I just ordered a TRD Sport manual in Voodoo Blue and have been passing the time watching Tacoma videos! This will be my first truck after 21 years of sedans. - Wish they were a bit smaller, more like the 2nd gen. Nobody makes a compact truck anymore! - Wish they had a cold weather package available on the mid-upper trims without the Premium package. - Wish the manual transmission were available in the SR5, because SR5 + tow package is the sweet spot for me. - Wish manuals were easier to find in this area. I don't need the capability of a truck every day, but I haul and tow several times a year. I wanted a wagon with towing capability, manual transmission, and minimally intrusive tech. My search went like this: - Golf Alltrack -- discontinued last year, hard to find. Almost bought from Carvana. Towing voids warranty, lots of sunroof issues. - Outback -- only with CVT and seems bloated. - Crosstrek -- Almost ordered but I couldn't get over the torque deficit, rev hang, and limited towing capacity. M/T models rarely in stock and disappear quickly. "MPG" gauge on dash but no temp gauge? No torque under 4000 rpm and lots of rev hang. No manual with the 2.5 liter. Realized the target demographic doesn't care about these issues. - WRX + old truck -- fun + utility, but then I'd be maintaining three vehicles, and even 10-year-old trucks would put my cost well above a Tacoma. So, I ordered the TRD Sport. I liked the stiffer suspension when I drove one six months ago compared to the body roll on the Off Road, but both were nice. No drivability issues with the manual and V6. Port injection to avoid carbon buildup issues is a huge plus. The DCSB back seat is big enough for the family, the short bed should meet my needs 90% of the time, and I can pull a trailer for bigger jobs. Comes turnkey, ready to tow. The only negative is the fuel economy. Wish I had gotten one in 2017, before TSS became standard, because I have mixed feelings about it. Now the off-lease 2017 manuals are pretty much gone and are still priced nearly the same as new. So, new it is!
Not going to lie, when I first started watching this I was thinking that this was just gonna be another Tacoma “review” that didn’t go into much detail but I would like to say that this was a great video. You went into excellent detail and for someone like me who is getting the 2021 version, I wanted to know every detail and you did just that.
Shifter seems fine to me. I did drive a big rig though so this is smooth to me. In my MT I have to give a decent push to get into reverse but I’ve never pushed it through while driving . Not a hot rod but good for daily driving, smaller towing tasks and definitely has off-road chops.I test drove a Ranger and the power wasn’t an issue. I just don’t see an example anywhere that has 300,000 miles on it. I see 30-40 year old Toyota trucks everyday where I live in the Sierra Foothills. Not to mention the value retained.
Thanks for the review Tom. Just purchased a '21 MT with premium and tech packages. Can't wait to get it (60 day wait for it to come in) I am in So FL and had to go all the way to Deland just to find a dealer that was going to be receiving a MT this quarter. The MT seems rare so I was glad to see your review of a MT.
Great to see a review of a tacoma with a manual transmission. I just bought a 2016 tdr sport access cab with a manual transmission. I wanted a longer bed.
19’ MT6 TRD Pro owner here. It’s my daily crawler and been doing well! It has its quirks, but hoping to put problem free high miles on her. Great video 👍
Congrats! Glad you walked away from the crash with your life and health. Definitely consider upgrading to LEDs. I have them on my 2020 TRD Off Road and the nighttime illumination is sooooo much better than the standard bulbs provide. For auto equipped models I recommend driving in S mode. This was suggested by another Taco owner and it really does act as a antidote to the “premature” upshifts in D.
i have a 2017 SR access cab lifted on wheels. i can say that 4 cylinder is very underpowered. but i don’t put any weight on it. and it’s pretty fuel efficient except the wheels are on it. good daily driver if u don’t want horsepower.
After having a 4 cylinder Tacoma for a daily for 7 years, I'm very glad I finally got a V6. But I will say that the 4 cylinder was a great motor for around town driving. Never gave me any issues at all
12 min in I realized I went to GCHS with you in 2010 😂. I’m going to be getting a manual trd off road soon once the dealer gets one. Did you get it at Germain in Naples? Or Auto nation in FM?
Did you miss the extra foot bed space. Not a tacoma guy Iv always prefered nissan, but I had their king cab which is the same as your access cab. If we didnt have so much rust where I live id still have the truck. Had to buy a small suv to get by. Looking at trucks again and there are almost no smaller cab trucks available anywhere they all have 4doors in stock. Do you miss the long bed at all? Iv found iv never really much worried about extra seats but I always wish for more bed space. Id prefer the 4door and long bed but you cant get that combo with manual. Im stumped
I think the box is different. Looks the same but the length might be off. I tried to transfer my bakflip cover from my 2nd gen thinking they were the same. I couldn't get the rails to fit as they were to long I couldn't close the gate. I think the 3rd gen might be alittle shorter measuring along the top rails.
Awesome review! Sounds like yours makes the same "clunk" when shifting gears as my 2020 TRD Offroad manual does. I take it that's normal for this model?
The automatic tacomas have a manual shift mode. It's a must-use if you drive on hills or tow. The automatic's 5th gear is taller than the Manual's 6th gear, and it still has a gear left to go. It doesn't help that the automatic gear ratios are so widely spaced (except 5th and 6th for some reason). The engine lacks the low end torque to do what the automatic transmission asks it to do. The automatic is tuned to keep the engine rpm as low as possible, but if there's not enough torque for the driver's demand, it needs to downshift. Then when it downshifts, the gears are so widely spaced that the rpm increases too much, and now you have plenty of torque, great, but the automatic tries to upshift again as soon as possible. It's a very frustrating thing. It can be solved with: a better gear ratios (not gonna happen until Toyota gives us the 8 speed), regearing the stock 3.91 axle ratio to 4.56 or better yet 4.88, driving it in manual mode, and lock it out of 5th and 6th gear until you, the driver, are ready to cruise at a constant speed on flat ground, and manually lock it out of 5th and 6th every time you regain the need to accelerate or climb hills. The manual option also works unless you wanted an SR or SR5.
I have a 1st gen 4 cylinder auto 4x4. What i love the most is been able to shift 4x4 manually,.I have a second truck auto with push button 4x4 and some time I wonder if is really in 4x4
That probably has to drive you nuts to have reverse all over the place. I went to drive my dad's 5 speed Tacoma and remembered that it's after 5th in that truck lol
My rental had the radar cruise control, and that was my first experience. Loved it, but I wish it worked at lower speeds for stop and go traffic. Now I wish I had it on my 16 GT!
Congrats bro nice ass 🛻💨 hope you guys are enjoying it I picked up the 22 4x4 off-road in Blue crush metallic mine is also the 6-speed manual you should switch your fluids over to amsoil it's easy to do only 3 quarts I changed mine at 2,500 mi & there was a shitload of metal already in the fluid... It's less than 3qts @ $23 per qt
As Americans. We need to Demand that we will not buy one if it hits the brakes when we are NOT hitting the brakes. And if I have the Cruise control on. That's what I want. I don't want adaptive cruise control. Unless they ask me if I want it. And the manual transmission should be standard. Not an automatic transmission. What else. If I start going out of my Lane. I don't need a computer to yank my steering wheel out of my hand because they are selling me that as standard equipment. Ask someone that doesn't know how to drive if they want it added to their truck as extra equipment. Not standard equipment. Not everyone is playing with their phone when they are driving their truck. Instead of actually paying attention to their driving and leaving the phone alone
I test drove my M/T yesterday after waiting 6 months. What a let down. Clanky clunky and rattling. My 1986 Toyota pickup M/T is better. They are going to check it out. If it’s not resolved I’m done. What a shame. Must be 0 quality control in Mexico.
food for thought why did u buy a trd off road manual if u don't get crawl control the tacoma sport is also offered with a mt with the same package u didn't do ur resurch
Crawl control is a nice addition but some people prefer to be more hands on with the vehicle and crawl themselves. The off road has smaller wheels and bigger tires and the main reason he probably got it since he’s saying he wants to lift it and off road and that it has a rear locking diff. Same reason I’m getting a MT offroad instead of the sport 👍🏼
I went off-road over the sport for two reaasons.... locking rear diff, and I preferred the black wheel arches, though the latter could be done pretty easily afterward.
Disagree. It’s rare, but I’ve had it happen. Usually when you’re at the front of traffic, the light turns green and the truck doesn’t go smoothly into first. My instinct is to try to rush it into first which can move it into reverse. Luckily the beep and reverse camera quickly let you know. But this is a non issue on a transmission with 6th down and right which I’d still prefer. All in all a minor complaint though.
@@BryanV6661 there are instances when the truck doesn’t want to go into 1st. When you are at the front of the line and the light switches, if that happens, my reaction is to try again quickly which often ends up being more aggressive.
@@JustACarGuyNamedTom 10000000% move the torque from 4k to 2k and I would have fewer complaints. The number of times I have to drop 3 gears drives me nuts. Reverse is geared way, way, way too high for the engine, too. Wait 'til you try and back a loaded trailer into a camp site - you'll be reaching for 4wd low 😂.
@@spinphoto I went from a deisel to a MT Tacoma Off Road ...I no longer tow with that thing but I suppose if you tow a lot you have to work it..after 7800 dollars of maintenance(transmission, turbo actuator) going out I figured the Ram as a daily driver was too much..
@@hoss6048 In November 2020 I traded the shitaco for a 2018 F-150 with the V8. My first auto, first full size, first V8 and first domestic. So far I am thrilled. I'm currently averaging fuel economy than the V6 with the MT (likely driving style) and an engine that steps up when I ask it to do things. The down side is that it is enormous. A supercrew with 6.5' bed makes navigating parking lots like sailing the Ever Given through the canal. 157" wheelbase renders it pretty useless for trails.
I just got a 2021 TRD Off Road Tacoma with a manual transmission. I had to drive 5 hours to get it! Rented a car. Mine is red also. I love it!
@Pinky I leased it. $391/month. I love it!
Same here. Had to order it to get the color/options I wanted with manual. Excited. It's supposed to arrive in June
@@DJ-px1ds How did the ordering process go?
I just ordered a TRD Sport manual in Voodoo Blue and have been passing the time watching Tacoma videos! This will be my first truck after 21 years of sedans.
- Wish they were a bit smaller, more like the 2nd gen. Nobody makes a compact truck anymore!
- Wish they had a cold weather package available on the mid-upper trims without the Premium package.
- Wish the manual transmission were available in the SR5, because SR5 + tow package is the sweet spot for me.
- Wish manuals were easier to find in this area.
I don't need the capability of a truck every day, but I haul and tow several times a year. I wanted a wagon with towing capability, manual transmission, and minimally intrusive tech. My search went like this:
- Golf Alltrack -- discontinued last year, hard to find. Almost bought from Carvana. Towing voids warranty, lots of sunroof issues.
- Outback -- only with CVT and seems bloated.
- Crosstrek -- Almost ordered but I couldn't get over the torque deficit, rev hang, and limited towing capacity. M/T models rarely in stock and disappear quickly. "MPG" gauge on dash but no temp gauge? No torque under 4000 rpm and lots of rev hang. No manual with the 2.5 liter. Realized the target demographic doesn't care about these issues.
- WRX + old truck -- fun + utility, but then I'd be maintaining three vehicles, and even 10-year-old trucks would put my cost well above a Tacoma.
So, I ordered the TRD Sport. I liked the stiffer suspension when I drove one six months ago compared to the body roll on the Off Road, but both were nice. No drivability issues with the manual and V6. Port injection to avoid carbon buildup issues is a huge plus. The DCSB back seat is big enough for the family, the short bed should meet my needs 90% of the time, and I can pull a trailer for bigger jobs. Comes turnkey, ready to tow. The only negative is the fuel economy. Wish I had gotten one in 2017, before TSS became standard, because I have mixed feelings about it. Now the off-lease 2017 manuals are pretty much gone and are still priced nearly the same as new. So, new it is!
Not going to lie, when I first started watching this I was thinking that this was just gonna be another Tacoma “review” that didn’t go into much detail but I would like to say that this was a great video. You went into excellent detail and for someone like me who is getting the 2021 version, I wanted to know every detail and you did just that.
Shifter seems fine to me. I did drive a big rig though so this is smooth to me. In my MT I have to give a decent push to get into reverse but I’ve never pushed it through while driving . Not a hot rod but good for daily driving, smaller towing tasks and definitely has off-road chops.I test drove a Ranger and the power wasn’t an issue. I just don’t see an example anywhere that has 300,000 miles on it. I see 30-40 year old Toyota trucks everyday where I live in the Sierra Foothills. Not to mention the value retained.
Great review. I have an 2018 Off Road, automatic. Really considering getting a manual after 3 years with this truck. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Thanks for the review Tom. Just purchased a '21 MT with premium and tech packages. Can't wait to get it (60 day wait for it to come in) I am in So FL and had to go all the way to Deland just to find a dealer that was going to be receiving a MT this quarter. The MT seems rare so I was glad to see your review of a MT.
I have to wait for 3 months for my 2016 to be built and arrive in Clearwater Fl.
Great to see a review of a tacoma with a manual transmission. I just bought a 2016 tdr sport access cab with a manual transmission. I wanted a longer bed.
19’ MT6 TRD Pro owner here. It’s my daily crawler and been doing well! It has its quirks, but hoping to put problem free high miles on her. Great video 👍
Simple and awesome.A classic.Just picked up my 22 TRD Sport, Blue Crush,manual,black leather,premium package.
Congrats! Glad you walked away from the crash with your life and health. Definitely consider upgrading to LEDs. I have them on my 2020 TRD Off Road and the nighttime illumination is sooooo much better than the standard bulbs provide. For auto equipped models I recommend driving in S mode. This was suggested by another Taco owner and it really does act as a antidote to the “premature” upshifts in D.
His is the manual transmission
Nice review. I love my 3rd gen test off road with 6mt. My step dad has a 3rd gen and my mom has a 1st gen.
Too bad you can’t get the manual on the double cab long bed.☹️
"we don't have a whole lot of steep hills here in Florida".... Translation: "we don't have ANY hills here in Florida"....
i have a 2017 SR access cab lifted on wheels. i can say that 4 cylinder is very underpowered. but i don’t put any weight on it. and it’s pretty fuel efficient except the wheels are on it. good daily driver if u don’t want horsepower.
After having a 4 cylinder Tacoma for a daily for 7 years, I'm very glad I finally got a V6. But I will say that the 4 cylinder was a great motor for around town driving. Never gave me any issues at all
Just A Car Guy Named Tom yes very right. probably gonna last me around 400k maybe
No mention of Clutch Start Cancel? I LOVE this feature and it’s come in quite handy. It’s also seemingly Toyota specific.
Blind spot monitoring in the Tacoma, if you turn your blinker on and a car is in that lane does it just flash on the mirror or does it beep?
I have a blk '12 4x4 trd sport in MT and I absolutely love driving it 👍🏽👍🏽I like the look of the 2nd Gen over the 3rd, but that's just me 😎
12 min in I realized I went to GCHS with you in 2010 😂. I’m going to be getting a manual trd off road soon once the dealer gets one. Did you get it at Germain in Naples? Or Auto nation in FM?
Did you miss the extra foot bed space. Not a tacoma guy Iv always prefered nissan, but I had their king cab which is the same as your access cab. If we didnt have so much rust where I live id still have the truck. Had to buy a small suv to get by. Looking at trucks again and there are almost no smaller cab trucks available anywhere they all have 4doors in stock. Do you miss the long bed at all? Iv found iv never really much worried about extra seats but I always wish for more bed space. Id prefer the 4door and long bed but you cant get that combo with manual. Im stumped
I think the box is different. Looks the same but the length might be off. I tried to transfer my bakflip cover from my 2nd gen thinking they were the same. I couldn't get the rails to fit as they were to long I couldn't close the gate. I think the 3rd gen might be alittle shorter measuring along the top rails.
Awesome review! Sounds like yours makes the same "clunk" when shifting gears as my 2020 TRD Offroad manual does. I take it that's normal for this model?
The automatic tacomas have a manual shift mode. It's a must-use if you drive on hills or tow. The automatic's 5th gear is taller than the Manual's 6th gear, and it still has a gear left to go. It doesn't help that the automatic gear ratios are so widely spaced (except 5th and 6th for some reason). The engine lacks the low end torque to do what the automatic transmission asks it to do. The automatic is tuned to keep the engine rpm as low as possible, but if there's not enough torque for the driver's demand, it needs to downshift. Then when it downshifts, the gears are so widely spaced that the rpm increases too much, and now you have plenty of torque, great, but the automatic tries to upshift again as soon as possible. It's a very frustrating thing. It can be solved with: a better gear ratios (not gonna happen until Toyota gives us the 8 speed), regearing the stock 3.91 axle ratio to 4.56 or better yet 4.88, driving it in manual mode, and lock it out of 5th and 6th gear until you, the driver, are ready to cruise at a constant speed on flat ground, and manually lock it out of 5th and 6th every time you regain the need to accelerate or climb hills. The manual option also works unless you wanted an SR or SR5.
I have a 1st gen 4 cylinder auto 4x4. What i love the most is been able to shift 4x4 manually,.I have a second truck auto with push button 4x4 and some time I wonder if is really in 4x4
One thing you might or might not know is when u turn on cruise control hold the button in and it will turn off the radar.
I'm going to be trying that at some point. So far I like the radar though
Reverse is in 3 different positions on my 3 Mustangs. I almost forgot you have a mustang too. Nice review!
That probably has to drive you nuts to have reverse all over the place. I went to drive my dad's 5 speed Tacoma and remembered that it's after 5th in that truck lol
My rental had the radar cruise control, and that was my first experience. Loved it, but I wish it worked at lower speeds for stop and go traffic. Now I wish I had it on my 16 GT!
Just A Car Guy Named Tom hey why is it that you don’t have a hood scoop? Is it cause it’s a manual or did you opt out?
Congrats bro nice ass 🛻💨 hope you guys are enjoying it I picked up the 22 4x4 off-road in Blue crush metallic mine is also the 6-speed manual you should switch your fluids over to amsoil it's easy to do only 3 quarts I changed mine at 2,500 mi & there was a shitload of metal already in the fluid... It's less than 3qts @ $23 per qt
You have a moonroof. Old school design sunroofs were not glass. It was part of the body and usually had the same body color as the exterior.
Does it come with the Glock under the seat? :-)
I would love to see a Taco w/ a column shifter like the old school Toyota FJ.
Thank you for this review. May Jesus Christ of Nazareth bless you and your family. In Jesus name Amen.
do you have some parts near you to do off road?
Not too many manual enthusiasts in FL, huh?
Better than trying to shift into 5th gear and going into reverse at 60km/h
Lmao
As Americans. We need to Demand that we will not buy one if it hits the brakes when we are NOT hitting the brakes. And if I have the Cruise control on. That's what I want. I don't want adaptive cruise control. Unless they ask me if I want it. And the manual transmission should be standard. Not an automatic transmission. What else. If I start going out of my Lane. I don't need a computer to yank my steering wheel out of my hand because they are selling me that as standard equipment. Ask someone that doesn't know how to drive if they want it added to their truck as extra equipment. Not standard equipment. Not everyone is playing with their phone when they are driving their truck. Instead of actually paying attention to their driving and leaving the phone alone
can't seem to find a manual off-road. Only TRD sport.
Keep looking
So when is Toyota going to come out with rear disc brakes for the Tacoma...? You are paying so much for some drums...
Yes . Easy design and easy to fix .
Must be a rookie 6mt driver. Many cars have reverse next to 1st gear.
❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
I test drove my M/T yesterday after waiting 6 months. What a let down. Clanky clunky and rattling. My 1986 Toyota pickup M/T is better. They are going to check it out. If it’s not resolved I’m done. What a shame. Must be 0 quality control in Mexico.
Is she still alive? Asking for a friend
food for thought why did u buy a trd off road manual if u don't get crawl control
the tacoma sport is also offered with a mt with the same package u didn't do ur resurch
Crawl control is a nice addition but some people prefer to be more hands on with the vehicle and crawl themselves. The off road has smaller wheels and bigger tires and the main reason he probably got it since he’s saying he wants to lift it and off road and that it has a rear locking diff.
Same reason I’m getting a MT offroad instead of the sport 👍🏼
I went off-road over the sport for two reaasons.... locking rear diff, and I preferred the black wheel arches, though the latter could be done pretty easily afterward.
You get the A-TRAC system in place of CC and the Locker out back, awesome setup.
this truck has zero low-end torque u will just burn the clutch if u want to go rock crawling get the auto 4 that
@Bobby Shafia The Manual has a better crawl ratio at 44:1 compared to the Automatics 36:1.
If you put this truck in reverse on accident you have problems
I don’t know how someone can, I haven’t done it in my Tacoma
@@Jimi-Funkycold-Molina just lookin for dumb stuff to cry about
Disagree. It’s rare, but I’ve had it happen. Usually when you’re at the front of traffic, the light turns green and the truck doesn’t go smoothly into first. My instinct is to try to rush it into first which can move it into reverse. Luckily the beep and reverse camera quickly let you know. But this is a non issue on a transmission with 6th down and right which I’d still prefer. All in all a minor complaint though.
@@kylejohnson3384 why are you panic shifting into first when the light turns green?
@@BryanV6661 there are instances when the truck doesn’t want to go into 1st. When you are at the front of the line and the light switches, if that happens, my reaction is to try again quickly which often ends up being more aggressive.
33,000 miles on my 17. My review is not favourable of the MT/3.5
It needs way more torque. You end up having to drive it like a 4 cylinder
@@JustACarGuyNamedTom 10000000% move the torque from 4k to 2k and I would have fewer complaints. The number of times I have to drop 3 gears drives me nuts. Reverse is geared way, way, way too high for the engine, too. Wait 'til you try and back a loaded trailer into a camp site - you'll be reaching for 4wd low 😂.
Some viewing if you're interested czcams.com/play/PLq9Sjysyhe5amwEh7PQb3jItiA_iXqdg3.html
@@spinphoto I went from a deisel to a MT Tacoma Off Road ...I no longer tow with that thing but I suppose if you tow a lot you have to work it..after 7800 dollars of maintenance(transmission, turbo actuator) going out I figured the Ram as a daily driver was too much..
@@hoss6048 In November 2020 I traded the shitaco for a 2018 F-150 with the V8. My first auto, first full size, first V8 and first domestic. So far I am thrilled. I'm currently averaging fuel economy than the V6 with the MT (likely driving style) and an engine that steps up when I ask it to do things. The down side is that it is enormous. A supercrew with 6.5' bed makes navigating parking lots like sailing the Ever Given through the canal. 157" wheelbase renders it pretty useless for trails.
Sunroofs Retract outside of the vehicle; Moonroofs retract into the roof.