i am curently in the market for buying a 2000-2004 toyota tacoma regular cab
my truck would have to be a 4x4 and it will have to have a 2.7 4L motor or 3RZ

i have never owned any thing other than a manual and ive grown fond of them

unfortunatly i am unable to locate a taco localy that comes with a manual let a lone a manual thats a 4x4 with a 3RZ motor

are these toyota auto matics a good tranny for offroading or aRE THE prone to problems and do they last just as long or longer then the manuals?

 

i'm gonna guess that 3RZ and AT do not go real well together. better than 22RE and AT, but not as good as 5VZ. on the other hand, i've never owned an AT truck, i'm just relying on institutional knowledge.

the AT is probably ok in low range, but in 4hi i think it would be a dog. my manual trans 3RZ tacoma is pretty much a dog (a good dog) in 4hi off road and loaded with gear. i would stay with manual trans in 4 cyl yotas, they depend on hi rpms IMO.

 

i would not give my 5spd for anything i would look around more may have to drive a few hours to find the right one

 

i had a 97 taco and a 96 t100 auto and i would never trade my current 98 manuel runner for them

 

sigh, yet another auto v. manual thread.

http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthrea...ht=auto+manual
http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthrea...ht=auto+manual
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...ht=auto+manual
http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthrea...ht=auto+manual
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...ht=auto+manual
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...ht=auto+manual
http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthrea...ht=auto+manual
http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthrea...ht=auto+manual
http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthrea...ht=auto+manual

and so on

 

I'll never own an Auto.....Guess that means i'll never be buying a 4th Gen Yota either....kinda sucks!

 

I own an Auto, and god some days do I wish I had a manual...

 

When I was 13 (now 16) my grandfather let me drive his manual and from then on I never wanted to drive an automatic. Yes, manuals are hard to find but with me, 3 months of constant searching eventually paid off and now I wouldn't want to go back to an automatic for anything. Although, sometimes while i'm wheelin' I feel like an automatic would be easier but in the end the manual totally throws the automatic off the scale. Standard transmissions are just more fun, you are actually driving the car yourself, and you get a feeling of a stiffer/more powerful acceleration. Not to mention, as others have brought up, screwing up your manual transmission is a lot better than breaking your automatic. Being 16 I don't necessarily have a huge load of experience, but so far, I personally would 98% recommend the manual and would not want to go back to an automatic for anything. Just something about seeing an automaic shifter takes all of the enthusiasm out of a car for me.

 

i thought so i dont like my dads chevy auto it just not very fun

like the kid above me said i want to feel and be incotrol with my truck but sometimes on a long trail i want an auto

the insides of an auto wear out on an auto but on a manual only the clutch wears out and occasunly the synchro's

i think ill keep hunting for a 5 speed

and another Q?

did they ever make a taco 4x4 trd package with the e- locker in a 5 speed?

 

i have seen a 5 speed e-locked taco, im 99% sure it was a trd. but not 100%. had stickers on the rear side of the bed though.

 

personally i like manuals

 

manual 5 speed.....

 

*speaks up timidly* .....auto....

I love manuals, when I sold my Mx6 (5 speed) I swore I would never drive an automatic again. But then my S10 was an auto, and so is my Taco...course I've got the 3.4, and had the 4.3 in my S10.

 

My runner is a 2.7L auto 4x4. It is not horrible in terms of acceleration, I've heard that it does have more get up and go then the 2nd Generation 6cyl. I will admit there are days that I wish I had the 3.4 for the power but the 3.4 does have more maintenance issues that aren't a problem with the 2.7 (i.e. timing belt vs. chain).

It is a dog when loaded down with gear and in 4hi but it still has gotten me through some rough terrain so its not completely incapable just a little slower going. I've got about 132k on my truck and the tranny still shifts perfectly, but as much as I love my truck, if I had to do it again I would go with a manual. My girls Wrangler is a manual and I get to drive it a lot so I kind of have the best of both worlds, even though one is a jeep and the other a toyota....no comparison.

Get a stick

 

I personally prefer a manual but if you're worried about reliability of the A340F offroad, this buggy runs one with no problems: