Dipodomys
Observer
Newer Toyota autos are decent
There's been some good discussion on pros and cons here so I won't rehash. But here's my opinion, and it is just that...my opinion. I've always had manuals too, and generally thought they were the only way to go. When I bought my 2008 Tacoma I decided to go with the auto and have been very pleased. Autos have come a very long way from even 10 years ago. The power is great, and it shifts so smoothly you can't even feel it. In sand and mud it's wonderful, and you have much more control over wheel spin. Ditto for rock crawling. "Creeping" is much easier and less hard on the truck, driver, and passengers.
The latest Tacoma autos have a full range of manual gear selection, and I drop into lower gears all of the time to provide engine braking on hills, etc. I live in San Francisco, and with all of the hills around here that feature really comes in handy. Even on the freeway, sometimes I'll pop it into forth if I need to slow down a bit when traveling down a downgrade or if I'm coming up behind some slowpoke. It took a little getting used to the gear selection "gates," but I love it now.
Gas mileage on these trucks is nothing to write home about, and I doubt if the difference between manual and auto is substantial. I get about 17.5 mpg, with a stock tire size and a few bolt-on mods. Power output to the rear wheels may be marginally less with an auto due to the oft-mentioned power loss through the auto, but that issue has become less relevant as engines have become more powerful and autos have gotten better. A moot point, if you ask me. I'm very pleased with the power on my truck, and have never complained about it or even thought how it would be nice to have a few more HP. In that sense, the latest generation of Tacomas are leaps and bounds above the earlier vintages.
In fact, it is likely that people formed their negative impressions about autos in Toyotas back when the trucks were truly underpowered. My 1984 with the 22R four-banger was hopelessly pathetic. It couldn't hold 65 on the freeway if there was even the slightest incline or even a headwind. For a time back in the mid-1990's I worked for a spell as a salesman at a Toyota dealership in Tucson (not the high point of my life, I can tell you), and at that time Toyota had the 3.0L V6. With the auto it was a dog. I mean really awful. Slow and clunky. Things have come a long way since then. Better engines, better transmissions. Night and day, really. And you know what, my pathetically-underpowered 1984 only got about 18 mpg on it's best day. Now my 2008 has twice the power and is twice the truck than the mini-trucks of the old days. It's a double cab and has an auto trans. I can carry four people, load it up with gear, and still haul *** up the hills. And I get almost the same mileage as the itty-bitty '84. Amazing.
In the end it's what you like. But I'd definitiely check out the autos before you discount them.
There's been some good discussion on pros and cons here so I won't rehash. But here's my opinion, and it is just that...my opinion. I've always had manuals too, and generally thought they were the only way to go. When I bought my 2008 Tacoma I decided to go with the auto and have been very pleased. Autos have come a very long way from even 10 years ago. The power is great, and it shifts so smoothly you can't even feel it. In sand and mud it's wonderful, and you have much more control over wheel spin. Ditto for rock crawling. "Creeping" is much easier and less hard on the truck, driver, and passengers.
The latest Tacoma autos have a full range of manual gear selection, and I drop into lower gears all of the time to provide engine braking on hills, etc. I live in San Francisco, and with all of the hills around here that feature really comes in handy. Even on the freeway, sometimes I'll pop it into forth if I need to slow down a bit when traveling down a downgrade or if I'm coming up behind some slowpoke. It took a little getting used to the gear selection "gates," but I love it now.
Gas mileage on these trucks is nothing to write home about, and I doubt if the difference between manual and auto is substantial. I get about 17.5 mpg, with a stock tire size and a few bolt-on mods. Power output to the rear wheels may be marginally less with an auto due to the oft-mentioned power loss through the auto, but that issue has become less relevant as engines have become more powerful and autos have gotten better. A moot point, if you ask me. I'm very pleased with the power on my truck, and have never complained about it or even thought how it would be nice to have a few more HP. In that sense, the latest generation of Tacomas are leaps and bounds above the earlier vintages.
In fact, it is likely that people formed their negative impressions about autos in Toyotas back when the trucks were truly underpowered. My 1984 with the 22R four-banger was hopelessly pathetic. It couldn't hold 65 on the freeway if there was even the slightest incline or even a headwind. For a time back in the mid-1990's I worked for a spell as a salesman at a Toyota dealership in Tucson (not the high point of my life, I can tell you), and at that time Toyota had the 3.0L V6. With the auto it was a dog. I mean really awful. Slow and clunky. Things have come a long way since then. Better engines, better transmissions. Night and day, really. And you know what, my pathetically-underpowered 1984 only got about 18 mpg on it's best day. Now my 2008 has twice the power and is twice the truck than the mini-trucks of the old days. It's a double cab and has an auto trans. I can carry four people, load it up with gear, and still haul *** up the hills. And I get almost the same mileage as the itty-bitty '84. Amazing.
In the end it's what you like. But I'd definitiely check out the autos before you discount them.
Also coming down a trail in 1st 4low with a stick seems to do much better than having to use your brake all the way down to maintain a certain speed.
