This Is The Only Recent Manual Transmission Pickup Truck You Can Buy In The U.S.

A fantastic deal has been said concerning the impending death of the manual transmission, and evidently the projection is proving to be accurate. Nowhere is that this more evident than within the pickup truck segment, where nearly all automakers now offer only automatic gearboxes across their ranges. Just last yr, you may order a brand new Jeep Gladiator with a normal six-speed manual. But that is sadly not the case, after Stellantis ditched the stick shift as a part of its updates for 2025, leaving the previously optional eight-speed automatic because the lone gearbox.

Resulting from this, the Toyota Tacoma is now the one recent pickup truck with a manual transmission. That is due to its available six-speed manual, which features the second-gen version of Toyota’s intelligent manual transmission (iMT2) automatic rev-matching and anti-stall technology to smoothen things out. Note, though, that the manual doesn’t come standard and is simply available on select trims. Fairly, what you get by default is an eight-speed automatic. The death of the manual is not only a truck problem, Based on our findings, there are only 34 recent cars available with a manual transmission in 2025.

That does not really fit the dying breed image, but whenever you consider how things were back within the day, the image becomes clearer. Per the EPA, about 65% of all light-duty vehicles produced in 1980 had an automatic gearbox, meaning manual-equipped vehicles held onto an affordable 35% of market share. But by 2022, the share of manual-equipped light-duty vehicles had dropped to lower than 1%. Based on the EPA, automatic transmissions have grown in popularity due to their ability to “provide greater efficiency by optimizing engine operation and reducing energy losses when transmitting power to the wheels.”

Of the 2025 Toyota trims, only the Tacoma SR, TRD Sport, and TRD Off-Road can be found with a manual transmission. But even these models require specific engines and configurations to grant access. But first, the engines. The Tacoma comes with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder, offered as either the i-FORCE 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-four engine or the i-FORCE MAX 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-four hybrid powertrain introduced for 2024. The entry-level SR trim is the one model that gives the bottom turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder, which produces 228 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque. The upper output variant of the i-Force engine offers two power levels: 270 hp and 310 pound-feet of torque or 278 hp and 317 pound-feet of torque. 

The mightier i-FORCE MAX 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-four hybrid powertrain, meanwhile, pairs the turbo four-cylinder with a 48-hp electric motor for a combined 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. Now, should you want the six-speed manual, you’ll need to go together with the i-FORCE 2.4-liter turbocharged and make do with barely less power at 270 hp and 310 pound-feet. The bottom-spec i-FORCE inline-four and the 326-hp i-FORCE MAX engines are automatic-only.

From there, you’ll need to decide on the double cab configuration, which seats as much as five occupants, to realize access to the manual. This is applicable to the bottom SR trim, while the TRD Sport and TRD Off-Road trims are only available in double cab configurations. Surprisingly, Tacoma models with the manual transmission get the worst fuel economy and are estimated to get 20 mpg in combined city-highway driving, in response to the EPA. Tacoma Hybrid models with the automated gearbox top the range with a median 23 combined mpg.

Deciding whether or not to purchase the Toyota Tacoma ultimately comes all the way down to what you value most in a truck. Should you’re searching for a workhorse, it will be sensible to go for a full-size pickup, as they’re designed to handle heavier loads. That is against the Tacoma, which only boasts decent towing and payload capacities, with its max towing capability rated at 6,500 kilos. The 2025 Tacoma can even carry as much as 1,705 kilos of payload in its bed.

Should you’re joyful with those numbers and prioritize the manual transmission, then the Tacoma is a no brainer. Historically, it has been the most effective pickup trucks to purchase, whether recent or used. It’s rated highly for its reliability and currently ranks because the truck with the perfect resale value after five years, in response to KBB, which projects the midsize truck will retain as much as 64.1% of its original value in that point. iSeeCars rates the Tacoma’s value retention even higher, at 74%, putting it just behind the venerable Porsche 911 and Porsche 718 Cayman in its rating of vehicles with the bottom amount of depreciation.

There’s also the proven fact that the present Tacoma features rear coil springs, which help smooth out the ride on the road. As a matter of fact, there’s little or no improper with the Taco, and should you desire a recent truck with a manual transmission, the time-tested Tacoma is your best (and only) option.