I am very close to purchasing a 01 Highlander . Should i go for manual or automatic? is there a huge cost difference to do with maintenance and repairs or what? im not worried about speed of offset and so on i was just wondering.

I think it is really personal preference. I mean do you do a lot of stop and go driving? If so, then a auto is the way to go. I used to have all manuals but got rid of them when I started spending the majority of my time stopping at the thousands of red lights in town.

Manuals have clutches that can go as well as master cylinders, etc. An automatic basically is just that when it goes it goes, so you will either be replacing many little parts or just an entire tranny.

Again I think it all boils down to personal preference. If it is any help my wife and I HAVE a 2001 Highlander (2WD) and LOVE IT!!! We have never had any major issues with it and have taken it on MANY trips of great lenth. As a matter of fact, we drive it so much that it currently has 84,000 miles on it.

Good luck on your purchase!!!

I personally prefer a manual as it is better. You can control your engine speed and your take off speed a heck of a lot better than a manual. If you like being in as much control of your vehicle then go manual. However, if you plan to be on the phone a lot and stopping by fast food places and eatting in the vehicle, than I suggest you may want to go automatic.

I think the cost difference has to do with what is normal and customary. Most people get autos now. Lots of people couldn't drive a manual if their lives depended on it, so it costs more. If resale is an issue, it might be harded to sale a manual in the future.

Personally, I always loved manuals - until I had kids. Now I don't know if I could drive one! Too much else going on in the car.

completely concur with all above.

If you're mainly city driving get an automatic.
But if you are doing alot of 4x4'ing....especially in mountainous terrain you really need a manual tranny.

I am Canadian, and I grew up in the mountains. Rocking a vehicle back and forth to "un-stuck" it absolutely requires a Manual Transmission.

However, having said that, with kids and city driving.....i want an automatic tranny.

I have both. You need to judge what you are primarily doing.

And it's kindof importand to know if you can actually drive a manual. You would think it would be a given, but I know people who bought one without really knowing what they were getting into.

This is me! I used to drive a manual long, long ago. At the time, I loved it!

Nowadays, I spend too much time in stop and go traffic. I have my child in the car, and it always seems I am needing to grab a paci or sippy cup at red lights.

I also agree that for resale value, a manual might be much harder to buy.

My husband wishes our Camry was manual because he does feel as though it is easier to fix small parts than fix the entire automatic transmission. He is more of a 'basics' kind of guy.

Now that I've gone to auto.. I'll never go back!

We still have a manual in the family, so if I need a fix, I have a place to go. For everyday driving, I guess I'll stick with the auto. Honestly, there are some cars (ie minivans) that shouldn't be manual and some (ie mustangs) that shouldn't be auto - but that's just my opinion.

Whatever you would like would be fine because theres not relly a price difference.

I guess it's up to the individual. I have both and honestly as I get older. I go with the automatic lol

Its really a matter of personal preference. Some people like the control of a manual, other like the ease of use they get with an automatic.
There really is no "best" choice in this instance. I personally think that an automatic is a safer buy if you are buying used. If you dont know better, you can unknowingly abuse an manual (riding the clutch pedal, burning up the clutch on starts, grinding the gears when going from foreward to reverse, ect) but to abuse an automatic you pretty much have to try to abuse it. About the only way I can think of that you could unknowingly abuse an automatic if to go from drive to park or reverse before you are completely stopped.