Does any other auto tranny Yaris owner regret not getting the MT?

[centrysis]

My wife wanted a MT, but she had blown out her ACL, so I convinced her to get an AT. Her knee still bothers her sometimes, and she's glad she went with the AT. When I bought my Yaris, there were 10 of them on the lot, and only one was a MT. I went with the AT. After years of driving a MT and working 12 hour days, I just wanted to get in, put it in drive and go.

[SAV912]

My local Toyota dealer hates me because they have been calling and calling, trying to get me to trade in my '09 on a Gen 3 '12+ and I told them flat out "No dice, unless you come up with a manual SE."

There isn't a single manual SE on the lot. There isn't one in the region, or at port. There isn't even one on the boats over from Japan. They are not pleased with me, but it is the one thing I will not budge on. Not because it's more efficient or because it's fewer moving parts, easier to maintain, and will last longer than it's automatic bretheren.

But because it's fun. And I can not have a tiny car like a Yaris with 106 beans under the hood and have the fun zapped out because the transmission shifts when it thinks it should, not when I tell it to. I should be able to rev it and rev it and rev it until the valves come out and dance around on top of the hood, and then change gear.

Not to knock those that chose the automatic. I hate myself when I go through downtown Atlanta traffic. But there's a reason her's is the automatic and mine is the manual.



-C

[upgradedyaris]

I like the fact that my Yaris is an auto. It is nice and relaxing and can just take it easy. I don't regret getting it at all. I have my manual Supra for my summer fun car and it is old too. You can't dis the older cars. Many of them are awesome.

[MadMax]

Originally Posted by SAV912

But there's a reason her's is the automatic and mine is the manual.

'Cause she's smarter than you?!?

All kidding aside, that's a great pic!

Cheers! M2

[auxmike]

Only manual I could find back in March '08 was a red bare bones hatch. Not interested....
Ended up getting a loaded Metiorite AUTO hatch instead, gotta have the creature comforts!

[NZ-FE Vios]

I was ok getting a bare bones. If it was red, I probably would have waited. Mirrors and locks would be nice.tho.

[PaddyMac]

I got an auto because I was thinking that a MT would have a clutch and a clutch would be one more ware item on my new car. /I have a 62 Chevy pick up that is a lot of work/ I found out 2 years after I got my new car that my wife refuses to drive a MT. I was very injured in a MVA not in the car. If I got a MT I would not have to share my car. Next car will have a MT for sure now

[jayeh]

Everyone is forgetting the best part of having a MT, not having to loan your car to anyone because they can't drive it.

I'm on the fence about getting the MT. I've been looking for an auto, but the MT ones are so much cheaper its incredible. For $6000 you get a 2004 echo auto with 160,000km, or $6000 for a 2006 Yaris MT, loaded, with 90,000km. :eye bulge:

I also want the MT so I can take off on second. I find the automatics toyota uses are ridiculously steep in first year.

Originally Posted by MattS.

I was looking for a new Yaris with MT. Damn hard to find, so I ended up with an AT. How about the reverse... anyone wish they had bought an AT Yaris. I doubt either side will admit to anything :)

Really?
I'm having trouble finding an automatic one here.

Originally Posted by churp

The ocassional emergency power situation is in favor of the automatic....don't always have that extra second to downshift to 2nd or 3rd. Haven't seen too many law enforcment with manuals for a few decades either.

I don't think there is a manual option for the chevy suv's, ford suv's, ford crown vics, or chevy impalas that the police use here.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by jayeh

Everyone is forgetting the best part of having a MT, not having to loan your car to anyone because they can't drive it.

I'm on the fence about getting the MT. I've been looking for an auto, but the MT ones are so much cheaper its incredible. For $6000 you get a 2004 echo auto with 160,000km, or $6000 for a 2006 Yaris MT, loaded, with 90,000km. :eye bulge:

I also want the MT so I can take off on second. I find the automatics toyota uses are ridiculously steep in first year.


Really?
I'm having trouble finding an automatic one here.

I don't think there is a manual option for the chevy suv's, ford suv's, ford crown vics, or chevy impalas that the police use here.

I love the first paragraph of this post. I would only lend my car to...1. Someone whose driving I trust and 2. Someone I'm certain would NEVER sue me. Those two qualifications reduce the pool to a very small number. If I add 3. Knows how to drive a stick....this reduces the subset to one person....my cousin....and she is the only person I have ever lent my Yaris to.

[CPALK719]

no regrets at all, i just purchase my 2012 magnetic grey 3 door L model, and im very happy with it !!! its relaxing not having to shift and i can just cruise.

Besides if i want to drive manual car or more like a high HP manual car i'll pull the evo out, or the del sol for those beautiful sunny days out

[daf62757]

I am guessing that some people love to drive manuals for the sporty feel. I drive an auto because its effortless and you don't even have to think about it. I have done the manual thing in the past and while Toyota makes an almost automatic manual....they shift so easily and smoothly (this is based on a 1980 Corolla SR5 I owned) I prefer to spend my limited attention span on operating my radio and pretending to pay attention to the road in front of me. My wife thinks its a miracle that I haven't already been killed running into a tractor trailer.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by daf62757

I am guessing that some people love to drive manuals for the sporty feel. I drive an auto because its effortless and you don't even have to think about it. I have done the manual thing in the past and while Toyota makes an almost automatic manual....they shift so easily and smoothly (this is based on a 1980 Corolla SR5 I owned) I prefer to spend my limited attention span on operating my radio and pretending to pay attention to the road in front of me. My wife thinks its a miracle that I haven't already been killed running into a tractor trailer.

This post doesn't surprise me.

[auxmike]

When I bought my car in 08 I couldn't find any stick with the full power package. I guess I settled for the auto because my old car died and I needed a car like NOW.
I'm happy with the auto, but I think the car would feel faster with the stick. I do hate changing Clutches though.
The painful part was seeing a meteorite fully loaded, with the 5 speed about a month AFTER I bought my car! that's ok, I still get great mpgs and I live in an area with many hills.

[why?]

the only thing i wish i could add to my car is cruise control, and only occasionally. And of course I could if I really wanted it.

I've never understood why people don't like rush hour traffic in a manual, when i'm stopped i don't have to keep pressure on any pedal at all, rather than mashing the brake all the time.

Oh, and how many have mistakenly had drive when they wanted reverse? I've done it in an auto before, never done it in a manual.

but it is whatever, auto's are finally getting better ecu's and better programming so they don't really resemble the slushboxes of even a decade ago.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by why?

the only thing i wish i could add to my car is cruise control, and only occasionally. And of course I could if I really wanted it.

I've never understood why people don't like rush hour traffic in a manual, when i'm stopped i don't have to keep pressure on any pedal at all, rather than mashing the brake all the time.

Oh, and how many have mistakenly had drive when they wanted reverse? I've done it in an auto before, never done it in a manual.

but it is whatever, auto's are finally getting better ecu's and better programming so they don't really resemble the slushboxes of even a decade ago.

Paragraph #2 I've never understood it either. Paragraph #3 - In 2009 I was sitting in my Yaris reading a newspaper in Fremont, CA in the parking lot in front of one of the locations of the virtually nationwide health club chain I belong to. The only other car in my part of the lot was hesitating to start and it was very loud, so it caught my attention. The person finally got the car started. It was an old clunker. The person eventually, after lots of gunning the engine, got the car warmed up....and then BAM! The car jumped the curb and kept going....through the glass wall of that side of the club and up onto some treadmills. Thank goodness nobody had populated that part of the club for that part of the day. The driver thought she was in reverse, but was in drive.

[caineroad]

i drive an auto if i don't want to put my foot down for red light, then i just put it in neutral and pull the handbrake. i do that all the time when my foot gets tired from braking. all i had to do is push the stick up from D to N

[CanIHazYarisHatch?]

I just wish my 5 speed had a 6th gear.

[CrankyOldMan]

Originally Posted by CanIHazYarisHatch?

I just wish my 5 speed had a 6th gear.

Do you want to get even lower RPMs on the highway? If so, that's a "pretty easy" swap: change the 5th gear pinion and driven gears to those from an 03-07 Matrix. You'd be going from 0.815:1 to 0.725:1, meaning a decent drop in RPMs.

If you want the close ratios of a 6-speed gearbox, then the C160 from a Levin Trueno may be a workable solution, otherwise I'm considering picking up a salvage C60 for measuring and fitment tests.