Is 5sp much better?

[KidVermicious]

The automatics are far from unreliable. The are probably one of the most reliable as long as the fluid is changed often. With that said, the auto sucks a lot of power compared to the manual. It all depends on your needs.

^^ This! The A340 series of transmissions are quite reliable, and absolutely capable of sucking up to 50% of the horsepower your motor makes and turning it into noise and heat before it reaches the driveshafts.

 

[CallMeAnEngineer]

AT can completely fail without warning.
MT usually starts making noise long before it needs service.
I buy used cars with 100,000 miles on them.
I get MTs...that's the only reason.
If I were buying new, I'd get AT.
If you never travel 100 miles from the nearest paved road in your 100K or 200K miles vehicle, then you're probably OK with an AT.

You make it sound like the automatics are glass gears inside of a paper mache housing. They're more reliable than you give them credit for.

 

[99ToyoRunner]

My previous car was a 2008 Subaru Outback 2.5i Auto...the 4speed automatic transmission used in that car was completely outdated and totally rubbish. Same transmission they used in the 1st generation outback all the until 2010 when they redesigned the Outback and started using the CVT transmission. The transmission itself was a total slushbox and not fun to drive. However it was extremely reliable....of course that depends on how you maintain it but you almost never heard of any of those transmissions failing. I just prefer driving a manual transmission because I find myself being more focused on driving..anticipating traffic lights or sitting in traffic and I don't find myself fiddling with my phone either because both hands are busy...I don't plan on owning an automatic transmission until I absolutely have no choice to own one

 

[JoeBand]

i was willing to pay a couple thousand more for a 5spd, but they are hard to find. of course 1 month after i bought mine, one showed up.

go figure

 

[99ToyoRunner]

Fortunately several years ago before I owned my 4Runner my friend bought it at a well know car lot on the Cape and he kept it on Nantucket from 2011 until I bought it this past April. In 3 years he put 10k on it. He didn't need it anymore since he had a work truck and since my Subaru was totaled in March I was looking for a cheap car I could find. I have no regrets buying my 4Runner...It's an awesome car

 

[GhostRing]

My '98 is the 1st auto I've ever owned. It's certainly nice to just jump in and drive, but I feel less "connected" to the vehicle.
I know the adage "brakes are cheaper than a tranny", but I do find myself using 2nd often to slow down around town and such.

Wheeling I appreciate the control, but I feel like the truck always wants to run away on me unless I'm in 4lo -
and even then I can't do stuff like start in 2nd, etc. Not needing to 3-foot it is very nice though.

I dunno, I would maybe swap out if it wasn't such a PITA. An auto seems like such a
needlessly complex system for doing something that isn't really that difficult or inconvenient...

 

[JohnMc]

i was willing to pay a couple thousand more for a 5spd, but they are hard to find. of course 1 month after i bought mine, one showed up.

go figure

I had to scour ads in a very large area for about 4 months before I found mine. Getting a manual and a factory locker together is hard to do. I'd almost given up on the locker part (looking solely for a manual) when an ad in Wisconsin popped up for the 99 Highlander. Well worth the ~800 mile round trip to get it.

 

[MTD]

I had to scour ads in a very large area for about 4 months before I found mine. Getting a manual and a factory locker together is hard to do. I'd almost given up on the locker part (looking solely for a manual) when an ad in Wisconsin popped up for the 99 Highlander. Well worth the ~800 mile round trip to get it.

Huh funny I couldn't find one around here and ended up going to Texas to get mine. 900+ one way