If you're searching for differences between 5 and 6 speed manual transmissions, you probably have some experience driving stick. You're also in limited company - only about 10% of cars manufactured in 2014 in North America had manual transmissions. Pros and Cons of Driving Stick. Automatic transmissions rule the road in the U.S. In Cars.com's national new Toyota Tacoma inventory, only 944 examples with a manual transmission were listed at the time of writing versus 21,156 with an automatic. The EPA says the manual will Automatic cars are better in cities where you drive through stop-start traffic. The drive will feel a lot more comfortable as the transition between gears will feel smoother. Stalling won't be an issue either as there is no clutch to create that embarrassing judder that always seems to occur at the lights. 6-Speed Manual VS. 5-Speed Automatic on the V6. I'd like to get some feedback from both sides, 6-Speed manual and 5-Speed automatic owners for the V6 Taco. I'm a manual transmission guy and all my cars have been manual. Naturally, I want to buy a manual Tacoma. However, according to the dealership I can't buy a 2012 (or 2011) 4-door Tacoma with Joined Jan 10, 2009. 4,934 Posts. #6 · Mar 10, 2010. Mike Honcho said: As for why the auto isn't a six speed as well, I believe it has to do with cost savings for the OEM. Yes they do make autos with six or more speeds, but they cost a lot more and the performance is not enough to outweigh the cost for a vehicle like the jeep. A couple questions I have concerning the 6 speed manual transmission. There's plenty of talk about how much more powerful the Wrangler feels in the Auto 8 speed configuration, but how about with the 6 speed? Less sluggish now? And is there noticeably less accelerator pedal input to get That means first gear in 4LO gives you a multiplication of (1st gear X transfer case ratio X differential gear): 6 Speed: 73.114. 5 Speed: 58.876. 4 Speed: 46.576. As far as not abusing the drivetrain of one over another, a properly driven manual is much easier on the drivetrain than any automatic would be. The most significant difference between the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and an automatic transmission is that while the automatic has multiple gears (or speeds) and uses hydraulic power to shift gears and cause the engine to operate at various speeds and outputs, the CVT has essentially a single gear/speed and uses a pulley system. An automatic transmission utilizes torque converters to achieve a greater range of gearing, allowing it to bounce around to different gears more effortlessly, unlike manual transmissions that utilize a set gear ratio and require you to manually engage/disengage them at appropriate intervals. For 80% of uses, the automatic is the way to go: it is smart, responsive, refined and reliable. The automatic is always in the right gear, and shifts promptly with a gentle tap on the gas or the brake. Automatic is the way to go on the trail, too. And it gives you two super low 1st and 2nd gears that come in handy when you need to "crawl." When it comes to deciding between a manual vs. automatic transmission, there are different elements that you need to consider before choosing the car. These ratios are otherwise known as "speeds"; hence, the term "6-speed gearbox" or "5-speed gearbox". The transmission or gearbox enables the engine of the car to transfer power Si