Save the 6 speed!

#1
I know there are plenty of late model rollas with stick shifts out there before it went out of fashion. I am curious how many of us are still rowing gears in '14+. SE's check in but bonus points if you snagged a L with stick. If you got an L 6spd, share how you got it!
 
#3
I had to settle for CVT because there were ZERO Manual transmissions in Dallas area in any model, i almost got the 4 speed auto but they didnt make blue crush L models and i had to have blue so cvt it was. But i know one day someone will have a cvt to mt swap write up.
 
#4
I had to settle for CVT because there were ZERO Manual transmissions in Dallas area in any model, i almost got the 4 speed auto but they didnt make blue crush L models and i had to have blue so cvt it was. But i know one day someone will have a cvt to mt swap write up.
It sounds like you had to special order and there are definitely very few. Apparently only two in my region and I got lucky.
 
#5
I have a ‘14 S w/ 6MT. I spent the last 10 years driving autos because the models I wanted didn’t come with an MT option. I initially regretted going back to the MT but now that I’m used to it again I couldn’t be happier.
 
#6
Ive only seen one in person. And i know it will be hard later on finding a 6 speed transmission,and i hear its a Lotus transmission. But Im wondering if the 10th gen 5 speed would work in the 11th gen lol
 
#7
If I planned on using this platform as my dedicated sports car, I would seriously consider the 6MT swap. Being the Corolla is more of a family/commuter than a sports car, the CVT does great for city driving as well as traveling. Once I pay off the Rolla I might look into getting a 86, and that could be the dedicated 6MT sports car.
 
#9
If I planned on using this platform as my dedicated sports car, I would seriously consider the 6MT swap. Being the Corolla is more of a family/commuter than a sports car, the CVT does great for city driving as well as traveling. Once I pay off the Rolla I might look into getting a 86, and that could be the dedicated 6MT sports car.

I had a Auto to manual swap done in my 1995 240sx it felt like a new car after but someone offered me cash for it so i let it go.
Maybe when i pay off my 14 S and when im bored with it a mt swap might help me keep it instead of throwing money away on another car payment. I could start collecting small parts here and there if i find it cheap lol
 
#11
Ive only seen one in person. And i know it will be hard later on finding a 6 speed transmission,and i hear its a Lotus transmission. But Im wondering if the 10th gen 5 speed would work in the 11th gen lol
It is not. It is an EC-65 transmission. It's on some other small stuff and I think the matrix. It's a stronger version and a well built unit. The 5 speeds are going to be much easier to find and they were used more extensively.
 
#13
I had to settle for CVT because there were ZERO Manual transmissions in Dallas area in any model, i almost got the 4 speed auto but they didnt make blue crush L models and i had to have blue so cvt it was. But i know one day someone will have a cvt to mt swap write up.
I would never settle on a CVT. If I wanted a 6MT I would have a dealer locate one or order one. I've had several people from other parts of the country fly up to Olympia, WA and buy a MT and get such a great deal it was still cheaper after they drove it home! I bought my 2017 Corolla iM with a 6MT for $13560 +TT&L.
 
#15
It is not. It is an EC-65 transmission. It's on some other small stuff and I think the matrix. It's a stronger version and a well built unit. The 5 speeds are going to be much easier to find and they were used more extensively.
The 10th Gen 5MT will fit the 11th Gen and vis-versa. The difference is in the shifter cables. I looked at getting a 11th Gen 6MT for my 10th Gen 2009 Corolla S Turbo before buying my 2017 Corolla iM 6MT. They will both bolt on just fine but shifter cables may need to be swapped along with the shifter.
 
#18
I know there are plenty of late model rollas with stick shifts out there before it went out of fashion. I am curious how many of us are still rowing gears in '14+. SE's check in but bonus points if you snagged a L with stick. If you got an L 6spd, share how you got it!
I got a 2015 L with a stick. I had to go to several dealerships (many of them lied and said that they had some just to get me on the lot, then tried to get me to buy a CVT). I finally found one, and I mean ONE. I had to take it, no choice of color. Ended up with SuperWhite, which I'm happy with. Replaced the stereo and got some aftermarket wheels and was good to go. How can I use my bonus points?
 
#20
White ‘14 L 6MT special ordered by original owner. Got it from him with 135k miles a year ago. It now as 148k miles. All stock down to the 15’ wheel covers. It’s my daily driver and I enjoy driving it.
 
#21
White ‘14 L 6MT special ordered by original owner. Got it from him with 135k miles a year ago. It now as 148k miles. All stock down to the 15’ wheel covers. It’s my daily driver and I enjoy driving it.
Now make it more fun on that daily drive with some nicer wheels, at least 16", some Eibach springs and a TWM short shifter. :p
 
#23
I don't have a need for a new ride, I have my 2013 5MT. If I needed to get a new ride It would be a MT no doubt. I would likely go used and as long as there out there I would try my best to get MT. If not, well, then a hard decision would have to be made as I really do not like a CVT.
 
#28
I just purchased my J-VIN made-in-Japan 6-speed manual 2020 super-white 2020 Corolla SE sedan about a month ago, & loving it (plus I picked it up at steal of a price, since it was sitting on dealer lot unwanted for 4 months). The clutch/shift dynamics are very nice, smooth & silky IMO. Before that I was driving a 5-speed manual TRD-enhanced 2015 Yaris SE hatchback, which was a bit more hardcore/sensitive on the clutch/shift dynamics (mainly from launch). My Corolla was the car of choice because I won't buy a car with either a random-reliability push-belt CVT or one with a straight direct-inject (GDI) engine without added supplemental port injection as well. That pretty much rules out almost all new cars, lol. The Corolla fit the bill for me & is likely to be bulletproof in the manual configuration. Plus, it is a huge step up on styling, feel & road-stance from the previous-gen Corolla. This thing feels like a subcompact mini-Lexus.
 
#29
@Raithskar -- we share a lot of common thoughts and experiences on this issue. We've had our 2020 SE 6-speed (Blueprint, J-VIN) for coming up on a month. Ours was apparently on the lot for quite a while as well. We paid a hair over $20,000 (with all-weather floor mats) including all the dealer fees. It was very important for me to get the Japanese-made one, and I was surprised when I found that one on the dealer lot.

While I absolutely love having the manual vs CVT, I think the clutch engagement point is oddly high and rather vague. The shifter also feels a little vague to me, though my point of reference is a direct-link Miata shifter. So pretty much anything that shifts by cable is going to feel a little wishy washy by comparison. Still, I'm super happy I found the manual. And I'm thrilled with the price.

Like you, I'm really wary of the long-term reliability of most CVTs. We were cross-shopping with the Civic sedan, and in the EX trim all you can get is the CVT+1.5T+GDI combo. The ride quality and handling of the Civic was seriously impressive, but there's no way I could go for that unholy trinity in the powertrain.
 
#30
I just bought mine 2016 s plus with a 6 speed, been hunting for 3 months, initially found an L , but it was from lease and pretty badly beat up. Cheers
 

LeviT

New Member
#32
I traded in my 4runner for a 2014 S Premium with a 6mt. I can't do the CVT. Never driven one I liked so luckily came across this little gem. Love it. Manual is the only way to go.
 

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#33
I traded in my 4runner for a 2014 S Premium with a 6mt. I can't do the CVT. Never driven one I liked so luckily came across this little gem. Love it. Manual is the only way to go.
Couldn't agree with you more. I have 4 cars that have a MT. I couldn't live with a CVT or AT on my fun cars or DD.
 
#37
Could you swap it? Sure, enough money will let you do anything. But you will need to change out the ECU, transmission, clutch pedal, shifter, shifter cables, clutch master cylinder, etc. I wouldn't want to deal with it personally and I've done engine swaps on cars.
 
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