Save the Manuals!!

Manuals are disappearing rapidly. Automatics are boring and paddle shifters are a poor replacements. If you are considering buying a Tacoma get a manual. Haven't learned to shift - buy it anyway. After the first week you'll be ok and the first month you'll love it!

Sticker on my truck was bought at:
https://thecurbshop.com/collections/tmgps

 

I don’t think your likely to convert anyone. If your a manual guy or girl you already have one and most people that I know that drive autos have no interest in learning or already know how to drive stick but just prefer not to.

 

I have a six speed stick in my ‘10 OR and love it. But if I were still working and commuting in Metro Denver traffic I’d go automatic.

 

I mean, don't get me wrong, I like my manual trans as it brings a little bit of pep and control to an otherwise boring experience, but I understand the death of the manual transmission. You don't save on gas mileage anymore as computers can simply set and perform shift patterns better/faster than a human can. I do appreciate how robust a manual transmission is, but at the same time, the clutch will eventually go out. Toyota makes excellent automatics with an excellent proven track record.

 

^^^^This. I've had several manuals, you couldn't give me one now that I've messed my left knee up

 

100% agree. The single biggest influence in buying a Taco over any other truck was the manual trans. It is sad that only about 5% of the Tacomas being built right now are manual and since Nissan dropped the manual from the Frontier I think that makes Tacoma the last truck in America that can be had with a proper gear box. I have driven manual cars my whole life but the way its going it looks like the Taco will be my last because when its time to buy a new vehicle I don't think there will be any manuals left. I just hope it will last long enough for me to teach my son how to drive mans transmission before they all disappear.

 

I didn’t buy a truck for fuel mileage, and I might be a gallon or so per mile less, but it ain’t much.

 

Manual all the way! I don't think I would every buy another automatic. Most every vehicle I've had is manual and that much more enjoyable to drive. I lived and worked in major cities before moving to mountains and I still say manual. Sad but true about manual trans becoming obsolete. In the heavy duty truck market Chevy stopped making them on 06', Ford 10' and Ram 18' for trucks. Writing is on the wall. I feel it just makes those few standards more valuable down the road. I don't care about MPGs or replacing clutches etc (never had to replace any clutch on any of my manuals and have had vehicles with over 150k). Its worth the fun and smile it brings every time I drive them. I have 15' Ram 2500 manual, 08 Tacoma Manual & 83' TLC FJ40 Manual. Love them all and hope to never sell any of them ever.

 

Sure, but the fact is majority of people buy the automatic for simplicity/convenience and the added benefit of gas mileage nowadays. People are welcome to buy what they want, but advocating for someone to buy a manual transmission when they can't even drive it off the lot without stalling is an awful idea. There's no right or wrong answer, the market has changed quite a bit within the past 20-30 years.

The new Bronco has a manual transmission so that's neat. They'll still be around for quite some time, but don't be surprised when more and more cars drop the option.

 

Just to throw my (limited) experience out there:

I've been driving a manual for over 10 years, since I was 16 or 17. I absolutely love them, even going through NYC traffic I enjoy my manuals, but in the Tacoma it's a little different. I've only done 1 "real" trail so far but I can definitely see the downside. Taking off on a steep hill, rolling back slightly or giving it maybe a little too much gas and losing traction is hard to avoid. Super low speed crawling is hard to perfect, especially if you need to lean out the window or something.

Of course, this is just my experience. I have only owned the truck a month or two now so hopefully I get better. But I can absolutely see why people prefer automatics off road

However I will continue to drive manuals. All 4 of my current vehicles are manuals (05 Taco, 17 Focus ST, 93 Miata, 13 GSXR, if you count motorcycles), and I'm teaching my girlfriend as well

 

But how am I supposed to text, eat my taco and row gears.

auto ftw

 

All Manuals you can buy for 2020. And yes you can buy a manual and learn in the first week. I bought a Subaru Brat with no experience and self taught myself in 2 days. Dead battery after the first day

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/best-manual-transmission-cars

 

I’d love a stick-shift. Driving in soul crushing traffic can be hell. I don’t love a clutch in awful traffic. I just drive my buddies FJ with a clutch and it was nice!

I bought my 06 used so I didn’t have a bunch of options. We shall see when it comes time to shop.

 

I’m an MT driver through and through, but most of my future vehicles will be automatics because they’ll be family vehicles. I’ve already got my 6MT Tacoma.

Maybe some day a sports car too, but other than that I’d be buying another MT tacoma just to replace my current truck

 

Apparently, you have never driven a high performance vehicle, 400+ HP, with paddle shifters....LOL .

 

Until my Tacoma, I had only owned manuals. I made a huge mistake getting an automatic. I’m about to do a manual swap in a few months.

 

Why not just trade it in for a manual?

 

Several reasons. I can do the swap for less than half what the taxes on a new vehicle would be. Also, you can’t get a DCSB 2.7 4x4 with a manual. So to get a DCSB with 4x4 I’d have to get a v6 which means paying even more.

Basically it comes down to me being able to do it for pretty cheap.

 

I got a 4Runner that I would love to see that happen, but realistically it will never happen. But anyways, we bought our first auto in over 20 years. My wife’s first auto ever.

think about how much safer our roads might be. Just this morning had a young adult hit a pile of compost on the lawn of the next house down, then just missed the car in the driveway, went between the mailbox hit a big rock that was left on the next lawn, then hit that mail box and went sideways across the road to stop in the driveway across the street. Tire and other debris in the road.

I went to help, kid nose is bloody from air bag (probably when he skinned the tree), all he could focus on was where his phone was. He wasn’t checking his pockets, he was looking on the floor, and behind him. My guess is he was using his device when the vehicle decided to try to dukes of hazard the compost pile.

 

twas a joke, but yes kids these days are pretty dumb