Manual transmission Fan Club and BS thread (All Generations Welcome)

Curious to see what happens with manuals once axial flux motors start gaining popularity in hybrid cars.

They're super tiny, easy to physically package into existing transmissions, have good power density, and tach out at rotor speeds on the order of existing ICE motors.

 

The original aluminum Honda Insight hybrid system was a gas engine with an electric motor bolted to it like a flywheel. Behind that was a 5-speed transaxle (it was FWD). How is that different than this Tundra type hybrid? It did cost Honda a bunch of warranty claims as the manual transmission owners would lug the hell out of the engine to force the electric part do too much of the work, cycling the small battery pack more than intended. The weak point of the Honda hybrid design -- if the electric motor was turning the gas engine was turning. How does the Tundra inline hybrid system change that?

 

So only manual in the SR and the TRD Sport? Now I’m really glad I’m getting my 2023 TRD OR MT. Sorta sucks not to offer the OR or Pro in a manual. With so many more Tacoma trim levels it would appear that Toyota is barely committing to manuals.

 

It's also in the OR

 

@CygnusX191
...But no longer offered on the Pro. Point made: there should be more manual takers on the SR than the Pro.

 

I mean every manual made will be sold. They've opted to not put it in the pro due to the hybrid drivetrain. I'm like most of y'all. I'm hoping for the manual to be added to the hybrid drive train, at least for the refresh made cycle, if not sooner.

In other news... For everyone who said there aren't push button manuals...

 

MT Taco owners.. I have a MT TRD SHIFT KNOB for sale (brand new) anybody interested DM

 

My 13Mazdaspeed had a push button and three pedals. I am glad new Gen will have push button with the manual. Also, happy to see peak torque below 2krpm. Fixes my two main gripes with the current Gen.

 

All the 4th gen, including MT, will have pushbutton start. Yay! Toyota I thought was trying to say they couldn't do it in the 3G Tacoma due to CSC, but obviously they have "figured that out". Now I wonder if they'll offer the factory remote start on them or not, to go along with it?

Also, I know FR-S/BRZ/86 MTs have had pushbutton start for awhile, so I assume other Subaru's did too. Don't Porsche MTs also have it?

It sounded like they were regearing 1st and 2nd as well, hopefully they'll be better. Haven't heard about R yet, but if they fix that, it is really making a compelling argument to maybe upgrade in a few years...

 

Good for Toyota for still having the option, others have completely abandoned manual transmissions. There may be more of an interest in manual transmissions than what's generally perceived. I came across this job post recently:

 

I think more people would buy a manual if they made more. Probably related to corporate average fuel economy reasons, I bet 4th gen manuals will be a struggle to find as well, especially if you want a specific trim, options and color. I think I've read that the only 5% of all Tacoma production is built with 6MT.

I lucked into the exact truck I wanted at my local dealership back in '18 when I stopped by to discuss the silly amounts they kept offering for my '15 automatic Sport, test drove an automatic 3rd gen and was pretty much not excited about it, until the salesman said hey, we just got a truck in with a 6MT. Yes please. I would have bought a 6MT second gen, but didn't have time to search for one, so I grabbed the 3rd gen when it was available. I really wish you could order a Tacoma just the way you want it instead of hoping the allocation gods smile upon you and build what you want.

 

My 135 is 15 years old and has a push button start. Truck folks need to get out of their bubble more often.

I mean hell, that’s just push button automatic start. I remember a push button start on one of my dads cars from the 60s. Forget which model, but you put the key in, turned it, then pushed a button to actually activate the starter motor.

 

After I put on some 33s (technically 33.5: Toyo MT) I found I used 5th a lot more than I used to.
Mountains….lots of long uphills.

 

Many years ago, in the 60s when I was in middle school, a friend of mine had a 1950s era Fiat in the backyard. It was in rough shape, I think no doors. His dad let us drive it back and forth in the backyard. That was the first time I ever drove a manual transmission. That car had a pushbutton start. I think it was a 4 speed on the column, but of course in that setting just used 1st and reverse.

 

To be fair, no one said there aren’t push button manuals…..anything mentioned was about push button manual Tacomas specifically, which do not exist (yet).

You said in your previous post “I love how everyone's complaining about the push button start of the manual, like that hasn't been in the off-road premium for the last 3 years already”…..no manual off-road premiums have push button start.

 

A thing to remember, when Toyota says "we could not figure out CSC and push button start on a manual", what they mean is "it would have required something more and we didn't want to spend the money".

Not bashing Toyota here, just pointing out that it is not a hard problem but depending on their architecture they may not have been able to do both without adding cost that they determined was unsuitable.

 

I've used start buttons in loaners and rental cars, it's fine and all, but I've never had a problem with having a key .

 

I'm personally glad to see a push button start. I don't mind a key, but the key placement in the Tacoma is horrible. I can't position myself in a way that gets my knee away from the key. I have cut the engine off twice unintentionally, once while driving.

I'd prefer a key if it was in a better spot. The Frontier had the keyhole on the dash, which I really liked - out of the way.

 

I could care less about the key, I just wish I had a proximity key that unlocked the doors as soon as you pull the handle

 

Can someone explain the attraction of an ignition start button? My MT uses a key of course. How would my life improve if it used a button? (I filter a lot of questions through this kind of thinking - why would I want a large info screen when I have no problem running the radio with the small screen, I like the mechanical hand brake, so why would I want an electric one?) It appears to me the only stuff I would change in my 2023 MT would be reverting back to before the stuff was "improved". I would love a manually operated transfer case is one example.