I've been eyeing the FJ's for some time now. I think in the spring it will be time to sell my 95 4Runner and purchase an FJ. However, I can't seem to make up my mind on getting the auto or stick. The automatic, according to the window sticker, is a tad bit more fuel efficient. Is this due to the stick being fulltime 4wd?

I know I have a few months yet before i am ready to buy, but this has been driving me nuts... Help me decide! lol..

Paul
toyo22r@hotmail.com
95 4Runner

 

Autos are lame, that truck has a nice engine in it, definetly get one with a manual if you want to take full advantage of it. No question.

 

6spd all the way.

 

6spd no doubt

 

6spd for the win. i would kill for a 6th gear in my taco...

 

6 speed!

 

The 6 speeds have been having some issues in the tacos.. check out TTORA...

I am going auto in my taco, and would be going auto too if I were getting an FJ... The 6th gear is inbetween 1 and 4 on 5speeds... its not an extra overdrive, just extra shifting to get there.. thou it does allow for a much lower first...

 

6 spd all the way. It even got a PNP override to allow you to role/drive the truck via power of the starter. 6 spd is a lot of shifting but KICK ASS!

 

Paul, I dont think many people are going to vote for the auto on here. Autos are for Buicks and Minivans.

 

Toyota trucks have always had a clutch start cancel...

 

Get the 6spd. Autos are for wussies

 

Thanks guys... yeah I have been leaning towards the 6spd... Keeps the wife from wanting to drive it too!

As to the fuel milage, I mean typically the stick version of a vehicle always gets better efficiency than an automatic. The salesman told me it was because the computer for the automatic can shift better than I could with a stick (wtf?) but i an thinking its got to be because the 6spd is fulltime 4wd.

Paul
toyo22r@hotmail.com
95 4Runner (for now)

 

Actually the mpg ratings are better for the auto on the the taco too, and its not full time 4wd. It has to do with the drive by wire, and ECU control...

And one of the main reasons my runner is a V6 is I dont want a full time 4wd rig. I have full time 4wd and the turn of a dial, but I prefer the 2wd for everyday driving.. .

 

I've always heard that the reason sticks get better gas milliage is because the clutch directly connects the engine to the wheels, where in an auto you have a torque conveter that leads to some power loss, at low, and high speeds, like stop light to stop light and the highway.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/torque-converter.htm
I'm not sure if this link works, but this is where I picked up my theroy.

Just my .02

 

Yeah with a manual you have direct mechanical linkage to the ground, it takes less power to turn. With an auto you have a pump that draws lots of power.

Toyota figured something out with autos thou as the auto is more efficant than the manual...

 

I went Auto as this is my daily driver and my first home. Also, the autos are lasting a lot longer then the sticks over the last decade. While I agree a 6 speed manual would be more fun and more direct control, the luxeries actually got to me in my 95 limited 4Runner. And I never had a problem getting stuck or having too week of power because of the auto, it was just an underpowered engine. This new 4.0 auto gets a jump on the line with 7.6 seconnds to 60 mph. It has power and having the luxeries like auto, an e-locker, and what will soon dominate the off-road world with the a-trak system. Technologies are helping us these days are very reliable, too!

 

Ive driven both, and own the auto (O THE SHAME), but for the way the fj is built and what it can do with the auto, I think its the way to go.

We get a lot of snow and its better in 2wd w/TRAC than in 4 wheel.on snow packed roads.

Off Road the auto does amazingly well (more than 10% off my miles are in the Dirt) and much more easily than my 60 did w/manual

I wrrestled with the decision of stick vs auto and the auto won.

 

I vote 6speed for the fun factor. I'd hate my 4runner without it.

 

Ditto on the fun factor of the 6 speed. However, there have been times when I desperatly wanted an auto in my T. Example: bumper to bumper traffic barely moving for 45 min after driving 12 hours straight. other than that I love the stick shift.

 

i love the fact that i dont have to change to 4wd when the weathers bad ,i.e. snow and ice and such, with my 6 speed, already in 4wd , jsut go go go. having a little better gas milage would be nice, but if i wanted great gas milage i would have bought a prius. the m/t has a low first gear , and a high 6th gear. its great.
i test drove the auto first before buying my m/t , personally i felt the auto was a bit sluggish and almost didnt buy one at all, until i got to drive the m/t, then i knew i was hooked. now , the a/t may have felt sluggish becasue they are a smart transmission and start to learn your driving characteristics, and this one only had 6 miles on it , so there wasnt much to be smart about , so after a 1000 miles or so it might have been better, and if i was still living in the big city with a lot of traffic , i might go a/t , but im not , so ill enjoy my m/t to its fullest.

airrikk17