automatic vs. 5 speed... need advice!

[g34rh34d]

Hello all I'm a noob, looking to buy a 97,98 taco...

I need some advice on the taco auto vs. the 5 speed. I'll be perfectly honest, I prefer a standard (5 speed) over an auto maily because in my opinion, here in Colorado I feel I have more control of the vehicle when driving in winter conditions. (The ability to put in the clutch and unload the drivetrain in a skidding situation on snow for example...) This vehicle will be replacing my 98 eagle talon tsi awd as the winter daily driver...

I am planning on looking at a 97 sr5 this eve, and it has two problems, one is some mild damage to the front fender (broken turn signal and drivers mirror etc.) It seems the owner backed into a pole in a parking garage or something... so since I prefer a 5 speed, I am going to look at this one (auto) with a partially closed mind.

Who knows.. maybe it will be no big deal to get an auto after all...?

So my question to the masses: putting my bias towards a 5 speed aside, are there any problems or issues with the toyota Auto tranny? (recalls, known problems etc.) Does the unit affect gas mileage much? what is everyone elses opinion on performance of the auto, shifting, towing, mild off-road ablility. (I don't plan on getting into that much any more. I sold my 73 Ford Bronco rock crawler to buy this truck..)

Any and all advice please!

Finally, I have been doing my internet research, but I seem to get mixed results.. Can any one summarize the standard features / options of the various packages? example: What comes standard in an LX pkg, SR5 pkg, TRD and so on for the 1996,97,98,99 trucks..

Thanks to all in advance!!

FH
97 Taco-Bound!!!

[Full_Tilt_Fud]

I am at 156k and have not had a single problem with my automatic. In my opinion it does a good job of keeping the truck in the correct gear and has a nice firm shift to it.

[g34rh34d]

Originally Posted by Full_Tilt_Fud

I am at 156k and have not had a single problem with my automatic. In my opinion it does a good job of keeping the truck in the correct gear and has a nice firm shift to it.

Thanks Full Tilt!

How is it in mild off road conditions? winter driving? Any info on the various packages? any recommendations if I decide to get this truck? (tranny coolers etc.)

FH

[AfterShock]

Originally Posted by g34rh34d

Thanks Full Tilt!

How is it in mild off road conditions? winter driving? Any info on the various packages? any recommendations if I decide to get this truck? (tranny coolers etc.)

FH

I've got the automatic and although I can't comment on "winter driving" in LA, it has done fine for me offroad.

[g34rh34d]

Originally Posted by AfterShock

I've got the automatic and although I can't comment on "winter driving" in LA, it has done fine for me offroad.

Ok that being said, and seeing you have an 04 (in your sig) is it safe to say this is the same auto they have been putting behind the V6 in years from 96-04? (That would be a good sign.)

Thanks for the reply.

FH

[tercel89]

i have a 2003 with an auto tranny and i am almost certain that its the same transmisssion as the earlier ones . My brother had a 99 with auto and it was also great in the snow .We live in Tennessee and we get some big snows here and there but lots of ice and my 2003 auto has been awesome on snow and ice ! i have a hayden tranny cooler along with my stock cooler. I like an auto becasue it is better in mud and crawling over rocks . Also i ahve a blown left knee , so i need an auto due to my clutch knee . If and when i get to sliding in the snow or ice , i just slide it into neutral like you would push in the clutch.

[pat161]

Well I had been driving a 5 speed Toyota 4wd since 93 and I just switched to an auto for the first time. I wrecked my 00 Runner w/ the 2.7 and 5 speed and replaced it w/ a 02 auto 3.4. I also prefer the 5 speed but I wanted a 3rd gen and couldn't find any decent used 00 w/ the 2.7 and 5 speed, so I switched to get the vehicle I wanted. My impression so far is that the Toyota auto is very nice, it shifts smoothly and generally does not hunt for gears. When I'm in hilly terrain and it seems to hunt I just turn off the O/D and it uses the 3 gears. I have 2 minor complaints w/ the auto, first on a flat road going say 30 w/ very little gas the truck will sometimes shift harshly between 2nd and 3rd, like it thinks about it for a while then clunks in, also sometime happens on hills when it downshifts, thus turning O/D off. Also this truck exhibits axle wrap, never felt it in any of my 5 speeds, which I attribute to more less engine braking. If I stop quickly and then let off the brake the drive train unloads and you feel the axle wrap, if I slow down easy and let off the brake just before I stop and then ease her to a stop it never binds up. All in all I'm happy w/ the auto, I still would prefer a manual, but the auto is nice.

[Full_Tilt_Fud]

Originally Posted by g34rh34d

Thanks Full Tilt!

How is it in mild off road conditions? winter driving? Any info on the various packages? any recommendations if I decide to get this truck? (tranny coolers etc.)

FH

It does fine in the snow...........I have never had an issue where I thought the manual would be better........My 94 toyota was a stick so I have first hand experience with both and the auto does just as good if not better than the 5 speed

Off road it also does well.......there are times when I like the 5 speed in my 4runner better (mainly for it's compression braking capability's) but for the most part the auto wins my vote do to it's simplicity to drive which allows me pay more atension to my line.

I am unsure on various packages........mine has power window's and locks, air, cruise, tilt, factory CD......all the goodies and it is just a normal old tacoma. It never hurts to add a better cooler for the trans......(something I have been meaning to do!!!!).

[g34rh34d]

YOU GUYS ROCK!! Thanks for all the good feedback! I can see I will be spending some time to learn in this forum..

I was doing a little parts searching on the net and found that toy parts are exceptionally cheep! Awesome! (I am comparing this to my 73 Bronco I sold, and my 98 Eagle talon tsi of course...)

So pending how the rest of the truck is, I will probably get it. (depending on if the current owner wants to work with me on the #s a little.)

Ok one other question, I am going to assume thet the current owner probably has not replaced the timing belt, that being said, what all is needed? For example, in my car if you do the timing belt, you generally replace the belt, tensioner, balance shafts ? belt, idler pulley, water pump and assoc gaskets.. Is it the same on the Taco V6? what should I expect to pay labor-wise 3-400 bux? Any recommendations for the Denver metro area?

Thanks again for all the info!!

FH

[spacewrangler]

if i lived in the mountains, i'd go for the 5 speed.

[ljschnel]

Autos blow. Yeah, they will work and get you down the road, but since you mentioned that you are already biased towards a 5-speed I think you should just wait for one of those to come around. You will be MUCH happier.

[ljschnel]

Oh, also do a search on manual vs. auto or something like that. This issue has been really thoroughly covered already.

[partyman66]

If the manual tranny is what you want, don't let the fact that a truck with an auto-tranny happens to be for sale near you encourage you to buy something that doesn't meet your every desire of your ideal target vehicle.

I have the 5-speed in my '01 2.7 4x4 and I freakin love it. The driving experience is soo much more enjoyable and engine braking actually does something in this truck(unlike in my cars where the engine just spins and doensn't really slow down at all). The 5-speed tranny in these trucks is pretty smooth for a truck too and gets good fuel economy. I've been getting about 24 MPG combined lately and that's with about only 30% highway driving. If you're looking for a V6, it might not make as much of a difference, but in a 4-Cylinder... the 5-speed definitely helps give the truck more pep compared to the Auto tranny.

Whatever you do... don't buy any Tacoma until you've had a chance to test drive both an auto and a manual, so you can decide for yourself how much of an impact the transmission will have on your driving experience.

Good luck with your truck hunt.

[RyanAndJenn]

Well id have to say if you enjoy the 5 speed, then i would definetly hold out for one. We have both a manual and auto Tacoma, and as a man who is partial to Manual trannys myself, i would never give mine up for the auto. The engine breaking is amazing, accelleration is all in your control. Im not sure about a v6 manual but the 4banger i own has awesome speed/rpm ratios. If you need it 60mph is easily attainable in 3rd gear at only 3.8k. Great for crusin up the mountians to your fav trails.

I grew up on 5 speeds and thats what i wanted. I held out and ended up with the perfect truck. I would suggest the same for you

[g34rh34d]

Once again, thanks to all for your input..

Well I took a look at it, and though it was in "ok" shape, it wasn't quite as advertised.. there was a bit more damage on the driver's side (fender, door, rear 1/4, bumper etc.) not terrible, but more than I wanted to endure.

The one odd part is that when I asked him about the timing belt (changed at 65K) he said it had been changed, but ever since the belt was replaced, it made a funny whine. Now I know what belt whine is, but it seemed as if this was something different, the sound was more like the sound a power steering pump makes when it has been cavitated... or worse yet when the front pump on an auto is fixing to go out..

It drove fine, shifted ok, but the whine was the capper for me.. I decided to "think" about it..

Can anyone advise on if their truck made a similar noise when the timing belt was replaced? If not did it make any noticeable sound? Or was this the true indication of a lemon?


So I guess as suggested, I should try driving the 5 speed next.

Thanks again to everyone's response!!! As I think of more stuff I will definitely look to the advice of this board!

FH

[spacewrangler]

Can anyone advise on if their truck made a similar noise when the timing belt was replaced?

mine whined for a few days after i replaced it. ...then it went away. i assumed it was just the belt breaking in.

[g34rh34d]

Originally Posted by spacewrangler

mine whined for a few days after i replaced it. ...then it went away. i assumed it was just the belt breaking in.

Cool, thats what I figured... I think this is a bit more of an issue, and as I ponder the sound, and where it seemed to be comming from, I think it was more mechanical (which probablY started after the truck struck the object that caused the damage, thus prompting the sell.) I am glad now that I didn't buy the truck on an impulse.

I suspect the tranny might possibly be going out.

Who knows.

Thanks again for all the input!

FH

[SnowRunner]

I am a snow wheeler and I have driven both before in my 85 runner and my 89. I love the stick. Like you say more control. Plus there the old sayin Real men shift there own gears lol.

[g34rh34d]

ok on this train of thought.... I have been having a lot of difficulty finding a good source of used private owner type sites, publications..

It seems that the only decent source for used vehicles is craigs list.. all the other sources (auto trader, cars.com, autobytel, newspaper, etc.) seem to be purely dealer sources. and when I call on a given ad, they are usually out of date and the vehicle is gone. (including the car ads in the paper.)

Can anyone on this list suggest how / where you go to find private owner vehicle sales sites / publications?

Thanks!

FH

[partyman66]

It would help if you posted where you live. Local people might be able to give you a better idea of what publications there are near you or other sources of finding used vehicles that are region specific.

[ARB1977]

The thing with autos is keeping them cool and changing the fluid often. Adding a second cooler after the primary cooler helps alot and for the fluid running a synthetic base. Im currently at 61K on my auto and so far it shifts the same way the day i bought the truck. I relation to my secondary cooler i added a remote filter setup between the stock cooler and secondary cooler this way i can do filter changes every year and the fluid in the pan every other year. Ive taken it offroad afew times and i felt i had a ton of control.

[ljschnel]

Originally Posted by TRDUSA2002

The thing with autos is keeping them cool and changing the fluid often. Adding a second cooler after the primary cooler helps alot and for the fluid running a synthetic base. Im currently at 61K on my auto and so far it shifts the same way the day i bought the truck. I relation to my secondary cooler i added a remote filter setup between the stock cooler and secondary cooler this way i can do filter changes every year and the fluid in the pan every other year. Ive taken it offroad afew times and i felt i had a ton of control.

Or you could just get the manual and not have to fuck with it but once a year. Plus, I think most people would rather change a clutch every 100,000 miles than tear appart an auto tranny and stare at it with their finger up their butt...

[youngbuck]

In most circumstances, I'd get with a manual transmission.

[MtnM]

Originally Posted by g34rh34d

ok on this train of thought.... I have been having a lot of difficulty finding a good source of used private owner type sites, publications..

Can anyone on this list suggest how / where you go to find private owner vehicle sales sites / publications?

FH

I spent about a year looking (I think I saw you were in Colorado). I found Craigs list the most helpful. I also scanned the dealer sites & found Ralph Schomp seemed to have a vehicle come up at a reasonable price at times.
Hold out for what you want. But you will need to move quickly when you see it, as I found they don't last long.

[drguitarum2005]

I went from a 2000 2wd 4runner to a 2000 4x4 TRD taco 5spd (v6) and i do not regret that transition one bit! I have only been driving a manual since May and I think it makes the driving experience that much better. I feel I have more control and its also just plain fun! hold out for what you want, don't settle with such a big investment

[Buglips]

The TRD package is an off-road package and is only available on the extended cabs. (boy would I love one on a reg. cab since shorter wheelbase is better for off-road such as the crest of hills). (Also 2wd pre-runners come available with it but not 4wd reg cabs, makes no sense and me sad...)

It adds a rear electic locking differential and upgraded yellow shocks and TRD offroad stickers on the rear sides of the bed.

I don't know what the SR5 package is but am very curious. I'm thinking it's white face gauges with a tach and power options (windows and locks). That thought is far from known fact. A friend told me that in old school toyotas that the "R" and the "5" stood for rear wheel drive and 5 speed manual and I forget what the "S" means. (He might have said soild rear axle?) It's possible he's crock full.

[g34rh34d]

Originally Posted by partyman66

It would help if you posted where you live. Local people might be able to give you a better idea of what publications there are near you or other sources of finding used vehicles that are region specific.

Ahhh yes that would help wouldn't it?? I live in the Denver area.. (I thought I mentioned it in one of my posts though..) I'll add it to my signature..

Thanks!

FH
Aurora Colorado

[Full_Tilt_Fud]

Craigslist is great for finding private owners.......but do not be afraid of dealers......I got mine from a ford dealer and got a great deal since the truck was not their brand and they wanted it gone.