Can someone explain to me why the automatic tacoma DC 4x4 is so much better on gas than the 6 spd manual, identical trucks other than the transmission, buddy gets over 600km to a tank and I am getting only 490 510 km to a tank. what ever happened to the idea of manuals getting better fuel mileage?
Kind wish I had bought the auto now.
also can someone tell me what exactly the CLUTCH START CANCEL button does on my truck. I know that when pressed that i can start the truck without depressing the clutch, but why would I need to do that?
1. The manual probobly has a numerically higher rear end gear ratio, as my 5sp 4Runner does. At the same speed, you are turning higher rpm's than an automatic in overdrive.
2. Clutch cancel was designed for 4wd lo applications, typically tricky uphill starts that would burn the hell out of your clutch.
it's not the rear end that is geared lower, but the tranny. the auto has higher gear ratios because the torque converter can unlock and slip allowing an effectively lower gear ratio. hence, part of the reason your buddy gets more mpg is that top gear in the auto is higher than top gear in the 6sp. the other reason is that the auto (or rather the computer) is programmed to maximize fuel mileage and most people that buy a manual do so because they like the control. in the manual if you start from a stoplight only to see the light up one block turn red, you will probably only make it into 2nd or 3rd and just push the gas a little until you get there to avoid shifting so much. the auto will most likely hit top gear by that time. this puts the rpm's very low, saving fuel but costing power. if the light suddenly turns green and you hit it, there will be some lag time while the auto downshifts and then revs up where the manual, already in the lower gear, will take off quicker. a bit long winded but mainly, the lower fuel mileage is because of the lower top gear and the fuel-efficiency minded transmission programming. i for one love my 6sp but then again, all of my 6 vehicles (8 if you count the mtn bikes) require me to shift. just never been a fan of the computer deciding which gear i need to be in (and they never seem to last as long as a manual).
yeah i love my 6speed...i say when i when to shift...love it off road whan i need the truck to down shift for power it does it...auto...thinks about it
Auto will do better on the freeway and in traffic cause its geared higher. Notice the 1st and 6th of the manual are very low. But in hilly country areas without much traffic (avg 30-65 mph) I just filled up at nearly 20 mpg. I'd buy the manual again.
An exhaust system will not really change your mpg. It WILL change the rpm where you best MPG is found though. With my TRD, I gained 1 mpg on the freeway at 70-75 mph where rpms are at 25-2600 rpms. But I lost 1 mpg at slower speeds when cruising around 2000 rpms or less. Net of it... I get the same mpg, with better sound.
Clutch start cancel is for offroad. You can start in gear to ease up a nasty section, rather than brun the clutch or roll back and lose your footing (think (hillclimb). Also good for when you want to start the truck and get some heat going with your ski boots on!
__________________ 05' TRD Sport Dcab 6-spd 4x4 Tow TRD Exhaust
Stock 17's summer
Blizzaks on 16's winter
"If your clutch fails, it can still be driven by starting and forcing gears...also if the clutch cancel switch in the pedal fails."
Comment: You don't need to force gears. AFter accelerating in a gear, you ease the gas until there is neither a positive nor negative load on the tranny. Then you slip into neutral. If there's any pop or clunk when you do this, you didn't have the throttle right. Then you lower the engine speed to the speed required for the next higher gear, and you slide it in. It's just like double clutching without the clutch. Done properly, it causes no damage at all to the transmission.
After hearing complaints about tranny shudder in the auto's, I'm happier with my increased fuel consumption. At least then when the truck lurches, I know it's my own damn fault!
On an unrelated note: I have yet to stall my Taco after 8 months of driving, yet I stalled my car (01 Sentra) every week. Would this be due to the increased low end torque? I'm kinda curious...
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2009 Tacoma V6 4X4 Access Cab, TRD Off Road, Black, with a clutch!
MBRP cat back exhaust
I pretty much agree with the info posted above. Just to re-phrase a bit, engine revs kill fuel mileage. With a manual, you are more likely to hold it in any gear longer before upshifting, and the increased RPMs burn more fuel. Of course, if you short-shift (at low RPM), there won't be much difference -- but not many people actually do that. Part of the fun of a manual is running it up through the gears. With a relatively light throttle foot, the auto trans shifts early, which saves fuel.
As far as highway cruising, yes, the overall final gearing of the auto is higher (numerically lower) than the manual. Fewer revs = less fuel burned.
I wonder though...I had to go with an automatic for a variety of reasons having to do with who else was going to drive the truck...but I bet around town, if you shift early and use neutral whenever you can coast, you can probably do better with the manual. I live in Albuquerque where the whole city is on a gentle slope. With a manual you can drive for miles rolling downhill in neutral. With the automatic, as several people have pointed out, it locks up as soon as it can, and then doesn't unlock when you lift the gas, so you get engine breaking when you don't want it, even if it's in 5th.
So, real world, in a mixed freeway/city streets driving, I bet a manual does better. The other time I really prefer a manual is on the highway mountainous country. If you know your truck and what speed it will hold in different gears, you can just mash the accelerator and operate at moderate RPMs and a high manifold pressure when climbing. That's the most efficient way to get around, it doesn't hurt the engine as long as you know what you're doing. My automatic downshifts on every freekin' upgrade, lots of drama and noise that seems unnecessary.
I would go manual if you can, unless you drive long freeway miles in mostly flat country, in which case the auto is the clear winner.
if you shift early and use neutral whenever you can coast, you can probably do better with the manual.
With a manual you can drive for miles rolling downhill in neutral.
This method may have been more effective in the old days of carburetors. With today's fuel injection, when you slip the transmission into neutral, the engine will be burning enough fuel to keep it idling. If you simply back off the long pedal and coast (automatic or manual), the vehicle's forward motion will keep the engine turning, and no fuel will be burned.
Small point but worth mentioning....
PS: If you don't mind my asking, what does your username signify?
With a manual you can drive for miles rolling downhill in neutral. With the automatic, as several people have pointed out, it locks up as soon as it can, and then doesn't unlock when you lift the gas, so you get engine breaking when you don't want it, even if it's in 5th.
That's not exactly how it works. The engine braking doesn't take effect the minute you lift off the gas. In fact, you can coast forever without it downshifting with your foot off the gas. The trigger is the brake. Even if you step on the brake and cause the transmission to downshift (engaging the engine braking), you can simply cancel it. Just throw it into 4th and back to 5th. This will automatically cancel it and put you back into coast mode...until you step on the brake again in which case maybe you needed to downshift manually anyway.
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"Think Outside the Box!"
'05 4x4 DC LB SR5 Tow Pkg BFG All-Terrain T/A KO, Leer Tonneau, Westin Platinum Nerf Bars, Fog and Map Light Mods, Orig. Owner 12/3/04
tacoma DC 4x4 auto vs. manual
Linear Mode
