The second is an auto

 

Hotbox, you nailed it, IMO. I should just get a new shifter. I have a clutch in the basement, but beed a flywheel and some cohoonas to install it

 

i think the manual trans is great. its even better with the TRD sport shifter. very direct.

now performance wise what are you lookin for? if you beating up on the car, then upgrade the clutch

 

Thanks everyone for great write ups...... I'm been wanting to buy/test drive
a manual xB for so long that when I finally did this past Sunday, well....... you
all describe the shifter exactly as how I felt it after 5 minutes......

I really appreciate all the comments expecially d114 really explained it well.... THANKS!

I think the long 2 foot shifter is the problem... makes it too loose..... like a
broomstick (just kidding, by the way it was Motor Trend which described
the Chevy Aveo)....

I killed the engine during the test drive because I wanted to see if the xB would roll
forward from a stop and get going at the lowest RPM.... (but only drove it for 2
minutes I didn't get used to how the clutch engages, yet).

Well.... I'm going to test drive the Auto .... Living in San Francisco ... well
I really want a manual transmission.... so maybe getting the TRD short
shifter will make the manual much tighter... (yes?)

 

The short shifter is a must. I had the stock shifter for two days while the dealer ordered the parts and I hated it.

The TRD Shifter makes for a much shorter throw. Shifting is much easier over stock.

The clutch is like butter. I've driven a 2000 landcruiser '95, BMW 325i, an assortment of older model Mercedes, and the worst a 2001 Passat.

The clutch is nice and I only stalled it once on the first day.

Everyone I know that has driven my car likes the clutch and has commented on how smooth and forgiving it is.

I'm sure there are other cars out there with as smooth a clutch, but if you are looking to be economical this is the bests one out there.

I live in NYC and I will admit that I'm concerned about the stop and go traffic and the wear it is putting on the clutch, but toyota does have a reputation for solid transmissions.

Just my two cents.

 

I got a manual xB, because a friend of mine gained on me in my auto tC. I hate 1st to 2nd, cuz it's so "slow", people almost rear end me leaving lights. My stick also clunks/catches as I shift, Toyota says it's normal. I'm going to do some upgrades, hoping to finally stop watching my rearview when I take off from a light. But, 3rd is GREAT!!! lol

 

solid transmissions yes , solid clutches? hell no.

 

Agreed.

I'm hoping the short shifter helps. If you travel alot in the bay area, you will appreciate the manual, especially when the interstate gets hilly... never driven on the 17 with this car yet, but i can imagine it being fun.

Drive both of them to vegas and you'll see why I chose the manual. Of course, if girls and gambling is not your thing and celine dion is... then the auto would suit you just fine. :p j/k

that's true... but it's one step from toyota replacing the windshield wipers with play-doh and telling people to upgrade their wipers with aftermarket ones. Pretty soon, we'll be told to buy aftermarket tires because the car will come with 4 spare tires. What next? doors optional from the factory? I know this is an economy car... but fixing the shifter would make me feel like I got a steal of a deal instead of just a good value.

I remember going to vegas in the scions...
the first time I went was in an xA, with automatic. The second time was in the xB, manual. I saw three other scions on my way to vegas. You could definately tell who had the automatics... the gearing on the autos allows for great flatland cruising... but on the hills... the gearing puts the peak power out of range.

It was embarassing for me to be passed on the hill by other scions in the automatic scion. I know they knew I had the automatic just by the difference in speed.

So as some other posters have said in other posts... "suck it up and live with it", and I'll keep my crappy shifter feeling five speed.

 

Touche!

 

TRD Clutch is great, quick engagement & the sloppy feel of the clutch is long gone. Precise is the word I'm looking for.

The Shifter, while not beautiful astetically (sp), does the job 1000x better that the stock shifter.

 

After spending almost a month's salary to have my new BMW 2002's transmission synchros replaced, I stopped shifting fast. For 30 years in every car since, I have paused for an instant between gears. After having had a lot of manual transmissions, the xB's feels great.
If you want a good car for stoplight to stoplight, for fast takeoffs and fast shifts, why get an xB and abuse it? Do you think you might be happier in some other car? There are many better ones out there.

 

the stock clutch didn't feel sloppy but it was crap.

the trd clutch is not very good. it's stock disc with an upgraded pressure plate.

it's much better than stock and in reality should be the stock clutch.

 

The stock shifter is easy - I have never felt an easier one. The short shifter kits change the leverage to make shifts faster. Faster shifts increase the force and wear on the synchronizers. Very fast shifters are even able to defeat the synchros and cause gears to clash on the 1-2 shift. After 50K miles, speed-shifted transmissions may need work. Maybe fast-shifting people don't intend to keep their xBs that long.

 

I only have 1100 miles on my xB. So far the clutch is easy and the shifter is not sloppy. I down shift coming to a stop. It's so natural I don't even think about it. The get up and go isn't Posche-like but it is pretty good for a little four banger. I am more than satisfied. For those not sure which transmission to get, it might be a good idea to get a quote on replacing the clutch and one on a replacement Automatic tranny.

 

While waiting for the car, I assumed I would need a shifter kit. Now at 1700 miles, I am curious about how a shifter kit might feel, but am satisfied with the stock shifter.

The automatic transmission is not likely to need replacement. The clutch will likely need replacement between 30-60K miles depending on the owner. I figure $300 for the parts and $500 to $750 for labor.

The decision on which transmission get can consider three factors:
1. Cost: The manual is $900 less but the clutch is likely cost that long before the automatic transmission needs any attention, so cost is about the same over the life of the transmissions.
2. Performance: The manual is geared higher, making a rather different car from the auto. The manual accelerates faster, has more power for passing at cruising speed, can climb hills at faster speed, has higher top speed. The auto accelerates slower, cruises more quietly using 500 less rpm, climbs hills slower, and has less top speed.
3. Type of use: The manual is more fun to drive if you can keep moving, but the automatic
is better for dense traffic with jams.

 

I really can't say I'm an expert, but I have heard several transmission shop workers say that automatics in little Japanese four bangers "lunch" all the time. I've had real bad luck with Ford & GM automatics, Over the past 25 years, I had one go out in an Aerostar, A Chevy Van and a Ford F150. Each time it got more and more expensive. A couple of years ago I had a clutch replaced in a 92 Ford Ranger and I got out for $600, parts and labor.
I'm sure there are many people who have no failure problems with automatics, but I really got ____ed the last time one failed on me.
I'll be crossing my fingers and hoping to get 100K outta my clutch...

 

the number one transmission related problem in these cars is the inability to shift from 1st to second. STOCK......

 

I have not noticed this at all in the 1700 miles of driving the car. The 1-2 shift is perfect for me. Under slight pressure from the finger tips, the shifter glides to neutral and 2nd with a clop-clop sound from the linkage and no resistance from the transmission.

 

Yeah, but you're not forcing the shift and turning the synchros into a fine slurry in the bottom of the transmission casing, Allan... Most folks having problems with the 1-2 shift are forcing it, and eventually there just aren't any synchros left 'twixt the two.

 

Other MTs I've owned:

1971 Ford Pinto
1974 Fiat 128 SL
1976 Ford Pinto
1985 Chrysler Lebaron GTS

Other memorable MTs I've driven:
1970 Porsche 911 (very difficult)
1971 VW Beetle (weird clutch action)
1973 Mazda RX-3 (leaky slave cylinder)
1974 Datsun 810 (super noisy but bulletproof)
1980 Chevy Citation (super long throws, rubbery)
2002 Subaru WRX (short throws, nice)
2006 Chevy Corvette (heavy clutch, bulletproof tranny)

In my opinion, the xB MT is by far the easiest stickshift I have ever driven, and I am currently teaching my daughter how to drive on it.

But it doesn't feel *tough*, so if you drive hard, maybe the AT is for you. For toughness, I'd give the award to the '76 Pinto transmission I drove for 4 years.

However, I had 160k miles on the '85 Lebaron clutch when I replaced it only because I was rebuillding the engine. Otherwise, it would have gone longer - and that's in the hills of Pittsburgh.

In the xB, I didn't like the way the AT seemed to always make the engine rev higher than it should while gear hunting, but once it settled on the highway it was quieter. But mine is mainly a commuter car, so I chose the MT. Besides, I couldn't justify the extra $850 and the complexity of an AT - extra underhood plumbing and computer logic. Plus I had the future driver's training in mind!