2016 Toyota Tacoma's New Six-Speed Automatic Has the Numbers

We've written a lot about the 2016 Toyota Tacoma, and at the heart of the new beast is the new D-4S Atkinson-cycle engine that can move from a standard Otto-cycle mode to Atkinson as well as from direct-injection to port injection as the demands on the vehicle change. But maybe more important is how well spaced and capable the all-new six-speed automatic transmission is, and how much better it is when compared to the engines it's replacing and competing with.

Here's a quick look at the available gears and separation of the 2015 versus 2016 Tacoma automatic transmissions.

2015 Tacoma: 3.73:1 gears, five-speed automatic

1st: 3.52:1
2nd: 2.04:1
3rd: 1.40:1
4th: 1.00:1
5th: 0.72:1

2016 Tacoma: 3.91:1 gears, six-speed automatic

1st: 3.60:1
2nd: 2.09:1
3rd: 1.49:1
4th: 1.00:1
5th: 0.69:1
6th: 0.58:1

Although the new gear box has one more overdrive gear, the two transmissions are relatively similar — separated by fractions. However, the fact that the new six-speed is lighter and smaller, and is paired with more horsepower and better efficiency from the new V-6 engine, makes it obvious that this technology provides exponential advantages. The gearing spread alone (4.92 versus 6.21, old versus new) is enough to make the vehicle more competitive.

Here's a quick comparison of the new Toyota Tacoma gear ratios multiplied by the new axle ratio (3.91:1) compared to the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado's six-speed auto transmission gear ratios and axle gears (3.42:1). We should note the GM 3.6-liter 24-valve direct-injection V-6 has 27 more horsepower and 4 more pounds-feet of torque. EPA ratings for the new Tacoma 4×4 are 18/23/20 mpg city/highway/combined; the Colorado 4×4 gets 17/24/20.