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07' Manual or AT??? I have a choice.

11K views 62 replies 35 participants last post by  abrogate 
#1 ·
Hello, I'm currently shopping two 07's. They are very similar except that one is an automatic and the other is a manual. The auto has 147k and the manual has around 125k. I'm leaning towards the manual. Is anyone willing to lend me their thoughts? Thanks.
 
#4 ·
IMO manual all day long.

If those are the pics of the 6MT - it is clean.

The boo birds will be here shortly singing the woes of a chirping clutch - mine has been doing it for 12+ years and still going strong (180K mi).

AT - sure - set it and forget it. They have their faults which IMO are numerous.

Either way good luck on your search and look forward to your pics and contributions soon!
 
#5 ·
I've own all AT's in the past but just last week finally found a 07 manual here in town. It was a one owner mall crawler when I bought it but when I put that in low 4WD and took off in 1st gear .... I could climb up or over anything in that gear. It was something I had not felt with my ATs. I would choose manual any day of the week even if you never plan to take it off the pavement ... still fun to drive and I think easier to maintain a speed at the speed limit.
 
#6 ·
There were zero MT's here in the Gulf States when I got my AT in '07. Gulf States Toyota made a mgmt decision NOT to import any manual trannys into their zone. So I got the AT.

331,000 miles and all is well.

However, if you plan on making a rock crawler or spinning a lot of tires or climbing steep terrain, I would opt for the MT every day.

If you do get the AT though, buy yourself a pedal commander - the lag on the AT is nearly 1 entire second while the ECU thinks about it...
 
#7 ·
In case you didnt realize it, the MT is full time AWD, with additional transfer case settings of High Locked (HL) and Low Locked (HL) where the center differential is locked.

AT is more old school with rear wheel drive in 2H and locked 4 WD in 4H and 4L complete with drivetrain bind if you drive on high friction surfaces (such as asphalt). MT trans also has EPA mpg rating that is 1 mpg worse that automatic because of the full time AWD.

If you drive on asphalt roads with variable snow conditions and are willing to drive a manual transmission, it is probably the better selection. I personally would have bought a manual trans new if my wife didnt have to occasionally drive the FJ.

Contrary to what someone said above, I think an auto trans is much easier to drive offroad than a stick.
 
#11 ·
Contrary to what someone said above, I think an auto trans is much easier to drive offroad than a stick.
Easier, and probably just as capable, but not as much fun :)
 
#8 · (Edited)
I was in the same position in 2014, trying to decide whether to go with a new AT or MT. Going into it my strong preference was for a MT. However, after many months of research on the ongoing throwout bearing problems with the RA61F transmission, a careful analysis of the how the TO bearing is guided on the aluminum quill that's an integral (non-replaceable) part of the transmission housing, the fact that the MT is a full-time 4WD, and the knowledge that I would intend to keep the vehicle for 300K miles, I (somewhat reluctantly) went with the AT.

Now, 45K miles, 2 FJ Summits, and countless hours off-road in various conditions, I'm glad I went with the AT. If you lived in an area where you were driving on snow-covered roads 9 months out of the year, the full-time 4WD of the MT would likely be a benefit. IMHO, off-roading where you are picking your way slowly over wet rocks or other uneven, low-traction surfaces, the AT makes it easier to smoothly modulate power and maintain traction (in conjunction with ATRAC).

If the photos you posted are of the MT you are looking at, and it has 125K miles on it with zero history of clutch or TO bearing issues, for whatever reason it may not be one of those subject to these problems. Just be advised that many manual transmission FJ and Tacoma owners have encountered repeated, apparently uncorrectable TO bearing problems. Others have not.

To be well-informed, research the multiple threads on this forum regarding TO bearing problems, then make your choice. The FJ in the photos you provided looks very clean, inside and out. How many previous owners, and is a service history available?
 
#10 ·
Thanks for your reply. I'm still trying to figure this forum controls out. I did read on the manual issues, however the missed pleasure of driving a stick and the opportunity to teach my children how to do the same out weighed the negative. I'll have my fingers crossed that she'll be clean of issue. I did see a few solutions in the forum though if I do run into trouble.
 
#17 ·
Control slow speed with the brake vs clutching. RPM's can dip below 400 before the FJ shows signs of stalling.

It is an unnatural feeling to do this but it works very well.
 
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#18 ·
Manuals are fun plus, children now a days don't have a clue how to drive them. While I'm happy as can be with my slushbox, there are times I do miss running the gears myself.
There's a ton of info here on just about every bolt on the FJ. Search and research!
 
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#30 ·
Oh my - you found the weakest link in the MT argument.

When I used to park the FJ60 in the driveway, behind SWMBO, it meant I had to wake up or be dressed in order to go out and move the FJ60 because she does NOT drive MT. If there was any issue about moving the FJ60, I had to do it.

I slept in today, due to doing bedliner until 10pm and then driving 2 hrs home. I did NOT HAVE TO WAKE UP AT 5AM when she did - because HelTeef is an AT!
 
#21 ·
In my opinion manual trans can be dangerous in some rock crawling scenarios. I often wheel two-footed with my auto tranny, and would need a third foot to be safe in some extreme situations. And as mentioned above there’s the pain of stop n go traffic whereas with auto, you can just idle along, zero footed :wink I’ve had numerous manual vehicles and don’t miss it now, not even a little...
 
#23 ·
Horses for courses.
In rocks I think AT is going to be a better choice - I don't like the smell of burning clutch.
With the advent of CRAWL, ATs are eerily good at extracting themselves from the sh1t in soft, deep sand.
AT is a good choice for most situations. MT is technically more demanding, and much less forgiving when you screw it up. In the desert, my hands & feet are all over the place, locking & unlocking diffs and gear changes, although if the workload is getting too much, I'll lock the rear, let the LSD take care of the centre, keep the shifts to a minimum and make good use of throttle steer.
 
#24 ·
There is no way I’d want to steer one-handed in some situations, nor would I want to divide my attention any further - to remember to take hand off the wheel and carefully modulate pressure of ebrake. Nope, not on steep rocky off-camber type extreme stuff....not a good idea to add factors for driver input error there.
 
#26 ·
Not meaning to imply you do not know how to drive both, or attempting to “scare” anyone away from using manual for general off-roading. No personal insult intended. Simply, there is good reason for consensus that manual is not the best for the specific sport of rockcrawling, and I wholeheartedly agree with the reasoning based on my experience crawling some of the toughest terrain in the country. While OP has not stated he is getting into extreme stuff, he might at some point in the future and felt my answer to his posted question should include comments about potential issues.
 
#28 ·
Of the 20 or 30 cars I've owned in my life, I've only bought one AT vehicle, and that's my recently acquired winter (rust) vehicle, because it was so cheap.

MT all of the way.
As noted by others above, the rock crawling scenarios are a unique case, but for everything else I like being in control, have never felt "too busy" and even in stop and go driving, as mikey pointed out, isn't an issue when one gets in the zone.

The thing is, driving an MT well, used to be a true right of passage, for any hard core car nut. But with modern cars, you can't get one, and also anyone can simply sit down and "turn the big knob" (that's the steering wheel part), taking away what used to matter.

So, the choice, which is solely personal, will always bring out strong opinions, and like most opinions, are strongly held and one's has little/nothing to do with someone else's.

Norm
 
#34 ·
Well stated, @jimmy-buffett :rocker: Only thing I don’t agree with is not relevant to this thread - I find my “box” tremendously FUN to drive, and still smile every time I hop in :grin But as you point out, each to their own!
I disagree, it has everything to with this thread since the OP asked AT or MT?

Thoughts and opinions were offered as requested.
 
#42 ·
Go with the Manual. You will save your brakes as you can use engine back pressure to slow down. Also more flexibility when towing and easier gear selection. The manual also has full time 4WD while the automatic does not. FJ automatics have slightly better fuel mileage than the Manual because the lack of full time 4WD. Also off road you are much more in control with a manual transmission. Anyway I have an 07 bought new and now have 240,000 Kilometers still with original clutch and brake components except for pads (Brembo). Sterling service and figure it will last as long as my 83 Tercel 4WD wagon it replaced.
 
#43 ·
If you drive in heavy or stop and go traffic I would get the automatic. Manual will drive you nuts shifting up and down. I have a 2007 FJ with over 220,000 and automatic transmission. Still running strong. Works great off Road also as I have been to three FJ Criiser Summits. Used to be manual guy, but now i love automatic.
 
#44 ·
I have an 07 AT. can't really speak on MT FJ but I like the AT for climbing.
 
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