Ok, we are going Pdog shooting in the top secret location now for sure! I would LOVE a taco! Get a 6 speed manual if you can! perfect size for everything!
I was going manual, always owned a manual for the last 30 years, but this one won’t be. The wife can drive them but hates them, anxiety thing, and I couldn’t be that selfish.
Most modern stock auto “gear hunts” in the hills and far more so with something on the hitch, it’s the nature of modern fuel efficiency goalposts that .gov keeps moving for manufacturers to chase and the shift point programming to keep it in the highest gear possible. There are solutions for that. Reprogramming is relatively inexpensive.
I’ll likely be regearing it to 4.88 anyhow in the next year or so, going to slowly gather parts to turn it into a little climbing mule while trying to keep it fairly light.
Bed length, I went 5’ simply for my purpose of wanting the shorter WB for off-roading and cost had zero play in the decision. I see pickups in two forms, a short little guy for adventure and a long bed one-ton for work, with everything in between a compromise in one form or another. If I have to bring a trailer to load Sheetrock anyhow, might as well have the off road advantage of the shorter WB. If I already have the shitty ride and fuel economy of a HD pickup, might as well have the higher GVWR and bed space to go with it. Half tons fill a minor gap, if I had more people to move in it than just me and the wife, maybe, but we don’t. That’s why we have a car as well, and the rear seat will not be staying in the Taco when I get done with it as it’s near pointless for us to have it.
My philosophy certainly won’t apply to everyone.