TACOMANATOR

I would have to disagree, a stick is more versatile. There is generally more gears with a manual making it possible to keep the engine in the sweet spot of the power band. More control over engine rpm's--how many of you have been on a steep hill and have your auto going up and down gears every few seconds----very annoying and it builds heat in the tranny. More gears means better engine braking going down hills. Just having more control over the vehicle makes a manual more versatile, not to mention the $20 dollar synthetic drain and fill which takes 10 minutes to do. Oh, and no parasitic HP loss with a manual so more power to boot. It's easy to fry an auto towing heavy trailers, no worries with the manual. Manual=more versatile

Just my 2cents.

Toys-R-Us

I meant more versatile as in your whole family can drive it Like when they need to borrow your car/truck but they don't know how to drive a stick shift. Wouldn't it be cool if the 4R comes with sportshift = semi auto/manual?

CynicX

I personally prefer an automatic. I'm owned 3 vehicles with MT's, WRX, Wrangler, Ranger...and now that I have an auto I'll never look back. If my phone rings while I'm at a stop light I can SAFELY answer it, where when I was driving a MT I would just let it ring so I wasnt doing that phone stuck between head and shoulder thing. I can drink a soda while driving without having to time drink vs shift. Towing up boat ramps, and basically anywhere has been made so much simpliar. Stop and go traffic, dont even get me started on that. I prefer auto offroad, I dont offroad that often and I guess thats all a matter of opinion. The resale is alot higher, even though that didnt have anything to do with it during the buying process. I've towed alot of things with my truck and never had a problem, but I did add the TRD Trans Cooler just to be on the safe side....

I drove a 95 or 96 Taco 3.4 5 speed and it didnt feel any faster to me but I wasnt used to driving it specifically. I didnt really care for the feel of it, of course when I drove it I was used to driving a 04 WRX with a short shift kit....

If I were to buy a sports car I'd get a MT no question.....anything else its automatic all the way for me....

89macrunner

manual all the way!!! good choice!...i drive a manual everyday and i deal with traffic all the time..you get used to driving and traffic and you learn little tricks to just keep it rolling and to not keep hitting the clutch.


haha i NEVER use the clutch start cancel button because i always forget to put it in neutral...no explination needed there...id rather be less lazy than bump into somthing....haha heres a funny stick story


today at school i was in the school parking lot and i pulled out into traffic and went down the hill and theres a little hill at the stop sign and i go to use my brake and i go wow why is my pedal so hard? So i go to let the clutch out and give it gas and nothing happens...whoops forgot to turn the car on....hhahahahaha

outcast

I thought it was another reason to get a manual...For me if i get a manual my sister cant drive (never learned how) and my mom wont want to because "it drives like a truck" (hmm...trucks usually do drive like trucks) and "a clutch requires to much work" (we live in the country. no stop and go traffic). No offense to any ladies out there but neither my mom (very ditzy) and my sister (totaled her car by fliping it last week. Not her first time to attack a tree. I was there the 1st time. having a tree speed by about a foot away from my head has made me question her driving skills ever since) are the best drivers.

rocket

iTrader: (1)

Automatic transsmissions =

Bassinfool

My wife drives an auto!

bob200587

Alot of times ive noticed if im on or off road at a rather steep incline my parking break wont hold me and theres not enough time to move my foot from break to gas, so i roll backwards and if its a rock or something i have to start over again. Not to mention, with the 5 speed i have no park gear, so if i want to get out on a steep grade i have to cut the engine off and put it in gear, it gets annoying sometimes, but it is nicer to control shifts...I do most of my towing with my GMC and its a 5 speed as well, its not bad, but i would rather focus on other things besides shifting when im towing especially on narrow roads with wide trailers. If only there was some happy medium between auto and manual....that would be nice

outcast

I just remebered that my dad said that in 1979 when he bought his Toyota. 14 years later as he was slowly rebuilding everything some blue hair old lady took her caddy and totaled my his truck. he would still have it if it werent for a stupid cadilac

Intrepid

Like everything, it takes practice, I can talk on the phone, eat a hamburger, shift the manual tranny and drink a soda, all at the same time. Due to the fact that I am not a woman (hehehe, bring on the trouble) I can still operate the vehicle. Everything but stop and go traffic is better with a manual. Look at it this way, (I suppose I should insert a disclaimer here about not trying to be offensive but...) Being a man, being married to a woman is better than a man in every way but one: you can watch all the football you want if you are married to a guy, but that doesn't mean you should go do it. The lesson here, don't be gay, go get a manual.

gwhayduke

Huh???

Epic Ed

I like driving stick if it's a sports car, but not in my truck or SUV. I hate having to shift during the commute and I "multi-task" alot easier with an automatic. Sure, you can shift with a donut in one hand and coffee in the other, but you can two-fist the donut if you have the ability to set your coffee down and not have to worry about shifting. Plus, whcih hand am I going to beat the kid with if I have to shift all the time?

Nosireee...automatic for me, please.

Ed

99_Runner

I vote auto, but it's all a personal preference. For wheeling and daily commuting in my 4Runner I enjoy being able to concentrate on other things than shifting. Now I know that shifting doesn't take that much, I've driven a manual everyday since I was 16 till I started driving the 4Runner everyday. I do prefer manuals, but only in a vehicle where it really counts, like in a sports car, cause then you can really use it the way it was ment to be used.

EWAYota

when i have my truck in seattle, and get stuck on a hill i just pull the e-brake, then rev the engine up and pop the brake and off i go.

Epic Ed

Yeah, that's a lot of fun. Or you could just step on the gas in an automatic.
That way you still have a hand free for the coffee, and one for the muffin, one for the mobile phone, and...uh, wait a minute -- I'm waaaaay outta hands already.

Ed

CynicX

anyone noticed the MPG trend with new automatics?....all Scion including the TC's automatic gets better MPG then the manual, Audi's A4 is only 1 mpg difference on the highway, all BWM is 1/1 or 0/1 difference. Before long all automatics will be like the Scions and getting better MPG then the manual. Thought that was kinda interesting

USAtruck6

always stick...more control...I have an auto and wish my option was a stick. Since you have the option, go with a stick.

05TACODOC

My 5 speed AUTOMATIC is so stress free to drive in traffic AND as I was out 'wheeling it today I thought about my old 03 TRD Taco and decided--
I dont miss that clutch pedal at all...

oly884

Um, I got a stick. Didn't realize this thread was still around. To me, auto's just piss me off. The usually shift when I don't want them to and it just gets annoying.

nfenwick

I remember hearing somewhere that you get better tourque transfer with an auto. That is why I bought one. I use my runner for towing every now and again. Have never had a problem with overheating or anything else. Although I agree I would never by a sports car with an auto. Just my thoughts, take it or leave it.