After waiting several weeks my dealership was able to get a 6-speed in for me to drive. I enjoyed it!! It is a vast improvement over the automatic. That gearbox is silky smoooooth!! First rate!! My 1st to 2nd shifts were less than perfect but will be fine tuned soon enough I suppose. I drove the car hard for 20 minutes and left smiling. It looks like I have decided that this is the one. Man this car handles very well, substantially better than the TL. It will be Charcoal with ebony. Now the next big stumbling block, navi or no navi?????????????? Damn I can't decide. I had navi on my last car, but only because it was no choice. I then fell for it because it saved me a half dozen times or so. Its adds 40 dollars a month to my lease payment. So its a tough choice.

The only annoying thing is if I want the 6-speed with navi, they would have to build it which will take 2 months. Thats an eternity to me. I'm almost considering just getting the auto just so I can be in s TSX soon. Im so indecisive

 

I ordered a 2005 Carbon Grey TSX w. NAV 6MT three months although the dealer has yet to receive any. Actually, he said he was getting a Silver version next week although I ended up taking a used 2004 Carbon Grey TSX w. NAV 6MT that was certified instead.

6MT - definitely worth the wait. Smaller engines like the TSX definitely benefit from a manual tranny. More automatics are made simply because Americans don't really know how to drive manual in mass #s. Ironic considering all the brochures and commercials show manual. VTEC engines lack a lot of torque so they have to be at high rpms for best power use. Manual enables this unlike auto. If you were getting a bigger car like the TL then I would recommend the auto to reduce the effects of torque steer FWD.

NAV - worth it. Acura probably makes the best NAV system out there (Alpine). Big screen and easy to use plus it increases the value of the car dramatically. Can't be it at that price range.


Good luck!

 

You can always get the 6M w/ out Navi. and add a good GPS. It may not be as good as the Acura integrated GPS but will work great as well.
Louie

 

Can't understand why they think a driver with a manual tranny wouldn't want Navi in the car. Maybe they feel we can't shift and read the navi screen at the same time......

 

Get the Navi if you can afford it. I wish I did...

 

I ordered a 2005 CG/Ebony 6spd Navi and my dealership found one for me in just over a month. The one I actually ordered should be here in March. I have had the car for about 6 weeks now and I love it. I think the Navi is worth every penny. I would not have considered this car without the 6spd. Wait if you have to but see if the dealership will find you one. They are out there, they just aren't as common. Good luck, the pay off is worth it.

 

Rodney: study the gear ratios and power curve in the '05 brochure and you'll understand why the 1-2 gear change is touchier than the rest. Stick with the 6
MT, as C&D says, its a "pedestrian" car with an automatic.

 

I agree with the pedestrian comment! But does it really take over 9 seconds to get to 60? My 99 Accord is faster than that.

EDIT: and it's a four-cylinder automatic.