2013 Tacoma transmission durability?

Anyone have any first hand experience with the 5spd auto in the current gen Tacoma V6 4x4? Or the 6spd manual?

I'm considering replacing the Elantra with a Tacoma double cab. I would prefer the manual trans, but the standard bed seems so short. I looked today and the long bed seems a lot more useable.

Since this will be a keeper I want a driveline that will hold up for 200k and not require lots of repairs to get there.

Use will be mainly commuting 20 miles each way on 35-40 mile per hour roads with minimal lights/traffic. Winter towing of snowmobiles (1200-1500 lb for sleds-trailer), Home Depot and mulch runs.

Any info offered would be appreciated. Thanks, Joe

I have a 2005 that I use to pull car trailers and plow snow. 90,000 miles without any transmission issues.

I'm pretty sure the 6 speed manual is the same one that's in my wife's FJ cruiser. She's at 130k ish miles and it's perfect. We bought it at about 80k so I'm sure it's on the stock clutch as well. Hers is full time 4wd and drives like a tractor, but I mean that in the best way possible. It's our favorite car after the 911 and the transmission is a big part of that.

Toyotas are not known for weak transmissions. That would be Chrysler products, historically.
(I'm at 345K on my RN Truck.)

Thanks for the feedback. I'm still stuck in the old mindset that an auto trans won't have the longevity of a manual. I'll have to get over that.

I'll just have to test drive both and see how I like them.

The dealer has a short bed TRD sport with the manual due in with a TRD quickshift and TRD cat back next week, and has a TRD Sport long bed with the cat back and auto on the lot as well. I should be able to compare side by side.

Stick with that mindset. It's true. I have a buddy that runs a transmission shop and he can tell you within ~25k miles when the tranny will die on any given domestic truck. Usually less than 150k miles.

Your allready on the right track by not bothering with the domestic made crap,you'll be just fine.

Thanks to all that provided feedback.

As much as I wanted to avoid going to multiple dealers, it looks like I will need to do some more legwork to get a workable deal. By email Ive gotten good quotes, many were 10% off MSRP, but the trade may kill the deal.

The first dealer only offered $9500 for trade on the Elantra. Maybe it's me, but I though that was very low for a 2011 Elantra GLS with 61k on the odometer. I guess I'll find out later if that is where everyone is or they are just low balling.

Joe

I've found it helps to openly tell them "I'm shopping to against everyone else. I will make the purchase from whomever gives me the best overall package."

If you have good credit, let them do the financing. They can get you the same rate as your bank, but they get a cut. So it incentivizes them a bit more.

In reply to kevlarcorolla:If ignorance is bliss you must be one happy mother berkeleyer.

No way in hell would I ever pay what they want for a new Taco, easily overpriced by at least 7k. Although I was looking at a double cab sport the other day that almost had me signing paperwork. But nearly 36k is way, way to much for a Taco.

I'm actually looking at leasing for 3 years and the buying it at the end of the lease. So I'm definitely looking at financing through the dealer.

Not exactly normal, but the numbers work for the following reasons:

1) payments for the next three years will potentially be the same as what I pay now.

2) wife's Sedona will be paid off and owned outright before lease is up.

3) cost of lease+buy is almost even with buying

I'll see how it goes

jstand wrote: I'm actually looking at leasing for 3 years and the buying it at the end of the lease.

If you're looking at leasing, I can almost guarantee the numbers will come out better with the automatic. Finance companies do NOT like leasing stickshifts, due to the lower residual value, and your lease payments will go up accordingly.

You spelled "fleece" wrong.

nicksta43 wrote: In reply to kevlarcorolla:If ignorance is bliss you must be one happy mother berkeleyer. No way in hell would I ever pay what they want for a new Taco, easily overpriced by at least 7k. Although I was looking at a double cab sport the other day that almost had me signing paperwork. But nearly 36k is way, way to much for a Taco.

Not ignorance,owned multiple vehicles from ford,dodge,chev,honda,nissan,subaru and toyota and my comment is completly based on experience.

Oh well, looks like I either sell the Hyundai privately, or hang on to it for a while longer.

The best deal came close to what i wanted for the new vehicle price but trade in value was lower than needed to get to where I wanted to be on the lease. It was going to work out to $40/month over where I wanted to be. As much as I wanted to say yes, I turned them down and walked away.

And yes Dr. Hess I will agree that leasing is a losing proposition if you turn the car in, but if you buy it the total cost is within a few hundred dollars of buying in the beginning.

If someone was to finance the tax and tags on a purchase then leasing probably saves money. The reason is that in MA if you lease you pay sales tax each month on the monthly payment amount rather than all up front on the purchase price when you buy. The interest on the sales tax would help offset the difference in leasing then buying.

The boys were disappointed we didn't get a new truck (they went to the dealer with me), but on the way home my 9 year old asked why i didn't buy it and seemed to understand the reason why I said no to the deal. The 4 year old was less interested in the why, but that's expected.

I've never heard of any issues. The wife and I looked at the new double cab 4x4's today. Man, they are nice and the right size for me. The beds are so darn small though unless you get the long bed, but makes the truck too long for me. But $31,000+? We don't make that kind of coin. If we do have a kid, which we are trying for, I am torn between getting one of these used (which are still too pricey) or just keeping my old Ranger 2wd and getting a 4 door car like a 1st gen TSX. The wife grew up around trucks and love's them and don't like too many cars. I asked her Tacoma or TSX and she said TSX. Not sure if that's good or bad. She digs those car's. I'm rambling now. The only real issue I've heard of with the Tacoma's are rusting frames if you get salt in your state. I've seen them bad around here in Ohio up to the 2004 models. Hopefully they are better by now. I've never owned or driven one though.