Why Manual Transmission?

I figured if they weren't going to include a transmission dipstick, I'd go ahead and get the transmission that never had one to begin with.

 

After years with a manual transmission on my daily commute in stop and go traffic, I can appreciate an automatic.

 

I chose the Tacoma specifically because of the manual transmission. I needed a truck, didn't like the frontier and I couldn't justify 50 grand for a ram 2500 with the cummins diesel. I don't see myself ever owning anything that isn't a manual.

 

Toyotas AT in the v6 is kinda finicky. The MT is whatever you want it to be..

Also, for my MT friends out here.

What kind of mpg are you getting? I drive like an old lady, dont really speed a whole lot. Averaging like 16 according to the truck, does not make sense.

 

Like others it’s that connection to the truck that I like having. Really preferred in winter for the engine braking but not fun in stop and go traffic.

 

im getting 19.6-20.6 in my mostly stock truck, no lift or tires. Cruising around 60mph seems to be the most efficient for me. All my cars so far has been manual except for an Audi that I leased a while back. I didn't know that the AT had weird gear ratios before I bought but glad that the manual doesn't suffer from the same problems.

 

With all the drive-by-wire I'll enjoy my Tacoma Auto LB and '97 Wrangler 5-speed manual.

 

not only that forever parking it outside

 

I wanted a manual. Didn't want to wait 4-6 months for it to arrive. Bought an auto. Drove it 50,000 miles. Traded it in on a Manual.

I had 50k on the auto and I'm currently at 82k on the manual. The manual is much better suited for this truck. The gear ratios are night and day better. The auto is rated for better fuel economy but I'm averaging about 2 MPG better with the mt than I ever got in the auto, 4-5 MPG better towing.

Its well worth the effort it takes to track one down.

 

MT's are ok sometimes but for me it's AT. AT's have came along way and you now have more options than drive plus as you get older sometimes it can be hard or impossible to drive a MT, like if you need your shoulder repaired or if you have bad knees and have to wear an ankle to hip brace from time to time. Also heavy traffic is a PITA with a MT.

Over the years I've owned several MT cars but never a truck and I enjoyed everyone of them. If I could afford a sports car right now it would probably be MT but wouldn't be a daily driver either. Just my $1.98 on this....

 

I don’t have a manual only because it would prevent my wife from driving.

I drove manuals for years and prefer them. First of all it’s just fun to drive a manual. Second it’s nice to be able to downshift or stay in a lower gear longer for better acceleration when needed. Can also shift up for better mpgs when cruising. Yeah it’s no fun from a stop on an incline or in heavy traffic but these are small things.

 

The benefit of the manual is my g/f won't drive it...

 

I also see this as a bonus...

 

I absolutely would have bought a manual if it was offered in the AC TRD. Why the hell it's only available in manual in Canada, I'll never know. That was the one thing keeping my truck from being my "perfect" Tacoma.

 

That distinction typically starts changing around the time you make the gf --> fiancee transition. I picked up my truck in the spring, proposed late summer, and I'm not sure I'd be in the same truck had those been reversed. She can drive a stick if she has to but I'd rather know she can wheel... she outright refuses to drive a manual on the trail.

 

The manual transmission in my crosstrek is why I have a Tacoma now. It's like everyone at Subaru who worked on the manual transmissions quit one day and they've had to figure it out from scratch since.

 

My first yota was bought because it was a manual. My 2nd was a manual new off the lot. My 3rd was a manual, because the first 2 treated me well. The 3rd was ordered, and I wouldn’t have excepted anything else. The salesman “made” me test drive the automatic, when we got back he asked what I thought. I responded, “it’s an automatic, now will you order me a manual?” I ordered one with out any knowledge of what I wasn’t getting, and didn’t care. Priorities when buying this truck were manual transmission, and double cab for teenagers to have room.

I enjoy driving a manual transmission more, automatics are boring and don’t keep my attention enough. I think I’m the opposite of most, in traffic I want to shift and drive, on a long ass highway journey I want an auto.

Those settings do not compare to a manual transmission. Those settings allow you to limit the gear the truck will use, not determine what gear it will be in.

 

I bought mine for two main reasons, and two not quite so important reasons. I want to start off by saying while I do enjoy manual transmissions, I am by no means a "fanboy" of them. They have their place in some vehicles, and not in others. Here's why I own a manual Tacoma.

1. First off, it was the cheapest used truck near me under 100k miles and in good condition. I also owned a 2003 with the 3.4L and 5 speed transmission so I knew I liked the style.

2. Second, it has a manual transmission with the 2nd gen 4.0L.

I had driven a 3rd gen auto and realized how much I disliked the auto as well as the relative lack of low RPM torque in the 3.5L on the 3rd gens. So I got the best of both worlds, and the manual transmission allows me to keep the truck in the power band when hauling, towing, or if I just want more power.

3. Third, I just like that a manual transmission keeps me more engaged and paying more attention to what I'm doing when driving. It's also very fun for me personally, though it can be a chore for some who have only driven autos their whole lives. You do eventually get to the point where you don't have to concentrate on clutch control and throttle modulation though.

4. Finally, I would not own a new production Tacoma without the manual transmission. It's just a sub-optimal setup for actually doing towing and hauling work with the truck if you have the 3.5L and the automatic transmission, with lack of low end torque and only high rpm power. In the manual, you can at least keep it within the power band whenever you like.

If I were to switch to an automatic, I would upgrade to the Tundra. I owned a 2014 Tundra 5.7L V8 with an auto transmission (R.I.P.) and it was perfect to me. I don't think I would want a manual in that truck. Had great power all around and only got 2 mpg worse than my 2nd gen Tacoma, although I have proportionately larger tires on the Tacoma as well as a headache rack that probably creates some drag.

In reference to the 2wd or 4wd, I would lean towards 4wd in most cases UNLESS: 1. You do not go off road, and 2. You live in an area that does not get snow or ice. 2wd pickups perform fairly badly in snow and ice due to rear wheel drive and the lack of weight in the bed unless you use sand bags or something. Just something to consider.

Good luck, and I hope you find something you like!

 

This is not the case where I live. The used MT tacos languish until the owner drops their pants on the price. It’s a good choice, but not a popular one, and for sure you are going to have to wait a long time for the right buyer to get a good resale value. The AT will be gone in 5 minutes.

 

Manual transmissions are coveted by the masses here... But not in the real world. Just like negative reviews online.. You hear way more of them than you do positive praise. Keep that in mind and make the decision based on how YOU are going to drive the truck.. 95%percent of the population wouldnt know how to maximize the use of a manual anyways.