OK, I'm getting a new truck, '04 Tacoma V-6, etc, etc. I'm debating whether I should get a manual or an automatic. I do plan on getting the supercharger and I do know that I have to factor in the valve body upgrade if I were to go auto. But, what do you all say? My truck right now is a manual and it's nice. There are times when it would be easier for me to have an auto (driving to and from school in bozeman) but I also like the idea of shifting for myself. I also have to realize that this truck is going to be with me for at least the next 7+ years, and that I'm going to be getting older, and will eventually want an auto. Also, if, and I emphasize if, I get into a relationship, do I really want to risk my lady friend driving my truck if it's a manual? (Assuming that most, not all, women don't really know how to drive a manual)

 

david,

having driven a stick most of my life, i finally bought an auto 99 highlander in 1999. wow, so nice and convenient!

well the euphoria lasted about 3 months. i was yearning for a stick and so when things turned south for my bro b/c of the divorce, he got my 99 and i immediately purchased a 98 4runner w/ 5 speed.

if you like the 5 speeds, you might have an experience just like mine.

in the future, i may buy another auto but it will most definitely depend on the type of car i buy. if i get a sports car or sports sedan, a stick. if i get a big cushy lexus sedan-type car, an auto. but for now, rowing gears keeps me engaged while driving. i find that i am more alert when i drive a stick on long drives as compared to driving an auto.

oh and about the future lady friend/wife, etc: dont worry and factor her out of the equation. she'll probably have a car and you two will manage fine w/ regard to "who's car to take". and in fact, if you split up and she was the one to persuade you to buy an auto when you really wanted a stick, you'll be kicking yourself in the arse.

bob

 

If you'd just scrolled down a but there's hundreds of posts on that very subject.
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f123/5-speed-automatic-one-do-you-have-7316/
Um, about the Old comment - I've been out of school 20 years and I'm not too old to drive a stick... As for women - my (soon to be) wife drives a 6 speed and kicks ass on twisty mountain roads... (and would kick yours for that comment!)

p/s - no question - get a 5 speed.

 

Unless you really enjoy driving a stick then get the auto. My brother had a Z-28 stick. He messed up his leg and was unable to drive for 3 months! After that, his next vehicle was an auto and he never looked back.

 

Thanks Flamedx4. Also the link that you gave me just refered to who has what. I'm currious as to what people say about a the trucks. I know that there are tidbits here and there in that link you gave me. Also, tell you soon to be wife that I mean most women, not all. I know there are some out there that can drive sticks just fine if not better than me.

Bob, good points. I like the 5-speeds quite a bit, I think it helps me pay more attention while I'm driving also. However, there are times when it would help to have an auto. Sometimes it's nice to be able to shift on the drive from bozeman to woodinville, but there are times also, when it's a pain in the rear. I drove my dad's Acura MDX over there not too long ago to find a place to live and it was nice to let the car do the shifting.

To add, the local dealer can get me a better deal on the exact same truck with an automatic tranny rather than a 5-speed. I don't know if there are blowing smoke up my butt, but who knows.

 

I personally always go with a manual. I like shifting, and it seems like a lot less complicated and less expensive to fix if something goes wrong. Also, less strain on the engine, because not so much heat. But, i do admit, auto's are VERY convienient, and new autos are very reliable.

 

with a truck .. I will always go auto .. with a small little sports car (like I want to get soon) I would go with a stick

 

I have an auto and it does its job but I get bored with it. I voted manual being I see so much more of an edge in many areas. An auto is just that with a twist of nothing to do but steer. Manual!

 

for some offroad situations and traffic auto is better. But is is more fun to drive a stick

 

Stick dude, stick. BTW, my wife can drive a manual with the best of them. She chirps second gear in our Accord upon demand

I just bought another 4Runner (96 Auto) for axle swap purposes, and I am quickly reminded how much slower Auto's are than my 5 speed. It even has better gears (4.30)...

Anyway, sounds like you should stay with a stick to me.

 

My reasoning other than I like to shift down to help slow the truck down, I also find that I drive less agressive with a stick.

With a stick, I'm more relaxed and I'll just casually flick it around with my fingers. Whereas with an auto, if the vehicle has some balls, I will floor it for the sheer joy of it regardless of the stress to the engine, because it's just too easy.

In a stick I don't drive like a racecar unless I actually want to race because it's too much work.

 

Funny Scofco, its the other way around for me!

 

Also, I find stick to be better for mud (if you drive in it, I don't know).

You can keep the engine at whatever rpm you want to, whereas with an auto you can't. If you're heading through mud, and the engine changes a gear, your rpms can drop suddenly, bog you down and you lose all momentum you previously had.

 

Odd. I always beat the crap out of my autos, and baby the manuals. Unless of course it's a car that's meant to be driven hard like a Porsche. *drool* I drove a Porsche with a stick before, damn that was good times.

Edit: Before someone asks, it was an '88 911.

 

its a truck, stick all the way!

 

Go with the manual. Better gas milage/better on the hills/no need for a tranny cooler if you want to tow something heavy/Cheaper to fix if it breaks/cheaper to maintain(drain and refill). Have I missed anything?

 

Go with what you like best. It's yours, and if it's gonna be ours for 7 years, get what you like. Manual's theoretically will last longer and be cheaper to maintain, but we're talking about a toyota. If you take care of it, it will take care of you, and 7 years is like nothing on either of these transmissions if you're not abusing them. I've had both, and both have their advantages. Whatever is most important to you can help you decide. Whether it's the luxury of not bothering with shifting, or it's the pleasure you get from running through the gears, it's just personal preference. I feel in the GENERAL market, not here on yotatech, that most people would prefer an auto over a 5 speed, so your resale value might be a little better with the auto. But it's probably negligible over 7 years.

 

I drove a 74 911 ,wasnt it the most difficult car you have driven.i stalled it like 6 times ,but then i gave it to it in embarresment, & she flew of the line.My old alfa is the closest thing ive driven to it since.

 

Stick = Fun

The only thing I noticed when i first got my stick was I was a lil prone to give it too much gas and spin the tires a lil bit in the wrong times by accident, thus getting me stuck. But once I learned my clutch well it wanst a problem anymore.

Also I deffinetly drive more aggressively with a stick no matter what car/truck it is, it just feels better.

 

Resist assimilation!
Lady Hayduke and I have always bought manual trannys and more new cars are sold with autos all the time. Shifting is second nature, it's not a bother. The marketers have narrowed down the colors, upholstery, and even the trannys.

Give 'em the finger, get a manual, pocket the $1,000 they want for the auto and take a trip to Baja.