Only one new pickup truck in the United States is sold with a manual transmission, and that’s the Toyota Tacoma. All the others have slowly dropped the stick-shift, with the Jeep Gladiator being the most recent casualty. If I’m honest, I was surprised to see it stick around in the Tacoma lineup when the current generation was introduced in 2024, and I was curious to know if it was any good or if Toyota phoned it in simply because it could.
Now that I’ve driven both automatic and manual versions of the truck, I’m happy to report that the Tacoma is more fun with a six-speed. Does that mean it’s better? I guess that depends on who you ask.
Toyota dropped off a Tacoma at my house with a frankly stellar spec so I could test it out for a week. Sprayed with Terra paint, which the manufacturer classifies as brown but is more burnt orange in person, the TRD Off-Road variant also sported 17-inch wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich rubber. It was optioned with the stabilizer disconnect switch ($1,300), rock rails ($950), Rigid fog lights ($680), TRD front skid plate ($560), ARB tow hooks ($425), and, get this, an off-road trail pipe ($75).
While the previous-gen Tacoma was a slug, the new model is a bit more peppy with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder. Toyota limits the manual version’s power output ever so slightly, to 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque rather than the automatic’s 278 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. I don’t think anybody would notice the power difference, but I figured I should mention it.
I’ve heard other car journalists compare the turbo-four and manual transmission combo to an old diesel pickup, and I have to agree. But whereas they all count that as a knock against it, I personally love that. So what if it only revs to 5,000 rpm or so?
I drove the stick-shift Tacoma in just about every scenario, from the interstate to stop-and-go traffic and slow-movin’ four-wheelin’. Sure, it’s more work than an automatic in each of those environments, but that’s kind of the point. Driver involvement has never been rarer than it is today, even in the rigs some people see as simple (though a boosted pickup loaded with off-road doo-dads is anything but).
One coworker told me I should “prepare to be disappointed,” but you know, I liked the long throws between gears. It’s not a Supra; it’s a daggum Taco. And even though I accidentally shifted into reverse instead of first more than once, I got the hang of it eventually.
My only real complaint is that it should be able to roll away from a stop in second gear, but it can’t. First gear is nice and low, which I have no problem with, but you’re still forced to use it because the truck shudders a bit if you skip it altogether.
While this particular Tacoma isn’t built for such spirited drives as a Fox shock-equipped TRD Pro, it still feels nimble with the factory Bilsteins. The curvy Ozark highways near my house were fun to carve up, and every time I hopped in, I found myself giddy about the drive I’d soon take it on. To me, a gut feeling like that is the best indicator of when a car (or truck) gets it right.
The manual didn’t give me any problems when I took the Tacoma up and down our family’s creekside property, either. I was able to take it in some spots that I’d never driven a pickup, including this steep incline that I’d only had the confidence to try in UTVs before. These photos do a decent job of showing off the truck’s clearance and approach/departure angles:
You lose some features by going with the manual Tacoma, like Multi-Terrain Select and Crawl Control (which is much improved for this generation). Something tells me that people who prefer a stick shift probably aren’t interested in having their truck manage its own speed through a rock garden, anyway. Just know that if you’re going to commit to the bit, you really have to want it.
If I were a single guy without kids—which I’m not, as my Sienna minivan review will tell you—I’d scoop one of these up in a heartbeat. I would spec it exactly like this, too. It costs too much, with an MSRP of $54,400, but I can’t tell you the last time I tested a truck that was fairly priced.
These are the days of our lives. I’m just glad you can still get a truck with a stick for a little while longer.
Toyota provided The Drive with a seven-day loan of this vehicle for the purpose of writing this review.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com