Anybody regret buying a manual transmission?

lol wow, wasnt asking for all that. I very much kidding if I had gotten a V6 I most def would have gotten an auto.

 

STOP PM'ING ME

 

Haha

 

Your facts are just plain incorrect. Even if the worst-case scenario happened and you needed a replacement manual trans, throwout bearing and clutch, that would still be cheaper than a replacement automatic. Plus manual-equipped vehicles cost less to begin with.

A .73 is not a lower overdrive ratio than a .85, it is higher. The higher the gear, the lower the numeral. All automatics, even with lockup torque converters, have more slippage than manuals and steal more engine power because they also have to drive a hydraulic pump. Even automatics with lockup torque converters and oil coolers operate at hotter temperatures than manuals. That by itself shows that automatics convert more of the engine's energy into waste heat than manuals.

A manual is always smaller, weighs less and requires less fluid than an automatic for the same vehicle. No matter the drivetrain, there is power loss between the engine and the drive wheels, you just lose less of that power with a manual.

You can have the last word on the internet if you want. I am a total manual transmission snob but I'd choose an automatic Tacoma over a Mopar or Hyundai.

 

i guess (having had both), it all comes down to personal preference (insert "duh" here).

my first taco was an auto - which was fine for me at the time.

but then, i started daily driving some MT cars, and eventually had an AT car again. after a couple months, my left foot started getting itchy (not literally) and my right hand got bored.

thus began my quest to own another MT vehicle. it wasn't about buying a taco this time around... rather it was about finding a MT that i wanted. i'm really picky, and i didn't want any euros or nissans (which eliminates infiniti as well) and i didn't want something boring like a civic (no offense, if anyone has one). the selection came down to CTS-V or tacoma. guess which one was in my budget.

basically i got my MT taco because the MT was available, not so much 'i want a taco what kind should i get'

so i guess if considering whether to get a AT or MT tacoma, it's best to consider - if it were any other car, which would you choose? i think that's the best way to minimize any regret.... in my experience, most people i know who switch from MT to AT always come back. i'm one of them too. just my 2 cents.

 

I learned to drive on an auto then bought a mt and had my mom drive it home since I couldn't. I learned fast. 4 speed 4 banger mustang went every where it shouldn't. I think having the mt helped me push the limits on that car.
Been driving mt since and no regrets. Just like to have something to do besides look out window.

 

I've only owned manual Toyota pickups all my life... 5-speed '94 Toyota pickup(22RE), 5-speed '95.5 Tacoma(3.4 v6), and my newest 6-speed '13 TXPro. It's just my personal preference......and aftermarket exhausts sound nicer on manuals. (completely subjective of course)

No regrets here. Hell, I even lived in the streets of San Francisco with my '94 pickup for 3 years and never once felt the need for an auto. My daily commute at that time involved multiple uphill stop lights.


I will say this......

The 2nd gen 6-speed can't hold a candle to the 1st gen's 5-speed manual. Period. I miss my 5-speed Tacoma in that respect.

While it's definitely a combination of things that lead me to come to that conclusion, I really am disappointed with the 6-speed having owned 2 previous generations of Toyota truck manuals. The throws are way too long(I will see if the TRD short shifter will change my mind on this), the tranny feels toothy/catchy in between shifts(changed to Redline MT-90 2nd day of owning my '13 which really helped a lot), and the clutch pedal engagement is higher than I would like. Couple this with a drive by wire throttle, and the whole drivetrain feels disconnected. The 2nd gen with the 6-speed has lost that true mechanical feel in its drivetrain I'm accustomed to with Toyota pickups. With the 1st gen Taco, I can just grip and rip through the gears with wrist and feet in full harmony. With my '13 Taco, I feel like I'm doing the whole 'rub your belly, tap your head' but with my right hand and feet just to be smooth at moderate around-the-town speeds lol.

But whatcha gonna do? Gotta live with it! No regrets still----and the pros still outweigh the cons for me. Now that I've added a TRD s/c to my '13, I think I'll be rant-less about the 6-speed for a little while.

 

Having a stick in my old 2.7L 95 Taco was awesome! Especially when it came time to add on some power, upgrade the clutch and flywheel, etc. The standard cab was a tiny little thing and slamming around town or through the woods with a manual was an absolute blast.

Now enter my land-yacht of truck. I'm happy to have an automatic in it. I have my reservations about longevity of the trans, and what it may or may not cost to repair down the road, but for now I'm enjoying the simplicity of putting it into 'D' and going.

 

Nope love my 6spd. Very happy I found it after a long time searching.

 

Slightly off topic.

With the trend of disappearing manual transmissions in vehicles in general these days, do you think 3rd gen Tacoma will still have a manual transmission option in a double cab and or V6? I'm sure they would keep it for the 4 cylinder for now, but not so sure about the V6 and DC. Thoughts?

 

They know people actually off road with them, I doubt they'd get rid of it. at least they'd probably do a special order if not offer it as a regular option.

 

I flew from San Diego to New Mexico to buy my F350 6spd. My offroad truck is an auto and I'm 50/50 on it, but it was built as a trailer queen. If it was my DD it would be a stick.

 

Bought my first Taco last month. Barebones regular cab, stick. Liking it, even in heavy San Diego commute traffic.

Previous trucks were a 1974 Datsun (I'd go to war with that truck, it was awesome) and a 1996 Nissan. The Taco is very much like the Nissan, but much nicer on the creature comforts. Thought very seriously about the auto, but there's just something traditional about having that shifter in a pickup, you know?

 

No regrets whatsoever with my 6 speed. Feels good to be shifting on a daily basis again. 1st truck I looked at after Toyota took and bought my PreRunner back due to frame rust last Dec. Test drove it, bought it that day.

Prior 2 Toyota trucks I owned were auto's.
Haven't driven a stick on a daily basis since parking my '70 Chevelle SS in '94 and buying my 1st Toyota truck.

Chevelle gets horrible gas mileage and wanting to keep the low miles it has (66k) it only gets driven once in a blue moon. Owned it since '79. I've got the best of both worlds.....a hot rod and a 4x4 both manual!

 

I love my 5 speed. Works great and the gearing is perfect. That said, I live in a world of few traffic jams. I can understand how nice an auto is in traffic, the bus I drive is an auto and the idea of shifting all day in traffic would get tiresome...

 

Gotta teach the wife to drive stick rather soon - nothing worse than taking my truck for a night of drinking and having to cap it early because she can't get me home.

 

Don't use your truck. I taught one female to drive a stick and the clutch was never the same again.

 

i remember being on a school bus when i was in high school and noticed it was a manual trans. we were going over a very hilly part of the freeway and i remember thinking instantly that our bus driver was a BAMF.