Every automotive enthusiast wants a manual transmission in every single vehicle to the point that even us writers are starting to get a little tired of it. If you’re one of those people, though, Toyota has your back. It sells not just the enthusiast-focused GR Corolla and 86 sports cars with a stick, but it will also sell you a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck with one. Even if only two in every hundred buyers want one, Toyota will sell it to them.

But the Tacoma’s closely related sibling, the 2025 Toyota 4Runner, won’t be getting one. The reason is simple: nobody is asking for it, and in such a competitive market, it’s nearly impossible to justify the added expense when its development would only satisfy a handful of buyers.

The Last Stick-Shift 4Runner Was 25 Years Ago

It probably won’t come as a surprise that Toyota isn’t doing a three-pedal 4Runner, even if you didn’t already know about the manual Tacoma’s abysmal take rate. The last time a 4Runner was sold with a third pedal in the US was model year 2000. Yes, the Toyota Prado, a related model sold in the rest of the world, offered one, but it wasn’t ever sold here. Even the Prado, which came with a stick until just last year, doesn’t get one anymore. Probably because now it’s just the new Land Cruiser sold here.

At the recent Toyota 4Runner first drive, a Toyota spokesperson told Car and Driver that it was technically possible. “Since the architecture is similar to Tacoma, on gas models, an MT could be possible,” they said, no doubt dreading the headlines and comment threads that could result from the comment. For those who desperately want a manual, its exclusion is an affront.

If You Want One, Tell Your Dealer

But there won’t be one because “there hasn’t been any strong customer request for it.” Yes, we know, you want your off-roader to have a stick for more control, more involvement, or whatever other reason. Toyota will be happy to sell you a Tacoma if it’s that important, knowing that your only other choices are the decidedly un-Toyota-like Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler.

While your dreams of a stick-shift 4Runner are unlikely to come true, especially since most of them will be hybrids, you can still find some solace in Toyota being the only automaker that will sell you a stick-shift pickup in 2025. Plus there is always the aftermarket. If you really want one, a swap of either the old transmission into the new SUV or even a sort of body swap of the 4Runner onto a Tacoma base are both possible.

Source: Car and Driver