Manual Transmission Sales

That's strange. I can run mine to redline and not have it turn into a bucking and bouncing mess when I shift to the next gear - even from 1st to 2nd, and that's the challenging shift. 2nd to 3rd and on to 6th are easy (although by the time you're in 4th, you're way over the speed limit). 40 years ago I used to race stoplight to stoplight in a 3/4 ton with a 351 Cobra Jet bolted to the original 4 speed.

It's a truck, not a 911. It's geared like a truck. Motorjournalists and internet pundits who complain about a truck not driving like a sports car from 0-60 merely demonstrate their own ignorance and prejudices.

The more you drive it like a truck the easier it is to drive. If you want to drive it like a sports car, it takes a higher skill set. So if yours is bucking and bouncing... that's you, not the truck.

 

My oldest daughter is 16 and drives a 2023 Jetta S Automatic. When I bought the Jetta, I wanted a manual but it didn't pan out at the time I bought it. Nevertheless, I am also teaching her how to drive the 6M Tacoma. She's getting the hang of it. We have gone to practice a few times in parking lots. My main goal is for her to be able to drive the truck if I am unable to do so, or in case of an emergency. I do not wish for history to repeat itself (I refer to when I broke my ankle several years ago), however it never hurts to be prepared, and for my daughter to learn the skill.

 

We had a Buick Regal for drivers ed in high school, whenever the teacher would put it in reverse to back out of the garage it would chirp the tires.

 

I guess that make us part of the 2% club, when we went to the dealer there it was.

 

It tells me that Toyota determined 2% of their market wants a manual.

 

I've hit 2000km on my 6m sport and can say it's so much more like a truck than my 2020 6m ever was. My biggest gripe abut hauling a car and trailer around was that first gear. I can get the 2025 rolling much easier and it pulls a lot harder in 3rd gear up hills than my v6 ever did. I of course give zero f%&s about fuel economy my average on the new is almost exactly the average of the old.

 

Youve pulled a car hauler w your 4G? This is something I've been curious if it could do

 

I usually rent the Uhaul car transporter, i always lie about my load though, they are suspicious but I tell them I collect Suzuki Sidekicks. heaviest i towed with my 3G manual was a 1975 Thomas 175 Skidsteer which comes in around 8000Lbs.. empty trailer is 2200 lbs... this weekend I hauled a 2010 Ford Flex with my 4G ( Parts car for the wifes winterbeater ) about 200KM and that thing weighs 4600 pounds.so gross was 6800 or so, once you get it rolling it pulls it fine, I did notice when I got on the highway at around 110KM/Hr ( 60-65 ish MPH ) I was constantly pulling about 8 pounds of boost in 5th gear, it would peg right up to max in 6th. Braking however was a bit spicy, the surge brakes built into the trailer help but keep that tongue weight as high as you can for stability. Overall towed very well, not sure how long it will be before I melt a turbo though.

I do feel a little bad for the truck since I haven't even got it out of the Break-in period but I figure I should teach it what to expect from its life

 

I'm not Gen Z (although I've taught Gen Z drivers), but my parents refused to teach me how to drive stick shift. Same with most of my uncles and aunts, but one of my uncles stepped up to teach me in a Suzuki Sidekick. After my first car (that I had for less than a year), I've never owned an automatic.

I've since taught numerous people how to drive stick shift. Even used a Honda S2000 sports car to teach before (not that it was hard to learn in, but it was my pride and joy at that time, and I've taught many people in that car while I'm at that point). But, below are my most memorable moments teaching people how to drive stick shift:

I taught my brother's friend how to drive stick shift because he wanted to buy an older Miata and nobody else he knows can/want to teach him. I had to bring the Miata he purchased back for him. He then taught his friend how to drive stick shift, then I brought home another older Miata for that other friend once he purchased the car, as it was located in hilly San Francisco.

I then had to teach my younger brother how to drive stick shift because he got into cars and wanted to buy a BRZ. Had to drive the car home for him too.

All of them still has the cars today. They even proceeded to learn how to wrench on their own cars too and also looking into attending an auto-x event/track day. And I will forever blame the people who aren't willing to teach others how to drive a manual.

 

I'm guessing that MTs are only 2% of the sales because only 2% of the Tacos produced are MTs. However, I wonder how much more they could raise it before there's trucks that sit on the lot.

 

RicerRabbit makes a good point, and I wouldn't be surprised if the younger generations wonder about 'archaic' technology. There are lots of other things they seem interested in. Fountain pens and whatnot.

My son learned to drive when we were stationed in Germany, which meant me paying for mandatory Fahrschule (driving school). He learned on a manual, and if you don't take the driving test with one then your license is restricted to automatics - which would earn a bit of ridicule from peers. Germans take driving seriously, and it's no secret that it's one of their great passions - which is why manuals are common - although hybrids and electrics are changing that.

 

Day one of my 24' manual offroad was a learning experience. Just kept getting better after that. I'm at 6300 miles now and there's definitely a "technique" which is basically don't drive it like a 6MT in a car. That's it. I like it so much now that unless there's some other benefit to getting a tune - I wouldn't be interested just as a means of addressing rev hang, it's a non factor.

 

I think the biggest issue with the MTs is that dealers have a lot tougher time predicting sales. I had lengthy conversations with two different dealers from different makes about this exact issue in the recent past, and I got basically the same response - they both said that the MTs are hard to get, but sometimes when they do get them, they will sit on the lot and back up for months, and then they have runs on them where they quickly sell out. They implied that they don't want to order too may because when they aren't selling, they can be very difficult to move without large markdowns, and demand is way more unpredictable.

But I am wondering if the resurgence of interest in manual transmissions by the new younger generation might change that dynamic somewhat.

 

My 22 yo wants his next car to be manual, he learned when he was 12 on the Xterra I had then. He doesn’t have much experience because it got wrecked just before he got his license. He still drove the new truck without issues.

 

Anyone who went from a 3G to 4G, is the manual in the 4G any better? I've been considering a 4G OR with a stick - more torque and turbo sounds like a hoot with 3 pedals.

 

I love the 24 compared to my 23. Both trd off road manual transmission models. The 24 is so much better.

 

I just hit 30k km on my way to work this am on my 24 offroad manual