I've kept this question in my head for a long time. I don't know whether I should go auto or manual. I don't even drive yet so maybe I should go auto just to get used to driving. But I know how to shift already. Thats what keeps going round and round again in my head. So I would like to know what you guys recommend.

 

I would get the AT, and get used to driving itself first. If you're willing to learn manual on a DBW car, that's up to you. It's difficult for some, for me, it wasn't a problem (Although I did stick with the AT). You're a bit young aren't you?

 

Get the MT. If you decide to mod, you'll get and feel more power.

 

MT's might be more fun (until you get sick of shifting) and offer a little more performance, but AT's are better investments from a re-sale standpoint. I put over 100K miles on an MT and that was enough for me. I've had AT's ever since and my last two cars have had "manual" modes which I use only very seldom for a little extra acceleration.

 

your young, i highly recommend driving with other cars first. I remeber i was driving a civic around in the beginning and as young drivers u thinkg nothing will happen. It was raining like heck and my friend told me to go into this alley so he can get home faster...unfortunately he didn't tell me that it was narrow as heck and the only way to come out after going in is to park inside a garage and u turn, or go backwards. Being that i didn't live there, i had to go backwards down a hill. Ended up ripping the lower right hand side of the bumpers lip. It wasn't terrible, got it fixed for about 150 but then if that was my tsx, that would've sucked.

plus they'll be so many times u'll end up curbing or bump parking in the beginning. No matter how good of a driver u are, expose urself to road conditions for a while before divulgin in a nice car.

 

ooops forgot to add my opinion, once you get used to it go MT. being that your young, you'll find more thrill out of it. I went AT and i kinda regret it, but then again, i look foward to the day when i get out and start making my own money to invest in a summer car when the time is right.

 

Age notwithstanding, you want to go with what you feel comfortable with. I've always driven an MT and there are days when I wish I had an AT and others when I'm glad I can play with my MT.

You'll have more fun with the MT and then after a few hundred thousand KMS you may want to go the route of AT. The only thing I hate about the '06 is the drive by wire's lag when switching from 1st to 2nd. Even after driving MTs for years, that lag still hits a LOT and makes the car jerk.

 

Manual is better for car enthusiasts who want more performance out of their car. It takes a bit of skill to drive though. One hand steering, other hand changing gear, one foot on the clutch and the other foot on gas/brake...it all has to come together while your eyes are scanning your surroundings.

Since you have your permit and you're just learning how to drive...you really need to learn on an auto. This way, you don't have to worry about the operation of your vehicle while you're trying to learn the rules of the road.

You might think that you can shift...but can you do it in real road conditions? While you're getting used to driving, you have to always be ready for unexpected situations. If you choose manual, please spend most of your time driving another auto and just garaging your tsx for weekend use

 

6MT

Honestly that's all I would tell anyone thinking about a Manual, just get it. I can't count the number of posts I hear from 5AT owners that whine about not getting the 6MT or want to do a Tranny Swap (no offense).

Just like how I complain about Navi. I wish I got it.

 

That annoys me too...I usually end up waiting until 4k rpm's or so before i shift to 2nd.

Personally, I prefer MT except when I've hurt my foot/leg, or if i want to eat/drink while driving lol

 

I learnt how to drive on an auto corolla 96 and learnt standard with the tsx's dbw. It's not hard to learn per se since I got it down within a day, but the beginning is the toughest.

There is one time that I regret getting the MT, which is right after I tackled the local mountain road. After 45 min of braking and accelerating for endless corners, I turn onto the freeway to go home and got stuck in traffic. At that point I was so exhausted that I exited the freeway and went to an empty parking lot to nap.

 

I don't have a permit yet but in 4 months I will. So I guess im going AT just to get used to driving. Thanks guys for your opinions.

 

I'm perfectly happy with my AT.

 

I would get an AT if I were you.

 

I learned how to drive at 16 on an MT, and I've never even considered an AT. MT for life!

 

Yeah, but when we were 16, life on the road was much easier. If you signaled, people would slow down to let you change lanes. Now-a-days, if you signal, they'll speed up to block you. Driving somewhat aggressive is the only way to be able to get around now. I always have to be ready to downshift and change lanes quickly just to change lanes. I learned how to drive a MT when I was 16 too, but it takes alot of concentration in today's world.

Besides, AT isn't so bad. He won't be prone to speeding/racing as much (which would make his insurance skyrocket at his age), and he'll be able to learn how to eat/drink while driving lol (I can do it while driving MT, but it takes some work)

With an AT, you'll have more color choices (MT's are so rare, even my service advisor was excited to see my stock car lol).

Now the question is...navi or no navi? I never get lost or need directions (I just go to mapquest and download it to my pda), but I'm glad I got it. It's quite useful and more convenient. And now I don't have passengers telling me "go left, go right...get in the right lane...wait, you passed it!"

 

When you start learning to drive, go MT. Those that learn with AT tend to bring all the AT habits over to MT and thus makes the MT transition pretty difficult.

 

aaronng, its different in the states....we got so many terrible drivers here, so many people that aren't aware that MT drivers exist. AT is much better to learn on, you get used to the road conditions first. Everyone makes mistakes in the beginning while they drive, you'll just be prone to more mistakes when you drive MT.

 

Either one is fine to learn as a first time driver. I have the AT TSX, but I've driven MT for 13 years before this. Don't listen to these guys that say you can't go back and learn MT or AT, you can learn and unlearn habits either way.

From my perspective, MT is fun, but the only thing the MT guys keep pointing out is the amount of power you feel as compared to the AT. That's not what driving should be about for you.

 

I'll put aside my typical response to the teenager who is about to purchase a car I could not afford until I was 27......

Get the MT. If you enjoy driving and feeling connected to the car, there really is no decision to make. The TSX is my third car--never had an automatic. There is no better feeling than rowing your own, especially in this car. The TSX is not a fast car. By today's sport sedan standards, it is pretty darn slow. Why hinder it even further with a slushbox?

Get the MT and enjoy that tiny RPM range after VTEC and before redline. Learn to heel-toe and rev-match. Later down the road when you can buy something more powerful and more sporting, you'll be glad you learned with the 6-speed on the TSX.

 

Im sure someone has already said it...

But its really up to you, if you kind awant the manual go ahead and get it or you will regret it later. But also at the same time if you drive mostly city and would find yourself getting tired of shifting in stop and go traffic get the auto. Also if you have a signifigant other who has no desire to drive a manual/ doesnt want to learn - then it can easily cause conflict if you guys go somewhere/ if the other car breaks down/ in a emergency/ on a vacation.

 

Dude I'd slow down before you go ahead and get it in AT and really think about it. I got my MT TSX when I turned 16, but spent a lot of time learning on my parents automatics. After I was pretty good at driving my parents cars I started using my car and felt totally comfortable with the transmission after just a couple weeks.

I think you'd end up seriously regretting getting this car in automatic, and regretting a $30k purchase has got to be a horrible feeling. At your age (and mine) you're gonna want to speed and redline shift. I've driven an AT TSX and you really just can't open it up the way you can with a MT. Furthermore, from experience I can say that people just have a lot more respect for people that drive stick. Also, girls love guys that drive stick

Seriously though I really feel an obligation to sway you towards an MT because I was in your situation two years ago. Don't worry about what some of the other people are saying, you're not gonna fuck up your car. I learned to drive stick on my TSX with no ill effects to the tranny, I've stalled it less than 15 times in 2.5 years. I've had no accidents, no tickets, no curbed wheels. The TSX is really not a fast car, but the MT helps tremendously, especially if you ever plan to mod it.

 

To the o.p.:

You are in no-win situation -- if you get MT, you would regret it for not getting AT when you are sitting in traffic; if you get AT, you would regret not getting MT when you see someone else does.

Where to go to find the grass?

 

I also wondered about manual versus automatic. And that's because I heard about how the sporty character of the TSX is really only enjoyed with a MT, etc.

Although I know how to drive a manual (first car), I bought an automatic because of two reasons, one which is commonly stated and the other that SoCaliTrojan mentioned.

- I have a lot of stop and go traffic.
- I often go to unfamiliar places, so...

When I'm trying to find my way around in an unfamiliar place with dense, speeding and aggressive traffic, forget it, I thank Gosh I have an automatic and only have to worry about gas, brake and steering as I worry about staying on the right path and not getting involved in an accident.

Having said that, if I were to do it again, I'd learn how to drive properly a manual (my husband and I were kind of self-taught, and that probably contributes to my unwillingless to go back to manual again given my usual driving conditions.

p.s. I enjoy having the sportshift though, as I have also noticed an occasional lag when pressing on the gas pedal in some circumstances. So my solution to that now is to put it into manual mode before merging onto dense, fast-moving traffic.

 

It's bull if people say that the transition from AT to MT is difficult. I learned how to drive MT after AT, and do perfectly on both. It's exactly what Busyshifter said, you're in a no-win situation. You'll end up regretting something.

 

My recommendation is to go with the manual. The reason -- learning how to drive and mandated focus. In the beginning, a MT insists that you focus on driving the car -- not eating, not talking on the cell, not texting, not playing with the mp3 player. You can pick up the bad habits of muti-tasking later.

More importantly, driving a MT also forces you understand the car, including but not limited to what is the strongest gear, the sensitivity of the clutch, the engine's power band and sounds, and shifting technique. One of the reasons I think that people say that MTs feel more responsive (and they are with the TSX) is that you must concentrate more on driving than with the AT.

I could also add safety as a reason -- you can simply do more with the MT, when you want or need to.

My experience -- learned MT on a '72 VW Bug when I was 14 (the most finicky clutch I've ever driven), and my driver at 16 was a MT Honda Civic. Although I can understand why people purchase ATs who have to sit in stop-and-go traffic every single day (clutch-wear, fatigue) or like the AT control while off-roading, every single AT (including DSGs, although I recognize its technical advantage) I've driven seems a bit disconnected from the driving experience -- and it isn't just about the throws.

 

I've had manual for about 6 years and I got sick of it finally. It really sucks sitting in traffic with the manual, so I went for AT and I couldn't be happier. At least it's more enjoyable to be in traffic now. Sometimes I switch to "manual" mode but that happens rarely and it's not the same as full Manual. Anyway, to me manual tranny is so 90s and I am never going back. For resale value AT will be a lot better in the luxury 4dr sedan, just like having a Navi

 

My first car, the S60R was automatic, only because it was given to me. I purchased the TL in 6speed knowing I would never be happy with AT. With an AT youre going to wish at times you had manual, and no matter what anyone wih an AT says, unless theyre 30+ cant say they havent without lying. The clutches on Acuras are jello compared to other cars I have driven, so unless youre seriously that lazy that you cant move a knob up and down, then I dont know what to tell you.

 

go traditional

 

I really dont understand why people complain about about MT during rush hours/being stuck in traffic...

Im not exactly young or an expert driver but I feel totally comfortable driving MT in heavy traffic

Being stuck in traffic going up a steep hill is another story tho

 

I am another perfectly happy AND satisfied 5AT owner. I am glad I didn't opt for the 6MT.

 

Here's a different view on this subject. I am actually one of the few (maybe only) person on this board that got the MT but sometimes wish I have the AT instead. The TSX is my first MT and while I enjoy driving MT now, I still have lots of trouble driving the TSX smoothly after 6+ months of ownership. Everyone talks about MT being faster and blah blah blah. But HONESTLY, unless you are VERY good at driving MT and willing to put stress on your clutch and transmission, you will probably not beat an AT with SS coming out of a dead stop (flame suit on). Like another member stated, getting out of 1st and into 2nd is a big pain in the butt unless you are reving pretty high. And I am not gong to rev my car high every time (it's bad for gas mileage and probably bad for clutch/transmission). So to everyone that claims the TSX is the smoothest MT they ever drove, I agree that actually shifting into the gears is very smooth most of the time, but the whole clutch/gas process takes some time to learn and master. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my car and if I can go back, I would have gotten the MT again. But just don't let other people convince you MT is as godly and awesome as they claim. Take one out for a test drive and decide for yourself.

 

Best advice ever!

 

test drove 6MT 2004, bought 5AT 2004

CONVERTED 6MT 2006.

After driving the auto for 2 yrs, I am amazed on how the MT differs. GET MT

 

MT sucks for daily driving and rush hour, AT doesn't. For fun I would get MT, for practicality I would get AT

Besides, TSX is not a high performance sports car. It's an entry level luxury 4dr sedan. If you really want to have fun with MT I would get a BMW. (at least that's what I would get for fun MT driving...)

 

My advice, go learn how to drive MT and AT first and then decide by yourself which one you really want to drive.

 

I'm easily distracted--I pay much more attention to the road in my MT, and I believe I'm a safer driver as a result. I say go MT, unless you've got a stop and go commute.

 

I guess more people on this enthusiasts forum, I'm sure AT's outsell MT's hands down. As long as you're happy with what you got

And as far as highway driving goes, I live through Chicago traffic. It's no big deal if just ride that clutch just right to crawl through it all. It doesn't have to be all shift shift with a 6MT.

 

My advice- get an tsx mt for fun and no traffic, non rush hour.

get a cheap auto - like a ford focus, cobalt for that daily bumper to bumper grind. You guys that drive a tsx can afford 2 cars.

 

Bottom line:

If you sit in stop and go traffic everyday going to and from work, go AT

If you always have an open highway or take the back roads, go MT.