Just how good is the Tacoma Auto

Don't forget auto+skewp=FTMFW

 

You must also take in to count gear ratios. Manual is a 6 speed. Auto is a 5 speed.

 

This is Toyota truck #6 for me and the first with an auto. Besides the lag in upshifting, I'm okay with it. In traffic, 4 works almost as well as a stick to engine brake. I miss rowing through the gears sometimes but my feet don't.
Oh, and let's not forget how f*cking great the Toyota standard trannies are too which is mostly why I switched.

 

ok when you put it like that its not a lot. but its still something that the majority of automatic drivers neglect. Also in my experience this service should be performed more frequently then auto manufactures are recommending. I think toyota is saying that the tacoma doesn't need to have maintenance done to the trany till 100k. I did mine at approximately 40k and it was abundantly clear during the service and after that the trany needed to be serviced. FYI I do not drive in a way that would prematurely wear out a trany.

 

I'd been for manuals my whole life until the 2nd gen tacoma. I wanted and test drove a manual. What a POS! It shifts horribly, and it is geared poorly.

My friend has a manual and it shifts like crap and he's had it in the shop multiple times with tranny/clutch issues.

I almost bought a different brand but the auto actually drove really nice, so I ended up with the tacoma. Five years later I still love it!

 

This

 

I don't know about you,...but I can shift my auto manually. Can you shift your manual automatically?

 

This

Drop it into 4 or 3 , done

Pretty easy actually

 

I like driving a auto now and then, but I will drive a manual til I can't anymore.

 

Thats the whole point of the post "Knuckles". The Tacoma auto is on another level from most automatics. It always in the right gear and is fast and quick. Ever sat in 1-3 mph bumper to bumper traffic for an hour with your stick. I guess not! Never have to change pedals with a stick?

 

I agree the Auto in the Taco whips ass!

 

Wow, ok. I try to be sensitive to other peoples opinions and get flamed for it? I think that the majority of people praising the tacoma automatic are praising the 5 speed automatic, compared with the 6 speed manual, I.e., a *bad* manual.

In the end, I don't care how good you think the 5 speed automatic is, it will *never* be able to predict what I want it to do. First Taco... 1-3 mph, stick manual in 1st and cruise at 2, don't touch the gas, just cruise until the end of the jam. And yes, I certainly have sat in traffic for an hour. More, in fact. Nice not having to keep pressing the brakes because the auto wants to go too fast at idle.

Leggo: sorry pal, you can't shift an auto manually. You might override it partially, but it still shifts automatically. As for my manual shifting automatically... it sure seems to sometimes.

 

You can shift an auto manually , but the shifter only limits how far the truck will shift up to

Downshifting is essentially the same

 

Never owned an auto vehicle until my Tacoma. My 1st gen was manual. I REALLY enjoy the automatic Tacoma. Get stuck in crawling on the free due to a traffic jam, no pushing in the clutch a million times for me. I don't miss manual in anyways at all unless its a sports car or motorcycle.

 

For all you who made the mistake of stating that you can shift your auto manually, you are incorrect. You have must not have driven a manual before. I have driven an automatic. Lots of them. Even the ones with the paddle shifters. It's not the same. You don't have the same control over the vehicle. Oh, and let me know how that auto does if you accidentally kill your battery and nobody has jumper cables

 

My other ride has 675 rwhp/599 rwtq and it's a blown 427 2008 Z-06
Corvette. This has to a manual for me. But the same car is faster through the 1/4
with an automatic. The Tacoma Automatic is underrated in my book!

 

I second that when a 15 mile commute can take up to an hour!

 

As far as using the transmission for braking, brake pads are far cheaper to replace than a clutch. Personal choice, enjoy your manual, I'm pleased with my auto.

 

I am only 46 years old with a dozen or so manual shift auto's and truck's in my history. never again. If I use 1st gear and want 2nd I simply push the shifter forward,(without having to push in the clutch) if I want 1st again, I just pull it back to 1st. i will argue against you having more control over the vehicle because I can coast,or apply the gas pedal and the brake at the same time,or brake right down to zero mph if you want to(with one foot and without stalling). I cannot think of a reason why I cannot shift my auto one gear at a time if I want to. The whole dead battery thing is a plus for manual drivers. As long as you are on a hill or have others to push you. I just pay attention, keep my truck maintained properly, and carry jumper cables.

 

I stopped push starting my car for three reasons:

1. I bought an automatic
2. I fried my alternator TWICE doing it
3. Literally had to dive into my cars window because it started picking up speed downhill and the door shut itself...almost didn't catch up to it.