Model# 7559. The only choice for MT/V6/6'bed

I searched the models for it as well, Off Road with a 6ft bed and a six speed would have been awesome.....Went sport for the bed and trans as well....

 

I was replacing my 2010 AC .. Had no use for a backseat/4 doors....Wanted a MT....Wanted Entune...6 foot bed...Would have loved an OR, but it only came with 4 doors. Toyota made the decision for me. I tried to swap hoods but nothing serious ever came of it, perhaps because I am in the Seattle area.

 

I'm alovin my

I'm a lovin my TRD Access Cab OffRoad, 6 Speed Manual, 6' box. And like you, I bought my QuickSand right off the showroom floor.
Only in Canada, They say.

 

I had two requirements, a double cab and a 6' bed. Thus, I had no transmission choice. I wasn't too disappointed though, have a gimpy left knee that may (or may not) need work at some point, so having a MT could potentially sideline me from driving if that were to become more problematic than it is now. I enjoy rowing a MT a lot, grew up doing that, but the DCLB combo was more important in my small corner of the universe.

Re the Sport versus OR, I test drove both and liked both equally, but around here the ORs have better resale value (not that I plan to sell or trade anytime soon, but ya never know) and it seemed to have a slightly more forgiving suspension. Cosmetically, I didn't care much one way or the other about the appearance of the fake skewp versus no skewp.

 

Yes you are

 

Whats different in the turning radius? I dont follow your logic here.

 

I was about to type the same thing. There's only 1 frame with the Manual Transmission. You either get a long cab with a short bed or a short cab with a long bed. Wheelbase/ turning radius doesn't change. Just pick where you need the space and roll!

 

My previous Tacoma was an 05 TRD Sport LB. I was comparing the Access cabs foot less of wheelbase.

 

Not that it's particularly germaine to the conversation here, but the DCLB has a better turning radius than I expected. It's considerably better than my Tundra was, and the wheelbase is very similar. Not sure why, but it's a significant difference.

 

I bought the 2017 TRD Sport, Access Cab, 6-foot bed, with Manual Transmission - because I wanted those features. However, I did not want the hood scoop because of how it obstructs your view. At the time of purchase I got the dealer to do a hood-swap with an Off-Road at no charge, so now I have the smooth hood. I was lucky that the dealer had an Off-Road on the lot in the same color as the truck I bought (quicksand); the sales manager thought it would sell faster with the hood scoop, so the swap worked out for both of us. I drove the truck for a couple of days before we swapped hoods, and I am really glad to be rid of the hood scoop. Everyone is different, but the hood scoop really bugged me.

I would have preferred to buy an Off-Road, to get the off-road tuned suspension, factory locker, and gas tank skid plate, but you can't get an off-road with a MT, access-cab, and 6-foot bed - which gets back to the OP's complaint that there are too few options with MTs. Its only going to get worse as automatic-braking will eventually become mandatory (like ESC is today). There are a bunch of cars already on the road with automatic braking, and for 2018 Ford F-150s (just as an example of a truck) will come with automatic braking. As far as I know, automatic braking only works with automatic transmissions...

 

There are pluses and minus to the DBLCABLB. On tight mountain roads it tested my steering accuracy, but always pulled it off. On the highway it is king of the Tacomas.

 

I agree with tacoflavoredkisses - the whole hood (even without the scoop) obstructs your view! I need a spotter now for trails I used to be comfortable driving alone - but I'm still new to the truck and I think (hope) I'll get used to it. I think Toyota wanted to mimic the style of American full-size trucks. The Jeep Wrangler is one of the last off-road vehicles still with great visibility over the hood. Does anyone else dream of a re-made FJ Cruiser with Toyota's 5.7, visibility and dimensions more similar to a Wrangler (but a little bigger), and a manual transmission? Silly daydreams...