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

The M/T makes the Taco.

This is true on, and Off-road. - 2WD or 4xlow (Especially).

If you enjoy driving (any) MT, you'll likely prefer the MT Tacoma.

I would not have bought an automatic Tacoma. It simply was not an option.

Gear control in a heavy vehicle is essential - holding gear when power is needed. Shifting-up when it is not... No sudden random jerks when pushing the throttle to incentivize a shift in an auto. No random shifts (up or down) just at the worst time...

The M/T makes the Tacoma fun to drive. It makes it fun to drive this slow vehicle slowly.

It is certainly not a GTI, GLI, CRX, or BMW shifter. And does not have that performance. You'll quickly notice that a Taco is a much different vehicle weighing at least twice as much as any of those cars. But I've adjusted without much bother. I can say I like it better than the M/T in the LandCruiser I cruised around Australia in... Great feel, but long throws... (AND a lovely thing, that was...).

- The M/T Taco would be a pleasure to take on such a trip...

Thinking about this; I had a BMW Z3 Coupe back in the day - The 'Clown Shoe' (a FAST sporty Car). The (M/T- of course!) transmission in that thing was BEEFY.

(Definitely not a GTI.) - It had to be beefy in order to take all those ponies to the tarmac. The Taco M/T has that very similar feel... It feels like a MACHINE. As if you felt the shifter moving the actual gears, and not like a button changing channels on the TV Remote...

I am fine with the clutch so far. It is not perfect, but it does not bother me. I'll keep it stock until I am lucky enough to compare with one with the ADM done... if ever... maybe.

The throws are fine. Not a short shift - but Short enough for a finger flick with elbow on the armrest - for half of the shifts. (depending on your arm length!)

Good luck. M/Ts are ending. We are going electric on one car soon, so I am enjoying mine. Soon there will be no more M/Ts. Last chance!

 

I agree with everything you just said. Spot on. I do struggle with the idea that Toyota will close the door on MT's though. Hell,,, it's what made the little trucks what they are. I have to believe that Toyota loves the manuals too. I just don't want to believe that they would turn their back on the manual truck, one of the biggest contributors over the years that's made them what they are today. I enjoy the hell out of mine too!

 

Hit me up some time to drive a manual, adm, tuned truck.

 

Agree that reverse is way too tall! There really is no need to go 40mph in reverse.

 

Dang I wish you were closer to me, I’d have loved to take you up on that offer!

 

Done!

- I'll PM you.

Thanks!

 

My first Tacoma was a 16 TRD sport in 6MT and coming from an Audi S4 in 6MT it was obviously a slow/clunky shifting experience.

As others have mentioned though, the manual is what makes the Tacoma a legendary truck especially in those rare 4low cases while shifting gears.

I ended up trading in the 16 for a 19 TRD off road in auto and missed the manual pretty bad. 3 years later and I’m now back in a 6MT and damn it feels good again!

 

I have had several manuals in cars and trucks. My previous truck was a 2001 Ford F-150 manual ( not bad), my previous car was a 2012 sonata manual (terrible). I test drove a 2018 taco with auto. I wrote the truck off. Found a 2018 manual taco..that one made me a buyer. If I want a sweet manual, a Miata fills that ticket. Talk about long throws..the taco is short if you ever drove a 1970 Dodge Charger with pistol grip !

 

One of my "requirements" when buying a new vehicle a few years ago was to get into a manual for the first time. I tested a few manual Tacomas, Mustangs, a BMW, a BRZ, and a few WRXs.

The Tacoma had the worst manual of all of those, and the BMW had the best gearbox. Apples to oranges I know, but the only way to know is to drive one.

 

It's not a "fun" manual like a sports car, nor is it bad. For me, it was a requirement. The manual kept me from trying out a full size (auto) truck. @OZ TRD said it best.

 

I went with the Tacoma because it was offered in a manual, having only driven manual vehicles since 2008 I was not interested in an automatic. If you like prefer to drive manual you will be satisfied with the truck. I commute in mine, to include a year of working in DC, and have no regrets.

 

For comparison manual vehicles I owned were 2005 Honda Civic SI, 2004 Infiniti G35, and 2012 Nissan Xterra. Each had their own strengths and weaknesses, but I wouldn’t change a thing with my previous and current vehicle choice because they did what I needed them to do at that phase in life.

 

The shifter feels like a wooden spoon in a big bowl of mashed potatoes. Or maybe close to a 1976 VW bus shifter. I'm just pulling your chain... It's a stick shift in a truck so it's not like an Acura Integra gsr/type R

 

“Fun” manuals are fun for more reasons than just the transmission - they are usually responsive (ex: Honda S2000), they usually sound good when you are running up and down through the gears (ex: Chevy Camaro SS 1LE w/active exhaust), they usually feel faster because you are controlling more of the process than one pedal (ex: Honda Type R). In a mid-size truck, with limited hp, and limited handling, being able to control the transmission, and engine rpm, is more fun than driving an automatic Soccer-mom-mobile, unless that is what you consider “fun”? I wouldn’t say a mt Tacoma is a riot to drive, but in my opinion, it is more fun than the alternative!

 

After I test drive a manual Taco at a used lot, I knew I wanted one. That was a requirement in my truck purchase and sadly only (2) trucks sold in the US have manual: Jeep Gladiator and Tacoma. I can recall about 10 years ago, all mid size trucks were available in manual - manufacturers are going after the sales #s apparently/sadly. I do enjoy driving my 6spd Taco under normal driving conditions - just pushing the clutch and moving through gears just makes for a much more enjoyable driving experience compared to clicking a lever 3 times and pushing down only the accelerator - boring...

 

I absolutely love my MT 2016 TRD off-road. I’ve had this truck since new and have put 158,000 miles on it. It shifts today like it did the day I bought it. I changed the MT fluid twice already with Redline fluid, I’d highly recommend it. That said whatever it came with wasn’t terrible either. You just have to remember to rev this engine higher and that first gear is basically a crawl and 5th and 6th are overdrives. I still have yet to put brakes on the thing and they have plenty of wear left. Every day I hop in the truck to drive is an enjoyable experience. I’d never buy an automatic Tacoma if given the option.

 

still on the original clutch too?

 

Yup that too still operates like new no slipping whatsoever, that said it’s a lot of highway miles but also I tow a 3500lb boat a lot in the summer.

 

Not necessarily, I just want a new manual truck that doesn't feel numb. (When I say numb, I'm referring to poor feedback from the clutch, terrible throttle response, and loose shifter).

 

This is really good input, seeing as you owned a Corolla as well (A much sportier one at that). Reading that you don't miss the Corolla, and like the power of the Tacoma gives me confidence that I won't have buyers remorse. Thanks for your insight!