Third Generation Manual Take Rates

Also another thing to mention is that I wasn't considering a TRD Sport. If you consider both trim levels (since they're about the same price)... you'll definitely find one. Shoot me a message if you want any tips since I recently went through this.

 

Interesting...thanks dude. I've been using CarGurus, but so many multiple factors have forced me to give up on a 3rd gen and go back to 2nd gen, which is worse in being less abundant. You got dealers trying to sell 10 year old trucks with tacky mods, for $23k! Carmax wants $22k for another '09, the only manual Tacoma below $30k in the whole country! Just ridiculous and I should've never sold my old truck.

 

https://www.carmax.com/articles/stick-shift-index
"We found that 3.7% of the sales of CarMax vehicles are from stick shift cars"

https://blog.safeauto.com/is-the-stick-shift-making-a-comeback/
"Nonetheless, the manual is on the way out: only 3.9% of all auto sales in 2011 included a manual transmission."

https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2016/10/11/report-only-18-percent-of-americans-can-drive-manual/
"The report from U.S. News and World Report show only 18 percent of U.S. drivers know how to operate a stick shift."

Yes, this is all just "stats" but that is all facts are, just stats.

 

I think they're gonna cop out and say, "sorry take rate fell to 3%". Toyota is doing a fine job still of offering a 3-pedal option, in a fully equipped vehicle. The very way BMW used to, until it became the Ultimate Marketing Machine. I really should be blaming the dealers and their shenanigans, that drive Toyota to make crucial decisions.

 

Those are not Tacoma stats, it is way too generalized. Therefore not a good sample.

 

If they don't offer stick, I'll buy a jeep. I refuse to drive a granny transmission.

 

Is the Tacoma not a vehicle sold in the US? Only 18% of the US populace can drive MT, out of those what percentage do you think are die hard must have Tacoma owners? While I have no stat to give, I do have eyes and my eyes tell me, at least in the Seattle area, there are a whole lot more daily driver tacoma's then not. The same people buy Tacoma's that buy other trucks.

 

I was looking all over for a Taco with leather and a manual transmission and it was super hard to find. I finally found one in Utah and I flew from CA to UT and drove it back. That said, Toyota's inventory is super annoying. When I searched through Toyota nothing would pop up. If you search each dealer independently I found a lot, well at least a few. I ended up searching every dealership from San Diego to LA and clicking on each individual dealers site, then their inventory and found plenty of manuals but only 2 2019 with manual and leather. This is probably because it is November and the 2019 inventory is almost gone.

Everyone thinks you are nuts for driving a stick in LA, I just like the control. Plus it is anti theft, and I would argue that in off road or snow situations using a clutch to moderate torque is just as good as some automatic nanny crawl control. I don't need no stinking nannies!!! Raises fist.. death to the non-believers!!! Oh wait, what are we talking about?

 

Less people buy manuals so dealers don’t order as many, therefore it’s harder to get one with the options you want so you either buy an automatic or something else, so less people are buying manuals so dealers order less of them...

Once there aren’t many being sold, Toyota manufactures less of them, so then they do an analysis on what packages are being bought and delete low-volume packages, which mean dealers order in automatic packages that move easily.

It’s currently in a feedback loop and manuals are dying because of it.

People who have to choose between an option they want or a truck that’s in stock versus having a manual and needing to special order and wait for it are more and more choosing to just forget it and buy the automatic.

The only people that can do anything about it are people who refuse to buy an automatic and make the dealer order manual transmissions. If a dealer is consistently having to order in manual transmission trucks they will start ordering some in for stock, and if they’re moving, Toyota will offer more packages with manuals.

Manual transmissions are dying, there are a lot of factors contributing to it, but there’s absolutely no denying it.

 

It’s a compromise. Get a manual Tacoma and you give up push button start (game changer once you have it), crawl control and JBL sound.

My personal experience with a manual tranny? It’s fun for the 1st year or so, then the novelty of 3-pedals begins to wane along with fumbling around your pocket for the ignition key.

 

My truck uses keys... no buttons. Once you give up manual you give up doing smokey burnouts. No way I'm trading laying some rubber for a push button. How else will people know when I pissed off?

 

When I got the 2019 DCSB TRD OR, there was good local availability in MT and they were cheaper to boot. I wanted that plus the tech package so the local dealer had to get one in from somewhere nearby for me. Not a problem at all though. Most of what you are dealing with though is general lack of dealer customer service. They don't seem to want to sell you anything anymore. I struggled getting them to take my money for the truck I wanted. They instead want you to walk in off the street with no idea what you want, and bad credit to boot. That is the customer that they can upsell to a massive SUV they don't need with a +10% interest rate on a +7 year loan period. They they can tack on extended whatever care, underbody protection that came from the factory, rock chip protection that was there from the factory, etc...

Simply put, their target buyer is stupid and you aren't stupid. They know their profit from you will be limited so they don't much care to help you.

 

The fact Toyota makes you give up Smart Key and JBL for manual is frustrating to say the least.

Jeff

 

The 6-7 year car loan is going to bite a lot of people in the ass during the next recession. They are a poor financial decision for buyers but dealers love them.

 

Wait until self-driving cars take over and we are bitching about not being able to find a manual-drive car.

 

Grandpa, what is "internal combustion?"

 

Go ask your grandmother

 

I predict classic muscle cars will continue to appreciate as we progress into electric cars, self-driving cars, etc.

I can hear a future kid saying to his Dad “kids drove cars like this in high school?”

 

When I was searching for my truck, I sat down at the dealers and talked to a salesman. He looks at the stock of trucks that were on order and told me they were getting the configuration I wanted in a a little over a months time. So I waited. Almost 2 months as it turned out. I went back in and they had 3 manual Tacomas. It worked in my favour. The first thing the salesman said to me was " We can't sell these things" I got $5000 off the truck I wanted that day. The dealership will know what they are getting in advance. So start talking to dealers. Current stock isn't the only option.

 

Toyota offers a MT in the new $20k Corolla hatchback.