Having owned sequential shifter cars amazing the ignorance of the advantage of paddle shifters. There is a reason performance vehicles have them, since you have to remove your hands from the wheel to shift.
Honestly wish my F150 had them since manual shifting with a button is stupid.
Though...
I think you are correct this is not the vehicle for you. Go buy a hybrid Camry.
This forum is full of people who have never ever owned a real truck in their life, sorry that 4 runner is not a real truck. Real trucks use to get 10 mpg highway or city. They had giant v8s that made less power...
Because this 4 cyl does not have enough resistance to hold a 5,000 lb truck. Remember it is turbocharged so besides it having only 4 small cylinders it has lower compression.
This
I have owned many a stick shift car. Never would I just leave it in 1st and hope the engine resistance would hold the car. If you can't remember to put on the PARKING BRAKE maybe and automatic is better suited for you.
As pertaining to the OP statement, in no way or form could leaving a stock bronco in 6th gear while accelerating (even uphill) would do any damage or shorten the life of a clutch or pressure plate. If anything the power is linear due to slower Rev up than downshifting.
Apples to oranges This turbo 4 is not a gt500 with a performance clutch/pressure plate .
Seriously they way people talk about these Broncos you would believe the parts are made from paper mâchè.
How are you going to warp heads moving at 70 mph uphill? They warp if you overheat the engine, like way overheat. These engines are made quite robustly they will also protect themselves before ever getting into a danger zone.
How are you straining a clutch leaving it in gear while rolling. That makes 0.0 sense. Unless you're clutch is worn and slipping the engine and trans are connected with the clutch engaged. Have a BMW with 100k on a clutch never downshift on the highway when I need to speed up or go up hill.
Buy a Napa Gold it breaths almost as well as a K&N without letting all the dirt a K&N lets into the intake. There are a few comparisons online that show this.