hey im about to buy a 97 4runner, im looking for 97-99 but i chose to buy a manual because with the lift and tires it will have, ill be able to accelerate faster. anyone know how well the automatic 4runner pushes a 3inch lift with like 33s like accelerating and all? all i know is my 91 3.0v6 doesnt push crap. i dont wanna be a slug down the highway again. if i bought an automatic and got gearing done would that help? i feel like im paying more for this rig just because its a manual, and their hard as hell to find.

 

I've got 32s on my 01 4Runner auto, 2.5" lift, with 3.73 gears and it's not too bad. Still a lot better than my 93 5-speed with 29s.

 

i got 32's on my 97 runner, 5speed with 4.56 its quite nice

but i have the 2.7l

 

I have 33's on my 97 auto. It goes pretty damm good. It bogs a little if im fully loaded up going up a grade, but other than that it hauls ass

 

When people talk about which the prefer and how fast they think their 3rd gens are you have to realize its based on their experiences and their perspective. Coming from a 2nd gen to a 3rd gen auto it will feel like a rocket ship. But

You have to drive both and decide what you like better.

One thing to note is the difference in overdrive ratio between the auto and manual. The auto has a much deeper overdrive than the 5 speed. The 5 speed will be more tolerant of oversize tires at freeway speeds because of that, even without a gear change.

 

Yeah i went from an 80's range rover, to a vw gti, to a 4runner.

Compared to the gti this thing is slow as hell, but its faster then the v8 rover.

 

My other 97 was a manual and I loved it alot more. I had 285/75/16's on that one. I had to sell it unfortunately

 

My 99 had an auto in it and it was sick. I put a 5spd in it about six months ago and it's like a new car. The rpms are a little high at 80 but some 285's should help it out a bit. I wouldn't go back to an auto.

 

Exactly. The difference is quite big in overdrive.

.70:1 for the auto

.84:1 for the 5 speed.