Auto vs 6 speed: Help Me Decide!

Picture this...

Buy manual transmission 3rd gen...sweet made the right choice, freedom of shifting, no laggy nanny fuel saving truck, bump start, less maintenance. WIN


First meet-up with internet truck friends.


Go out to famous off road spot, nice day, new people, excited to try out new Tacoma with sick mods, all of which are 10/10 TW approved.


3 miles into trail, rock obstacle.


18" ledge onto step up, trucks approaching and spotters present. Bit nervous, but others laughter and cheerful mood calms you. Trucks all seem to climb over said lip no problem.


Think to yourself. "I should be fine with my awesome new C4 bumpers and 34"+ tires. Tiss some of these guys are running the 285/75/16 tire...suckers, I got this"


GO time. Everyone looking. Approach obstacle. Palms sweaty but still hopeful. Follow text book and creep up to rock face until tire makes contact with it. Feel push back and notice that you are also in a small ditch leading up to it. Think "oh shit worse than I thought , this will need some power to crawl up". Spotter motions with hand and says ok give it some gas.


Put truck in first and apply gas while letting that clutch out nice and slow. Oh shit, goes nowhere. Truck just creeps forward by 0.1" and then violently falls back along with all you hopes and dreams as you pop in that clutch and brake. "Oh shit ok ok just need more gas". Mash gas pedal and pull clutch out quicker this time, go no where. Repeat 27 times in a row while also stalling the truck 29 times in a row. "Holy fuck what is that smell? fire?". clutch is now smelling like a run away semi-truck doing 80 down the Cajone pass with full brakes on.


Fear sets in. Although no one is laughing yet, you know deep down what they are think. People behind in convoy begin to honk impatiently. "whats the hold up?", "did you deflate", "trying backing out and using a little momentum". All of the above tired and failed.

Clutch pedal now seems like there is way too much play in it. This combined with the awful smell leads to thoughts about your Toyota dealer laughing you out of the service department due to misuse of the truck under the warranty.

Your low blood sugar + adrenaline is the cherry on top of the shit pie. "I can't do it, must give up, gotta go around obstacle".

In a shaky voice plea with all the other trucks behind to back up so you can go around. People visibly upset at this inconvenience while others are laughing under their breath at this pathetic performance. "wow all them fancy mods to that TRD pro and he can't even get over that lil rock" you hear as you attempt to reverse in shame.


Go home, assess damage at dealer. Warped flywheel. Nearly disintegrated clutch. Tech asks in awe "how did you drive home like this?!"



Weeks later TW post about manual vs automatic.


You confidently reply "6 speed manual any day of the week over that atrociousness auto."

 

I have a 2018 Trd OR 4x4. Can confirm the 18 trans shifts horrendously as well. IMO it's actually due to the motor being way under powered on the low end. So the trans has to shift ALL the time to keep you moving. Problem is, it spends more time shifting around than propelling the truck.

 

wow that's unfortunate. not watching for it but surprised it's still going on with some of the 18's. 19's same for some?

 

I know its a bit in good humor but no issues with mine using the parking brake (3rd gen hand brake FTW) and if needed 4lo and ATRAC. There are plenty of built trucks here that are MT that wheel. Hand brake and 4Lo make it hard to imagine a shit my pants moment, at least, a moment that wouldnt be equally shitty in an AT.

 

MT always requires more skills and effort than AT, always. Especially rock crawling. There is no way one would have the same amount of "oh shit" moments with AT. I've been driving MTs for over 28 years. I own a Golf R in MT in which I enjoy shifting gears, but I would never buy a Tacoma or any other truck in MT. The "fun factor" was way at the bottom of my list when I was shopping for a truck. Yes it's cool shifting gears and look all macho but the novelty will wear off and at the end of the day when you're feeling tired and lazy sitting in traffic just wanting to get home, you still have to work and shift those gears, Thank You but NO! Maybe I am getting old, IDK?

 

Very simple answer, do you have three feet? No?, I didn’t think so! So why in the world would you want three pedals? Auto all the way!

 

i think i just got even stupider

 

If it requires more skill than I must have enough because it never really feels like an issue for me. Just have to be conscious of my surroundings and use the skills I've got. I dont see anyone going from a MT to AT citing it was too difficult to take off road. Lots of people have made the opposite change because they felt the auto was terrible for daily use.

 

Seems like you're juxtaposing your beliefs (and perhaps some bad experiences) with everyone else's.

For the record, driving a manual offroad isn't that hard...the only difference between a MT and auto is that you actually have to pay attention and drive the dang thing. Once you get through the initial learning curve of gear selection, throttle application, driving line, ect. the fear factor goes away. If you're worried about burning out a clutch on a rocky piece of terrain, then I have news for you...don't go offroad at all, because 1/2 the reason people go offroading in the first place is for the challenge....and if you can't handle a challenge (and associated stress), then you're screwed regardless of whether you're driving a MT or auto.

FWIW, people have been driving manuals offroad since literally the invention of the automobile. Back before we had all of these fancy gadgets and aids, people figured out how to drive over rough terrain with a MT. In some areas, including in North America, people still prefer manuals for long distance overlanding and technical offroading because of the simplicity and reliability that it offers. Learn how to drive a MT...it's not freaking rocket science. And if you think you're going to crap your pants simply because you might get into a bad situation offroad, buy some adult diapers and see a doctor about managing your stress levels.

 

What in the actual hell...


Most people on here aren't doing anything hard core enough to worry about AT vs MT. And if they are, they're not at the experience level of asking for opinions on a forum.

Low range make easy work of most things that aren't true rock crawling. If you're in a truck with A-Trac and a locking diff, even better. More options if you need them.



These AT vs MT conversations alway remind me of guys that shoot their mouth off about super bikes and then get smoked by a guy on a Supersport because they can't use the full potential of their bike.

OP I'd drive whatever you enjoy the most. You'll adapt to whichever you choose. Having an MT will not limit you with whatever you'd like to do. I considering daily commute as a factor is also valuable if you have a heavy commute. Good luck with your choice

 

Had 2 auto Tacomas my third is a manual. Never looking back. I don’t rock crawl and the worst conditions I see are washed out roads and mud holes, so never had any embarrassing situations. I guess you need to focus on really what you are using your truck for the most. It’s your money, so, buy what makes you happy not what makes the internet happy.

 

Manual!!!
The salesman pulled the traffic card on me right away, but I told him I didn't care I want to enjoy the driving.
I'm just outside DC and fight 95 traffic as well.

 

MT will hold 1st gear doing 2-3 mph, even on a slight grade, no throttling or foot work needed. Granted an AT is easier still in traffic, the manual in the 3rd gen has been the easiest of all the MT vehicles I've had to drive in traffic.

 

newer vehicles equipped with manual trans also has it to where itll hold the vehicle in position so you dont roll back. basically a grace period where if youre starting from an incline you wont roll into the car (or anything else) in the back of you if youre not quick enough on clutch. i know for a fact that it works cause i myself wanted to test that theory. started on an incline with a traffic light at the top and let go the brake for a good second with traffic in back of me and it stood fast. its not make or break by any means but its nice niche commodity. i know that feature wasnt there for my 08 xrunner or 13 trd or, but it was there for my 18 corolla se and 19 trd sport.

 

I think that the Taco MT 6 speed is one of the smoother manual trans I ever drove. Auto sounds good, but only for traffic but then again the manual is so smooth and forgiving that I stick with the manual.

 

Close to 4 years in my '16 M/T, "novelty" has not worn off. Macho??! What? That's 20 something talk lol.
I'm getting older too, but am lucky I guess - no joint/muscle problems that hinder rowing the box.

 

I have been off roading for a decade in a MT. There are plenty of instances where it was better than an auto. Like extremely stuck on a sandy hill using clutch start cancel. But the rear locker probably helped. What am I even on about get the manual!
You can always be in the gear you want

 

WTF? Rock crawling? So now rock crawling is the epitome of off roading? That crap evolved off the Rubicon trail and most Tacoma owners are not going to rock crawl their new 35-45k Tacoma just to prove they can crawl over a rock. If I were to rock crawl I sure as hell would not do it in a Tacoma! There are far better platforms for rock crawling.

The Tacoma is a truck, most use it for hauling their gear for other pursuits in remote areas. I'm on my third Toyota 4x4 with a MT in over 34 yrs and I have never smoked nor even warmed up my clutch while off roading. This includes towing trailers to faraway remote areas in rugged terrain.

I've had both auto and MTs 4x4s, each has its pros and cons in off road situations. I used to witness all kinds of ATs getting stuck in mud due to lack of control over throttle response/braking and have been in situations where my MT kept me from sliding off the edge.

And I've passed up many stuck autos on extremely muddy roads in my MTs while wearing a shit eating grin on my face.

 

In a MT you would simply push in the clutch and let the truck roll back a few inches and then gain a little more momentum in the approach. Not much roll back would be needed and the slight momentum would assist in success.

If the rock was so large that it would prevent this then you screwed up in your analysis and approach, and had no business trying to rock crawl in a Tacoma in the first place.

The Tacoma was never designed nor engineered to be a rock crawler to impress a crowd.

 

I've rolled through sections on 265/75r16 AT's in an MT that guys with 33's with autos got stuck in.

I still stand by the fact that if you have to ask, you're not at the point where AT vs MT matters. Just get what you enjoy to drive.