That's still the case, you can only get the manual with the crew cab short bed...which throws out my idea of getting one, I'd want the access cab with the 6 foot bed and manual, and now you can only get the manual with the TRD Sport package I believe. Wish they would have kept it with the lower end models too.
The TRD Sport is available with Access Cab, 6' bed, and manual transmission (but 4x4 only, no 2WD manual is offered AFAIK).
The lack of manuals does not seem to be because of lack of demand...
Case in point:
Toyota, for whatever reason, purposely limits production of all stickshift Tacomas to 5% of total production, and their selling prices show this vividly (dealers are almost completely unwilling to negotiate on a stickshift truck, but will readily knock thousands off the sticker of an auto truck with little haggling. They know well, someone who reeeaaallly wants that stickshift, they will pony up for it. Same goes on the used market, you'd be damn lucky to find a stickshift Tacoma for much less than new sticker unless it's 10+ years old or has some sort of problem with it). If manuals were more readily available in all small pickups, I believe the take rate would be somewhere closer to 10-15% (at least going by conversations I've had with friends & family).
I cannot remember Toyota ever derating their manuals for towing, but I'll concede I never paid that close attention until some time into production of the 2nd-gen Tacoma.
Clutches are considered wear items anyway (much like brakes), so unless one were to go out at less than 5K miles or something, I doubt most dealers would warranty a worn clutch (so the idiots who can't figure out how to use a clutch I wouldn't think would be something on a mfgr's radar when lowering tow ratings or restricting their availability).
As for payload, it looks to be a 50lb difference between the auto & stick (not very significant IMO, although the Tacoma's payload ratings are already nothing to write home about).
And FWIW, this lack of stickshifts thing is ONLY a U.S. phenomenon... Automatic transmissions are the odd duck in nearly every other part of the world.
Compared to the spectacular A4LD?
lol
Yeah really... nothing at all in a RBV could really be considered 'reliable' before the M5OD came around.
What I've come to find though is the A4LD's problems seem to come mainly from lack of adequate cooling. I've seen an A4LD take quite a bit of abuse as long as it's kept cool (under 190° or so). I suspect on paper the A4LD likely penciled out stronger, but it's cooling issues got the best of most of them.