook and yes they had Trans coolers.



Road was over 12% in places

 

Were your friends with automatics in 4-low? A lot of people think that 4 low isn't really necessary since the automatic will just deal with the steeps. But they do that the same way they deal with sitting at a red light with the brakes on--slipping the clutch. Yes, an automatic has a clutch. It just happens to be an automatic clutch. So you can get up a 12%+ grade in 4hi, but your clutch will have to slip a LOT. I mean, you could get up a 12% with a manual in 4hi right? You'd never do it because you'd be constantly working the clutch, and you'd fry it in half an hour, but you could.

Not saying an automatic might not get hot doing heavy 4-wheeling, but without using 4lo they'd really take a beating.

TYetti, do you know? Were those auto trucks in 4lo up that grade?

 

Thanks for the info guys. TYETTI, those are exactly the places I like going, looks like Texas creek in the photo

I've been driving the newest generation cherokee 4x4 auto, on many steep grades, it does well but clearence is terrible and cannot lift so I'm trading it in.

 

All are experienced wheelers and everyone was in 4lo Texas Creek isn't a road to dick around on its a long way to the bottom. The thing about bc is the terrain can go from mild to wicked so anytime you decide to go for a rip you end up in 4lo as soon as you hit the trail head. I can count the amount of times I've used 4hi

Good decision lol.... the 4cyl 4wd is pretty rare in bc I found mine randomly at sunrise toyota in Abbotsford, I should also mention there is a significant difference in mpg between the auto and 5spd, the auto can hold its own when stock but as soon as you mod you'll see some low numbers, the 5spd with the right gear ratio you'll continue to see numbers in the 20s. Sounds like you wanna hit up some trails so I believe the manual will better suit your needs.... feel free to shoot me any questions

 

When you shift into 3,2 or L engine breaking for a steep decent are you also in 4hi or 4lo?

 

OP, find 2 identical 4cy Tacomas with an auto and a manual and take them on the same route and make your decision. I almost traded my 2008 single cab 5 speed 4x4 to a 2012 single cab auto (for the bucket seats and new gadgets/body styling) and even with my 2008 having 33's it felt way more peppy than the 2012. I also must drive like a mad man because even stock my 2008's best mpg was 18 or 19 mpg and that was me trying to get good mileage. Usually it was 16-17 (which is what my current Tacoma gets)

 

Just to add fuel to the fire. Im running the 2.7 auto with a LCE header and 265/65R17 tires and get 24-25 on the highway and have seen 28. It also pulls my 4,500 lbs boat at highway speeds without issue. I like manuals but in stop and go traffic its a pain in the ass.

 

Yes, if I shift into 3, 2, or L I'm also in either 4hi, 4lo, or 2hi.

You can downshift the auto no matter what is happening with the transfer case. I pull a trailer. You can be damn sure I'm engine breaking when I'm downhill with a trailer behind me, and that's 2hi. If I'm climbing or descending a jeep trail you can be damn sure I'm engine breaking, and that's 4lo.

Transfer case setting has to do with where you are currently driving. Keep it in 2hi on pavement unless you are encountering frozen water in some form, in which case 4hi. You use 4hi when you need some extra traction but you'll still want to go over 20 mph. When it's time to crawl up or down something steep, only then 4lo.

Really, an automatic is just like a manual except it does the shifting and clutching for you. Just because most people learn to drive by putting their automatic in D and leaving it there doesn't mean you have to. And just like a manual, you can choose gears whether you are in 4wd or not (news flash, 2wd Tacomas can engine brake, even if they have an automatic!)

 

I love my 4cyl. Get LCE header, exhaust and intake. But DO NOT GO AUTOMATIC! They are complete turds. People Complain about the power but I just shift down to 4th or even 3rd if it's really steep. That's highway and I'm lifted 3" and have 33s. It's all about gearing with these trucks

 

Funny how people say auto is crap for blah manual is crap for blah, blah blah blah. Only near facts I've read without all the crap opinions here and from research is manual CAN save on gas but has known issues, period. Auto not as good on gas, but will outlast the auto and is super reliable.

 

I find the auto to be plenty capable. But to each their own.

 

What issues does the 5spd have? The r series of transmissions are pretty dam stout Imo

 

The auto is actually better on fuel but it's close.

 

They have bearing issues.

 

Throw out bearing is just maintenance, I understand early on there was a tsb for certain runs of tacomas, I'm at 214k km original clutch and t.o. just like the 2.7 valve spring issue was limited to some 212 trucks

If you're a flatlander maybe, being from the same general area as the OP I can say without a doubt if he gets an auto 4cyl and tries to take on British Columbia it's gonna chew up that truck and spit it out, trails here are not maintained and neither are some of the more interesting logging roads, the auto although it has its place cough in the city cough will become a hindrance like when you need to keep the wheels spinning and she's banging around at 4k rpm and if you stop you slide off the shelf roads kinda thing. But at the end of the day opinions are like ass holes and everyone's gonna do what they're gonna do