I’ve lost count of how many times the internet has lost it over the death of manual transmissions. I understand why—everybody’s worried that their favorite sports car will go auto-only. But as a truck guy, I’ve had more time to get used to it. Half-ton trucks like the Ford F-150 dropped stick-shifts a long time ago, and there hasn’t been one in a heavy-duty pickup since Ram ditched it in 2018. Maybe that’s why I’m a little numb to the fact that the Toyota Tacoma is now the last truck with three pedals.
It became official when Jeep announced on Wednesday that the Gladiator will now come exclusively with the eight-speed automatic. Really, it’s only the latest in a long line of trucks that have followed the same path. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a manual Gladiator, which could explain why Jeep did away with it.
If anything, I was surprised to see the Tacoma’s manual be the last standing. It’s a six-speed unit that pairs with the truck’s 2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder. That engine is slightly detuned for trucks with the manual, to 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, rather than automatic models‘ 278 hp and 317 lb-ft. Toyota only offers it on full crew-cab models, which is kind of a shame, but hey—beggars can’t be choosers.
My guess is Toyota will keep selling the Tacoma with a manual for the foreseeable future. As we learned while talking to the truck’s chief engineer Sheldon Brown last year, it took a decent amount of work to make that transmission fit the turbo-four. That’s partially why it has that funky-looking shift boot. (I still think they should have designed an old-school accordion-style one. Hopefully the aftermarket will).
I just built the most basic Tacoma possible with a manual transmission on Toyota’s website, and the total, after destination fees, was $38,395. So if you’re looking to buy a new truck with a stick-shift, expect to spend at least that much.
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