Are the 3rd gen 6mt trucks fun to drive compared to other manuals?

I wondered the same thing as you, op, when shopping for a newer mid size truck. I knew I wanted a manual but wasn't sure if this would be fun (practicality aside) or not in this 'platform.'

Ie: An early 90's full size chevy pick up with a manual is not 'fun' to drive (for me).

IMO this m/t truck is about the perfect balance of 'fun to drive' and utilitarian. It ticks 99% of my boxes except it doesn't tick very many boxes at a superb level (except for reliability and re-sell value). It's not as engaging/ fun to drive as a manual M3 or wrx, but I can drive it off of pavement and make home depot runs. And when the supercharger starts to whine over 3k, it fills the void of not driving a fun car.

I guess what I'm saying is that if you want to shift gears and you want a truck, Tacoma is an excellent option to look into.

Also I will add that if my truck was automatic, pretty much all of my affection for driving it would be gone. At that point it would feel like more of an appliance/ tool than something I liked to drive- like my 5th gen 4runner- It's great, but what am I supposed to do while its taking me to my destination?

 

That's what I always tells folks when the ask me why I got a manual. I say "I can't drive an auto".. The looks I get are priceless!

 

I have family over in Ireland that literally can't drive automatic because they never have. Comes up every time they're over here and want to borrow a car.

 

I enjoy it but it's numb, clunky, has weird ideal shift points, has drastic rev hang unless the A/C is on then the RPMs drop like a lead balloon.

Maybe I just suck at driving stick. But then again my Scion wasn't like this (except the rev hang).

 

Throwing in my 2 cents..

I think 1st is too short and 2nd is too long in the gearing. I absolutely hate the numbness in the clutch and that the catch is higher up. I also absolutely love driving it. It's a truck so i'm not expecting short and very engaging shifts, but it's still enjoyable.

I will eventually do the accumulator delete mod.

the only thing I can compare it to is the last gen Frontiers, and those clutches are a dream. The catch point is low and engaging.

 

I’m really bad with the auto, I forget and floor it on the takeoff, it seems like auto pedals are more touchy, also I’ve been known to jam the brakes while attempting to coast in an auto.
I was torn between 4Runner and taco. Ultimately the transmission won, if I could’ve gotten a 4r with a manual, well, I’d be on a different site right now.

 

Are you looking to purchase a vehicle based on shifter throw distance and fun? Stick with the Corolla. There are 100 other things you will not like when compared to a car with manual transmission and sporty suspension.

 

I have ALWAYS been a manual guy. I have owned at least 9 Toyota trucks over the years. ALL were manuals. Newest of them was a 2000 4x4. They were all great to drive. When looking for my 2022 I test drove a manual and absolutely hated it. The clutch throw was about 12” and rowing gears was what it felt like. Must have been at least 8” of movement from 1-2 and so on. I took it right back and jumped into the automatic (which I thought I would never do) and liked it. I drive my truck in S mode so I can still change gears a little so at least my hand has something to do. Maybe with a short shifter but not sure what can be done about the clutch throw.

my little commuter is a 2006 Scion xB manual that is a blast to drive. Bought it brand new and has 187000 trouble free miles on it. Still on the stock clutch.

 

I love my 22 6mt. It drives like a manual transmission. Better than my 78 CJ 7, about the same as my 86, and 01 Toyotas. Similar to my 99 honda accord.
Not as nice as my 01 cummins with NV 4500 or as my 06 cummins with a G56. But I enjoy driving it. Is it a sports car...........not sure, never owned one.

 

I thought I would always drive a manual Tacoma and my second gen was my daily drive and was manual. When test driving the 3rd gen manual it was just terrible to me, no pedal feel or feedback at all and just not smooth. I chalked it up to it being brand new and needed broken in but got to drive a fellow tacoma nerds 3rd gen manual and it was the same. Ended up getting the Auto and doing the ECT always on mod and have zero complaints with the auto transmission when the ECT is on. With it off that’s a different story but I don’t drive it with it off.

 

3rd gen MT is awesome. Substantially better than 2nd gen. Way smoother, hooks up without any jerks of stutters. Very very forgiving. I cannot see anyone liking the 2nd gen better. Together with the motor, I love driving it. It revs nicely, growls, and runs excellent. I recently installed the sprint booster and it's unreal. No lag, it really vrooms. Once you understand that the transmission likes to rev high, its much better.

 

No.

experience: 2018 trd sport manual, 2019 trd pro manual. Both are fine, except for 1st gear from a stop is a dog. Literally has 0 torque and feels like it’s about to stall if you try and drop the clutch and go for a quick take off from a red light. The Ov tune helped a lot with that, but was never perfect.

I actually prefer the auto for this truck. But to each their own.

 

Beyond all the other benefits of Toyota, the main reason for buying my 2022 Tacoma was the manual transmission. The only other option being the Gladiator and I think that ‘truck’ is hideous.

I’ve had pretty much ONLY manual transmissions (‘07 Mazdaspeed6, ‘10 Ford Figo TDCi, ‘12 G37S sedan, ‘11 ZL1 coupe) and then my current daily (‘18 Model 3). The Tacoma manual is NOT a performance vehicle at all, especially compared to what I’ve had in the past but I wouldn’t have my Tacoma any other way.

The throws are slightly long but the engagement is positive and it’s easy and rewarding to drive. The clutch is very easy to modulate and I’ve only ever stalled out in reverse going uphill trying to parallel park in snow in 4H and I could’ve switched to 4L and made it easier. Also, off-roading with the manual is just more exciting in my opinion and more of a challenge versus an auto truck and letting the crawl control handle everything.

The only things I feel could’ve been improved is a significantly shorter reverse gear and a taller 6th gear. The truck is right at 2k rpm at 60mph in 6th and I feel a taller 6th would improve efficiency but I didn’t buy it to be efficient.

I usually shift around 1500-2000 rpm and it’s fine and ‘truck-like’. If you do rev it out past 3000 the engine comes alive and definitely feels less ‘truck-like’. Granted you won’t mistake it for something it isn’t, but there is definitely enough power there to easily pass and merge.

All that being said, I don’t think you can go wrong with an auto or a manual Tacoma. For me, however, if a stick is available in a vehicle, it’s an easy decision which I’m choosing.

 

The ridiculously short gas pedal makes HT impossible using the conventional method, viz: ball of foot on brake, heel on gas. I've had to relearn the Ricky Rudd method using heel on the brake & ball of the foot on the gas.

I prefer an old school cable linked throttle. The computer gets in the way of what I want the throttle to do & necessitates me double blipping the gas on a down shift to get the RPM I want.

 

i have a 2017 honda civic 2.0L 6MT as well and now tacoma with 6MT.
i live in a rural area with no daily commuting.
except for heavy stop and go driving, MT are more fun than automatics
just my opinion

 

I spent 8 years behind the wheel of a 2005 Toyota Corolla XRS with the 6mt. It was a fun car for a Corolla.

I feel the Tacoma is more engaging, better torque, more feel in the shifts.

Yes initially the throw is long, but I fixed that with a URD short shifter.

Really it wasn't much of a change, the sitting position is similar, clutch feel was similar. Shifting is better and power is a huge improvement. The other thing is being able to see farther down the road. The vehicle height was something I missed in my Corolla. (had trucks previously)

4½ years in my Tacoma and I don't miss my Corolla, not even the fuel economy.

 

Been driving manuals for a while, and the 6MT in these trucks are very smooth, it makes driving more enjoyable for me, except for city traffic when i go into Chicago. Otherwise, rowing thru the gears can be spirited at times. Coming from an S4, Miata, s2k. Obviously the throw and gear shift is a bit different, but its a truck, so once you accept that, its a blast!

 

My 2019 TRD Sport is a 6MT and I love it. As a teen, I had an Eclipse GST 5MT and a MT S10 blazer. I've driven my grandpa's 67-72 Chevy trucks with 4MT and my dad's '63 Impala SS 4MT. As an adult, I've owned Subaru 5MTs, GM f-bodys with LS/6MT, and probably the most closely comparable thing to the Tacoma is my 1998 Dakota V8/5MT.

My biggest complaint about the Tacoma's 6MT is the clutch. Simply that there's no consistency to it. It feels too soft and engages whenever it wants, making shifts less predictable. Fortunately this can be helped with the accumulator mod. I haven't done any mods to mine yet, but plan to eventually.

The throw is exactly what I would expect in a truck but it can still be "improved" for people who want a shorter throw. Comparing one midsize truck to another, the throw in my Tacoma is shorter than in my Dakota. If you've ever driven a MT truck, the throw should not be shocking to anyone.

On flat ground, I can start off in first with very little throttle. The whole revving super high, I haven't had that experience. Not sure if that's the case for people with the heavier builds?

If you enjoy driving MT, you'd probably enjoy a MT Tacoma. Mine is my DD and I drive 50 miles each day for work, mostly interstate (40 miles). I live along the Gulf Coast and have been stuck in tourist traffic many times. I've never wished I had an auto. If you tow anything, MT might be better too -- based on reports of constant gear hunting on the autos.

Comparing trucks to cars seems silly, especially to be upset about the performance differences of one over the other. Similar to handguns, bolt action rifles, semiauto rifles, shotguns, etc. They're made to serve different purposes.

 

Same situation for me, or if they still made the FJ Cruiser.
4Runner felt very bland and uninspired driving experience compared to MT Taco.

 

1st post, howzit everybody. Drove manual all my life, many different types of vehicles. Picked up my 3rd gen 2 months ago. 1st gear is too short for me for street driving so I start in second. Also the rev hang is a pain in the ass, takes a while to drop. Downshifting doesn’t slow the vehicle the way I’m used to either. Haven’t done the accumulator delete mod yet, and no aftermarket tune yet either. With that being said, I would still choose manual without hesitation as I get bored in an AT. Just like any other vehicle, you learn it’s quirkiness. Not vegan, don’t do CrossFit. When did MT start getting associated with those things? Just hunting, fishing and ass kicking in this drivers seat.