money9111

I'm debating on whether or not to get MT or Automatic. I live on a college campus where there is construction year round. In addition to the contruction the rush hour traffic is horrible seeing as though I'm 30 minutes from NYC. I have spoken to many people regarding this debate and I've gotten mixed reviews. Some people say that you can't get a TSX in an automatic... it's like sacreligious. Other's say that it's fine. Personally I do not want to pay alot of attention to driving, with shifting and everything. I don't drive my present car as though I'm racing it, so I don't have a need for speed (You know how those young bucks treat their cars... although im 21)...What are your thoughts?

Brad

I'm an MT fan--but that's me. By reading your description, I think you're justified in getting an AT. I figured that if I lived in a conjested, dog-eat-dog, "inch-by-inch" traffic area that I would opt for AT. Some areas of San Francisco come to mind as a place where I would prefer AT, but I have no desire to live or work there.

The AT lets one focus more on other things while driving, like shaving, brushing teeth, reading the paper, talking on the cell phone, combing hair, applying make-up (if female or whatever), eating, etc. Just kidding! (Actually there is some truth to that in the decline in sales of MT vehicles over the years.) (And the truth be told, I've seen individuals perform the above tasks while driving.)

However, I've been driving MT so long that I don't readily think about shifting. The actions come automatically!

However, I've always lived in the 'burbs, and traffic isn't that bad unless there's an accident blocking the highway. <knock on wood>

Jason

Yeah hear correct: the stick is a must in this car.

Yui

Sportshift is a pretty decent alternative... still get to control the gears to get more power if you're passing, but without the hassle of having a clutch. Just test drive it... =)

finalheaven

I plan to get the auto. Better fuel mileage and traffic in LA is hell.

TSXautoXer

Personally, I hate AT. My last car is the first AT I ever had, and really hated that piece of crap. More expensive to maintain, and more problems too! The clutch in TSX is really light to operate, and since the car does not have a lot of torque, a close ratio gear box really makes it perform better. Get the MT even if you are only a little into cars, and get AT when you only wish to get from point A to point B. (But then why get an Acura? A Honda Civic will do a fine job while saving you a lot of gas money)

lshenretty

Seems like you've answered your own question.

I LOVED manuals until a few years ago. I finally got tired of juggling shifting with cell phone, which I did all the time because it's part of my job. MTs are still fun, but I don't want one as a daily driver any more.

Maybe the strongest reason to get the manual is the peer pressure you're going to get. At 20 I would have bugged the shit out of you about it. And at 30, for that matter. And at 4..........

Nevermind. Get what you want.

falco

I have never , ever owned a Auto transmission car before purchasing a TSX , but surely the sequential shift Auto on the TSX is the best of both worlds.

ClutchPerformer

I'm a huge MT fan, but from these statements it sounds like you'd be happier in an AT. The best advice is to test drive both, and compare them directly. Then you can make an informed decision. Good luck with whatever you choose

DjElucid

I think you're better off with the AT. I live in the philly area and there is a lot of traffic here too, but because I'm a MT and someone who has the need for speed.... I still went with the MT.

kenbiddulph

There is no "shame" in having a manual transmission in this car. This car is about handling and balance of luxury/driving feel/practicality. This is not a speed demon car that MUST be experienced with a MT. Sure the 6 speed is fun and if you are into carving canyons, I'd say its a must but from what you'll be using the car for (more practical reasons) go with the AT, the sportshift makes it fun enough for 90% of people. (There's always that 10% who MUST have a MT, you know who you are )

tycoon

My opinion is, once you get used to MT, AT gives you stress. When I changed my MT car to AT car, I regret SO MUCH. AT does not change gear as you want it to. When AT change gear when I don’t want it to, I get STRESS. I drive in the heavy traffic but I don’t have any problem with MT. You won’t need to be paying attention to changing gears because you’ll be doing it unconsciously once you get used to it. I’d never get another AT for my life.

kenbiddulph

Sounds more like a stress issue than a tranny issue

tycoon

When I think of it, it is the stress issue for me.
In that case, I think CVT will work for me.
I had CVT once, and that didn’t give me stress.
But I wouldn’t get AT anymore.

kenbiddulph

CVT's are nice. Too bad we don't have the "7 speed" with paddle shifters like those lucky SOB's in Japan do in their CVT Hondas

tycoon

CVT with 7-speed capability?
That sounds really good.
Too bad they don't bring that kind of good things to U.S.

kenbiddulph

Here's a link all about the CVT we're missing out on...

http://asia.vtec.net/article/DriveMMT/index.html


Note: You CAN get a CVT in the Civic HX, the Civic Hybrid and the Insight but its not as nice as this one

Now imagine wanting to pass someone while you're in your S2000... you put the CVT in sport mode, instantly the engine is revving at about 8500 rpm's and you step on the gas... WAM!! You fly ahead... and the engine is revving steadily, you are still in the powerband waiting for more...

THAT is why I want the CVT in performance cars!

DEVO

part of the charm of owning a S2000 is to do the shifting yourself... so if the S2000 only came in a CVT, i wouldn't buy it.

Plus, the civic hybrid does do what you suggest, it goes into optimal performance mode when you floor it. So it would behave no differently in the S2000... granted you have a nicer motor in the S2000.

kenbiddulph

That is true, the S2000 tranny is what every other car maker aspires to be like. Its a good role model. But you have to admit, staying in VTEC at the peak of the powerband is tempting in its own different way

DEVO

That's why you have 6 gears in the S2000, you can stay in VTEC for a long time. It is a blast to drive.

I know what you mean though, in my hybrid, I can beat a lot of cars because of the torque from the electric engine gets me off the line real quick... then the engine hovers just below readline and having the CVT handle the optimal gear is great. I can only imagine what it would be like in my S2000. And no, i don't race people in the hybrid nor the S2000... maybe at a light with nobody around and no traffic. But I know when to quit. Which is hard to do in the S2000.

kenbiddulph

A CVT would be nice in my TL, its got a good powerband but 4 gears isn't enough. It really needs 5. 6 would be bliss. But a CVT coupled with this C32 badboy could really scoot. Oh well, back to my idea of a 6 spd. tranny swap from a Legend...

bic

Get the 6MT. I drive in heavy traffic every day and once you get used to the 6MT, you don't even notice that your shifting. But when you get some open road and can wind it out, the 6MT puts the TSX in all its glory.

swami

Dude...It seems like you really want the 5AT. My advice is to get it, don't bow to peer pressure and get the 6MT if ya don't want it. The SS mode is a blast to drive and works best if your gettin on it a little. I doubt that many 6MT owners test drove a 5AT. I drove both so I speak impartially. I would love to drive the 6MT occasionally, but not everyday. It's ultimately your decision to make, so I suggest test drives in both. That's what I did.

ySL

unless you're a "car freak" or a performance enthusiast...get the atuo and save the headaches

Iceman

finalheaven

I think if one has any doubts on the MT, they should get the AT. Only if they want the MT without any doubts then MT would be good. Better safe then sorry.

donutchow

if you get an auto, you'll regret not getting the 6 speed. and the sportronic crap shouldn't be part of your decision, no one actually uses that thing anyway, maybe once or twice when you buy the car, but that's it. i'd go for the manual.

tycoon

If I had the choice of manual Civic or auto S2000, then I’d go for manual Civic. Manual is that much addictive to me.

LeMasseHammer

I agree with Clutch here. I love the MT (I don't even mind getting hammered by traffic lights because it means I get to shift more). But you sound like you'd appreciate the many other great aspects of the TSX, and want to concentrate on other stuff. There's no shame in the AT IMO, and there are lots of other ways to enjoy the TSX (sound system, handling, interior quality, gas mileage, reliability, ambience lighting, xenons, navi, etc., etc., etc.)

chrisalberts

Just my opinion, but I'd say the opposite. If you have doubts about the AT, then you shouldn't get it.

A good AT can be excellent. In my wife's ex-Audi S4 Avant, we got the AT and I hated it, until a friend and fellow Audi enthusiast "modified" the shift points using a computer plugged into the diagnostic port. After that, it shifted everywhere I would have shifted and I never had to wait for it to do something. The right AT can be great, if you're constantly second guessing it and wanting it to shift when it doesn't, then you'll be very frustrated.

C. <-- def. getting an MT this time.

Brad

EXACTLY! The only time I drive AT is when I have a rental car. The AT drives me nuts! It shifts back and forth at certain speeds without rhyme or reason (to me). It's annoying! I've never owned an AT car.

However, I recommend the chap get AT based on his originally stated requirements. The majority of car buyers get AT.

**We--those who are MT fans--should be very thankful that Acura has offered the TSX in MT. Acura had been dropping the MT on several of their models.

ClutchPerformer

EXACTLY!

It's not that you HAVE to shift....but you GET to shift! There's a big difference. I think which side of that statement you're on should be a big factor in whether you get MT or AT.

donutchow

i agree completely. shifting is a lot of fun when you get good at it. without shifting, driving is just called steering.

darth62

I have the AT. Its probably the best AT I've ever driven in a 4-cyl car. It is really seemless and never seems to be int he wrong gear. I got it mostly because the traffic out here in LA is insane, and I'm frequently in the worst possible transmission situation - stop and go traffic up long hills!

That said, the TSX just seems happier with the MT. In my view, the MT is much better suited for the revy four-cyl engine. If I did not live in such a congested urban area, I would have definitely gone the manual route.

And, sportshift is not a substitute for manual. Yeah, it gives you better control of the car than full automatic. But, it is doesn't work nearly as well as a conventional MT.

Sarlacc

I am strictly a MT driver but i will say getting caught in rush hour traffic driving from LA to Irvine most weekend to see my girl, well, my clutch KILLS me. driving MT becomes a real pain in the ass.

AND YET... I wouldnt give it up for an auto period. I aint giving up my stick shift for anything.

but i will admit the tsx SS isnt too bad. at least it has that option to it.

txtsx

I got the auto because of heavy traffic in my area. To my surprise, I use the sport shift frequently in traffic. Lots of times you want to stay in just one, or maybe two gears in slow traffic and the sport shift is great for that. When in drive, the tranny hunts up and down too frequently - the sport shift works kind of like a manual except that no clutch is required.

If I lived in a sparsely populated area, I'd have bought the 6mt - but I don't.

idx

These MT nuts sound like they just need something to keep their attention during driving. I thought that's what the Navi is for? j/k

Sounds like the AT is the way to go for you. I know I've had fun driving MT in the past, but I just don't feel like dealing with it right now. Just like how people gaff at buying a 4-banger, don't let anyone sway your trans choice. If you're not happy, you might be stuck with it for awhile...


-r

jcg878

This is my first AT, which I got due to the bad traffic in the area. I won't go so far as to say I regret it, but I miss shifting on mountain roads and the sportshift is not the same. I'd buy the AT again because stop-and-go traffic blows with MTs, but if I moved to a less crowded place I'd go back in a second.

TurboBanana93

HONDA ( ACURA ) = Manual...
Why get auto? when the car was designed for manual shift..
Always Honda with manuals had more POWERs than the Auto..
For Example..NSX, RSX, Integra..
Did you see any auto GSR or auto RSX type S ???
I don't think so..

tycoon

If you're looking for performance, then MT rules!
Try find out the difference in 0 - 60 time between manual and automatic.
Even though the automatic transmission is 5-speed, 5-speed manual transmission usually is about a second faster than automatic transmission.