How does everyone feel about the new 8speed transmission?

[Burgi]

Let me preface by saying that I don’t think anything is wrong with my transmission. I drove a 24 Tacoma for a while which felt exactly the same.

accelerating and general driving, the transmission feels great. Smooth shifts besides the occasional hard shift from 2-3-4 in the morning when the transmission is cold. It’s great on the highway and I never feel like I’m in the wrong gear.

where I think the transmission is lacking refinement is on low speed downshifts. Especially in stop and go traffic when you’re constantly going from 0-30ish and back down. When slowing down the transmission holds the gear for way too long and doesn’t downshift until you hit like 1000-1200 rpm. It kind of feels like the engine is about to stall out before it does a clunky downshift. This is annoying but what really sucks is when you’re slowing down and the rpm is dropping super low AND then you step on the gas to accelerate again it will slam into a lower gear to get you going again. I’ve had quite a few harsh downshifts in stop and go situations like this which definitely concern me for long term reliabilityI’m having to adjust my driving style where I wait on the downshift before I accelerate again.

this is my first vehicle with a 8 speed transmission so maybe it’s just a characteristic of the short gears but it’s definitely taking me some time to get used to.

How do you guys feel about the transmission? Is anyone else experiencing similar symptoms in slow moving traffic situations?

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[LARIN]

Great, came from a 2021 F150 with a 10 speed, When cold below 30 the F150 would not move for about 5 seconds, I thought the parking break was on but it wasn’t. I have a SR5 so I do not know what gear I am in but shifts smooth. No transmission will be perfect but they have come along way since the 3 speed automatics I drove when younger.

 

[Mudbath]

Did you ever drive a Gen 5?

The Gen 6 is like Black Magic compared to that Jurassic box.

 

[Burgi]

Did you ever drive a Gen 5?

The Gen 6 is like Black Magic compared to that Jurassic box.

na but I had a 3rd gen tacoma which had a turd transmission. It still wasn’t as twitchy as this new one.

 

[photorunner]

I dig it. I had 2 4Runners with the 5 speed and this is much better -- for sure. FWIW, the clunky stop and go downshift is very similar to what I encountered in the last Mazda I owned (CX50 Turbo). I think if you are really soft on the gas petal it happens more often. I DID NOT notice this while in Eco drive mode, however, only since I've been using Normal. From what I have read, for stop/go or stop/slow keeping it in Eco is supposed to be better.

 

[Burgi]

I dig it. I had 2 4Runners with the 5 speed and this is much better -- for sure. FWIW, the clunky stop and go downshift is very similar to what I encountered in the last Mazda I owned (CX50 Turbo). I think if you are really soft on the gas petal it happens more often. I DID NOT notice this while in Eco drive mode, however, only since I've been using Normal. From what I have read, for stop/go or stop/slow keeping it in Eco is supposed to be better.

interesting. I haven’t really tried the eco or sport modes.

 

[nubbins_]

na but I had a 3rd gen tacoma which had a turd transmission. It still wasn’t as twitchy as this new one.

Welcome to the 2020s. There isn't a single 8/9/10 speed unit, longitudinal or transverse, that I can't pretty easily trip up at some point by putting it through stop-and-go or other confusing traffic conditions. It's just a lot of pretty closely spaced ratios for them to sift through constantly.

Back when both FWD and RWD cars were on 6-speeds, shifting behaviour was generally a bit more simple and predictable. And the turd gen's 6-speed was really not that, it was a 5-speed + 1 useless extra overdrive gear.

Just be grateful it drives smooth in ideal conditions and is not a 10R80, lol

 

[TTime5280]

Did you ever drive a Gen 5?

The Gen 6 is like Black Magic compared to that Jurassic box.

The 8-speed transmission is so much better!

 

[Captain_Hook]

I agree the low gears seem a little bumpy. Interesting comment about the Eco mode because initially I didn’t notice it and I spent the first week or is in Eco, then swapped to normal mode. I’m gonna throw it back to eco and see if it helps. I’m mostly driving back roads at 60mph anyways with little traffic so not a huge issue anyways.

 

[Xhale760]

It's definitely not like my old c63 when shifting. Morning hard clunks are worrysum from putting it from park to reverse shakes the entire car. Today down shift from either 3-2 or 2-1 was a bad clunk that I didn't like. I'm at 2500 miles I plan on changing the oil this week myself then going in for 5k service and letting them know about it.

 

[2025 Big Red]

I have been doing a lot of highway driving. Cruising at 65 I will put in manual mode and it’s always in 7th gear, always. I will manually put in 8th gear, and no change in tach. Has anyone else tried this with the same results? Any insights?

 

[Jakethewhippet1]

I like the new 8 speed. No hard shifting up or down at all. I do not yet have any of the issues you describe. I can feel it downshifting but that happens smoothly IMO. I've have 2021 Explorer and 2019 F150 10 speeds which I also had no complaints about.

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