Opinions need on 6 speed manual or automatic on new Tacoma V6

Wondering if the stick would be a better choice after reading about hesitations with the auto shifting under load on a new tacoma. I have a 5 speed now in my 06

 

Get the manual. Try and drive both if you can.

 

This. Find a dealership with a MT in stock and drive them back to back. I was much more comfortable with the MT. I think part of that was not having driven anything with an AT except vacation rentals in the past 8 years. The other part was the feel off the line and the lack of gear hunting. The biggest drawbacks are the mileage and lack of crawl control/MTS on the TRD OR.

I picked up my new truck this past Saturday and have been very thankful that I picked the MT. Good luck!

 

I use the 4wd for the Montana winters, Im not much for 4 wheeling because of my bad back. Theres an automatic here in Billings but I have to go to Bozeman to try the stick

 

I bought a manual and am happy. Reading the forums it appears there has been trouble with both automatic and manual as well as many stating they have had no trouble with either. I never drove the automatic when I bought mine back in April, but i knew going in I wanted the manual. Don't let the negative reviews sway you, just get what you want. I drove two hours to a dealership to get mine.

 

Get an overnight test drive if at all possible to find out if you like them.

 

My vote is manual! Drive by wire on a manual is kinda different, if you are not used to it. But I love having the extra control, A-TRAC, and WAY more reliability (it seems) than the automatics. I'm also seemingly able to get marginally better fuel economy than my friends who have automatics. Manual is also a few grand cheaper than automatic. Lastly, the manual has that cool factor to it.

Definitely drive both though. They are both just fine at the end of the day. Your choice depends on your intended use. Think about towing, traffic, commuting, off-road adventures, any others who may drive your truck, etc.

(side note, want nobody to borrow your truck, buy a manual )

 

Manual no doubt. But for me it's a deal breaker. It was manual Taco or no Taco.

 

OP, no need to test drive. Just get the manual and be happy!

 

Cant go wrong with a manual. I have a 5 and 6 speed and love them both, although they are gen 2's and youre looking at a gen 3, I cant imagine that they'd be much different

 

They actually improved the 6 speed for the 3rd gen I believe. Ball bearings instead of bushings on the shifter, otherwise very similar. Improved shift feel.

 

Very cool, thanks for the info! Learned something new today. I figured they had to be pretty similar

 

I've owned both a 2016 DCSB v6 Auto and 2017 DCSB v6 MT, both TRD OR. I had 50k miles on the auto and I've currently got 16k+ on the manual. After driving both, the manual is definitely the transmission to get in this truck. It's performed great and I'm averaging 1-2 mpg better than the auto I had. The auto would be ok if all you did was drive in town at 55mph or less. I do an extensive amount of highway driving and the auto is geared way too high for those speeds so I was frequently running in 4th or 5th gear which would wreck the fuel economy. With the manual I can run in 6th all day long unless I get into the mountains and even at 85, I can average 16 mpg. At 70-75, I'm typically at 19-22 mpg. Under 70 is 20+, I've seen as high as 24 on a few occasions.

The only complaint I have about the manual is the rev hang, but that should be fixed shortly by OVTune.

 

The MT on the 3rd gens is great. Shifts smooth and no bullshit problems like the ATs are seeing

 

Test drive, test drive, test drive. I opted for automatic because I didn't want to mess with the clutch when wheeling. I'm very happy with mine.

 

Very much improved, much less effort to change gears versus the 2nd Gen.

 

Definitely harder, but more fun IMO. Its feels more rewarding when you do it right.

 

I think if you are even considering the MT you already have your answer. I haven't seen anyone complain significantly about an MT. Meanwhile several people have sold their truck based only on the AT performance.

 

I am stoked to see this tune! The rev hang is annoying, especially if you shift without the clutch...haha

I have enough power to stay in 6th really at any speed over 45-50...I easily get 18-20mpg on my drive to work because of it.

 

love my Auto. It takes some getting used to for sure but once you learn it and it learns you, no issues. Drive by wire is different but just takes some getting used to.