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

people would be better drivers if everyone drove a manual tranny. (like the old days)

with the auto tranny these days people just floor it when starting off and then slam on the brakes to stop since there is no engine braking taking place. with a manual you accelerate slower actually saving gas. (unless you really rev out the gears thinking your truck is a racecar lol) you also downshift so you can slow down without even using your brakes and avoid having to use your brakes at all in some cases. thus your brake pads last longer.

i do this all the time going down long hills. all the auto people fly past me at the top of the hill and then they are riding their brakes down the hill the whole way and i end up passing them at the bottom of the hill. i just put it in 4th gear and never touch the brakes all the way down the hill.

with autos people tend to be doing other distracting things besides just driving. it's also easier to fall asleep at the wheel since you are less engaged with the driving experience.

i know these days they have the semi manual auto shifting and paddle shifters and all that but it's like what's the point? a true manual is just better.

i guess it's just something you are used to since you've been doing it ever since you've been driving. driving an auto is boring like the others have said.

in other countries an auto is still a rare thing. most of them drive manuals. americans are just lazy. lol

 

I love manual for one reason: heel-toe downshift.

In an auto, I loathe the nose-diving, lurching feeling going into a turn and then having to wait for the engine to upshift out of the turn. In a manual, heel-toeing into the turn for the downshift keeps the vehicle composed and smoothly takes you through the turn. Works great in a truck too, doesn't need to be a race car.

 

So, after living with this thing the last few days, I have to say, no regrets. Almost the first tank of fuel through her with plenty of pulls and city driving led me to just shy of 20 MPG. It's a great transmission, smooth shifting. Only criticism is reverse is a bit of a bear to find sometimes but it is still pretty tight.

 

I have a 2014 manual off-road and spent some time last weekend driving my cousin's 2016 manual off-road. The 2016 is a completely different animal. The throws are shorter and crisper in the 2016. I wouldn't be tempted to put a short throw shifter in a 2016. Maybe it's not available as they figure there's no need. I'd have to agree.

 

Just curious if you could install Toyotas Push start button and remote to the Manual Transmission models. And anyone know why Toyota didn't give this as a option?

 

Clutch start cancel. I'm not sure how they'd implement it with a push button.

 

That doesnt make sense tho. I swear the FRS/BRZ comes standard with the push start wireless remote button option. Man, this is one thing that disappoints me about the 2016+ Taco manuals. Im not trying to make it a big deal but this truck is supposed to be up to date with all the fancy 2016+ technology

 

It's a technique to use the starter if you stall out wheeling. It allows you to pull yourself out of a position without compromising your stability. They probably could have engineered it to work, although I'm not certain.

 

it's always nice to be able to start your truck if the starter goes out. i remember doing that on my 1988 truck for about a week straight. i always parked on a slight incline and i could just roll off and jump start it in 2nd gear. you can't do that with a push button.

 

Huh, I didn't think of that. Good one.

 

You are right about the toybaru. It does come with the push start on manual. It was gimmicky I will admit and have you heard of people leaving the keys in the radius of keyless reception to find the next morning... the battery was dead? (per BRZ/FRS forum)

Sometimes people are not ready for new tech nor do they understand how it works.. But hey it's cool right?

 

Not a bonehead statement at all. In fact, I've been driving manuals exclusively for 10-ish years now, but this is my first manual 4x4 truck (others were coupes). I've been off-roading almost every weekend since I got it, trying to get more familiar with it and all, and I have to say that the most 'difficult' part of off-roading with a manual is the manual itself. It might just be my inexperience in using one under the circumstances, but I find myself relying too much on my clutch at times when I should be, say, relying on the gearing of 4lo or my momentum, or my brakes, etc.

Off-roading with a stickshift is a whole different beast than doing it in an auto...not to say that doing it in an auto is any less fun, but it's way more involved with a manual. I say that having done both.

 

After driving manual coupes for so long just commuting to and from work, I almost forgot what I burning clutch smelled like until I got my 4x4 5speed Tacoma and starting hitting the trails with it. I don't imagine this particular clutch will last a very long time before I get accustomed to it lol.

 

sweet thanks for the info. I was just curious how it was going to be. It was a nice surprise getting the factory short throw, when ordering I figured it might not be all that great. Im sure the 2016, esp with all the other nice updated features, will definitely impress me.

 

Check cars.com

I had a bunch come up, but I just found out the my local dealer back home ordered my truck that I told them I wanted... so now it's time to throw down a deposit.

 

The quote you are quoting is not mine but says it is, weird.

 

My 4X4ing in the past has been with manuals, but that also includes 6X6ing on Ft. Hood tank trails, streams and chasing cows with the Duece and a half trucks. But with my new 2016 Tacoma TRD 4X4 Offroad, I was shocked at how well the TC locked up when in 4lo going down steep grades to help maintaining proper speed and traction on loose rocks. Although it's not the perfect 4X4 due to the Auto Transmission, it's still capable.

 

Lol weird

 

After reading pages and pages of issues with the 2016 AT, I think I will stick with the MT when I get my truck. I have been driving manual for years and love the feel of it. Even in hairy off road situations, I have never really wished I had an auto. Plus, with the MT having a 4.30 gear ratio (mine has 4.10) off roading should be slightly easier in the really hard stuff. Not to mention the MT is 1-2k less and less to maintain and fix

 

I've been watching inventory in my local area (Portland OR) for past couple of months and just not finding the right truck, plus the dealers I've spoken too are not moving more than .5% off msrp. Supply and demand.

For shits and grins, I wondered into washington state to test drive a tacoma over the holiday weekend, low and behold a very rare silver 16 DCOR w/manual tranny #7545 was sitting on their lot. After a test drive and friendly negotiations, out the door deal was $36,700 which is 4.76% above invoice. According to Truecar this is between 1st and 2nd quadrant, so confirmed great price for my local area. I thought this was a fair deal on a hard to find truck package, so made the handshake. This is my forth manual taco in over 40 years; 2 1st gen and 1 2nd gen, all were good reliable trucks.