I posted this over at the other forums but for some reason, I cannot access them at home. What do you guys think of the TSX as a first manual car? I have driven a MT a few times but would hardly call myself experienced. A few times around the block, some time in the parking lot. I guess you have to start somewhere right? I mean, ideally I would have had some cheap MT car in high school to learn how to drive but that's not the case. I don't intend on spending a few thousand to get a car just to learn on.

So would it be totally a bad idea to purchase the TSX as my first MT or should I stick to AT? I realize there is no right answer. I am just looking for some opinions and feedback.

Thanks in advance.

 

the tsx is my first MT car. new the concept and drove stick a couple times before the tsx.. so it wasnt difficult at all. i learned how to in about a day or two. just watch them inclines..

 

TSXDude was also a first time manual driver when he picked up his TSX. I think there's a thread on it somewhere if you try a search.

 

You should be fine if you decide to get the TSX 6MT. Some would say buy a cheap car to practice on first, but how likely is that? You're undoubtably aware that novice manual tranny folks can be a little (or a lot) hard on the clutch while they're learning. How much so is dependent on how quickly they get the hang of it. I think most people during their "learning period" create some extra wear on the car, but typically it's not like the life of the clutch is shortened by even 5%. I imagine you've driven quite a bit, so it's not like you're learning how to drive, just how to operate a stick.

If you don't learn it now: when? Here's a thought ... rent an econo-car with a manual from Hertz or similar, and spend one day running errands in it and getting used to shifting for yourself. The rental fee is a small price to pay for the experience, and the relief of knowing you'll not be torturing *your* car during the most critical period. By the end of the day, you'll probably be fairly comfortable with it.

And in the final analysis, if you wind up getting the AT instead, you get a mighty damn fine AT in a really good car ... one that gets good mileage, etc.

Good luck in your decision.
https://acurazine.com/forums/newrepl...te=1&p=370934#
Thumbs Up

 

To close the deal when I first bought my Integra 5MT in 2000 the Acura salesman let me learn on a 1999 GSR they had on the lot .

Lots of stalling and hills, but we made it through it.

 

Also, a good article on manual basics:

link

 

The only trick on the TSX (or any MT) is to quickly find/know where the clutch engagement point is. Once you know the basics and get used to the engagement point you're home free.

Biker, who after 20+ yrs driving an MT still misses a shift when not paying attention.

 

Same here. It's really no biggie.

 

Yes it was

As with most ppl, i knew about the mechanical linkages and how the drivetrain works (sorta), but driving an actual stick shift is totally different then knowing.

To answer your question, tsx as a first MT car is fine. The engine and gearbox complements each other very well. Just have to pay more attention to the timing of the 1-2 shift. Keep practising everyday (especially on inclines) and you'll be fine. The key is to drive it as much as possible!

After 4 months of driving, i can shift withouth thinking! I've also been doing some double-clutching and rev-matching! Hearing the engine roar when you are coming to a corner is fun !!

 

Thanks for the responses everyone. I think I am probably going to go with it. I keep asking everyone about all these special scenarios like "What if ..." because that's where I am most afraid of. I am not too concerned about having a jerky start or not-so-smooth shift ... at least not initially.

So far I've uncovered a few things that *would* make driving a MT on the TSX more difficult.

1. Difficult shifts between 1st and 2nd gear.
2. Drive by Throttle system actually makes things harder. Not sure why or how.

Anything else I should know about?

 

You'll be fine sygyzy. If you have a freind or family member that can drive stick, maybe they could drive your car off the lot for you and take you to a quiet area where you can practice for a couple hours.

The 1-2 shift isn't really hard to do, it just takes practice to get it smooth. First gear is pretty well just used to get you moving from a stop so you don't have to rev it out before you change into second. If you're just driving around the city, you can easily shift to second at 2500 or 3000 and not experience any jerking.

Drive by wire issues only come into play for advanced techniques like heel-toe downshifting. For normal day-to-day driving you'll probably never know that your pedal isn't directly connected to the throttle body.

There are a lot of experienced drivers on this forum so if you have any questions when you get your car, feel free to ask.

 

I think that TSX is one of the easiest MT cars I have ever driven (except I still have some trouble finding 6th sometimes, only had the car 2 weeks). You might not be very smooth, but that will come. The gear box and clutch are so good you won't have much trouble. Hondas are built very well and I really don't think you won't hurt it much if you have a basic understanding of how it works. Go for it, buy the MT.

 

Thanks for being so friendly and helpful guys.

Dan - Unfortuantely the dealership that is this car (I figure I have a week to decide before it becomes a 3 month wait), is about a 3 hour drive away. I would have someone take me down in his car (manual) and then pick it up and drive back. So your tip about having someone drive it off the lot wouldn't work out because his car would be sitting there with no driver. Then again, I guess we could practice a bit then drive back.

Question - Do you have to push down or do anything special to go into reverse?

jwb998 - What exactly is happening when you can't find 6th? Where are you ending up?

 

There are no push downs, but there is a lockout that prevents you from going from 5th or 6th into reverse. Just rolls right into reverse otherwise.

 

Reverse is just all the way to the right and back. Once you start moving there's an automatic lock to prevent you to shifting into reverse while driving forward.

Sixth is no trouble to find. It's just like putting it into reverse except it won't go over as far to the right because reverse is locked out.

Edit: Gibson wins.

 

I'd like to thank the Academy

 

When I was driving my friend's 5 speed Jetta, it was really easy to figure out where to shift into gear.

For 1st and 2nd, I put left bound pressure on the stick and pushed forward or backward.

For 3rd and 4th, I moved it so it hovered into the middle and pushed forward or backward.

For 5th, I just pushed all the way to the right and pushed up.

With a reverse near the 6th gear, it might be difficult figuring out exactly how far to push to the right.

It does not sound like it'll be a problem though as you guys have explained.

 

There's no problem finding 6th. If you can find 5th, just pull straight back and you're in 6th. There's no risk of putting in reverse because it prevents you from moving over that far.

 

it's my first MT car.
didn't learn on it.

 

My First MT car as well ... but my sister taught me how to get in & out of first/2nd/3rd in her Audi (I wasn't horrible she says). I think if you can find an old car to spend a few hours on you'll get good enough where you're not damaging the clutch when you drive it. It'll help if you have friends who drive MT that can give you tips while you are driving.

 

I think that in the back of my mind I think I am going to put the car in reverse when I go for 6th. It doesn't happen very often. I am just hitting the gate between 4th and 6th. Pulling the shifter towards me a little. The gearbox in the car is so precise that there is never any question whether or not you are in gear. If I hit the gate, move it over a little and it slides right in. I have never had a 6 spd before, and the only other car I have had trouble finding a gear was in a 80s porsche 911 where reverse is right next to first. It seemed I was either in reverse or 3rd, but I quickly got the hang of it.

 

Haha, j/k.

 

The 1-2 shift is not difficult. As other people have said, it just takes some time to get it smooth. One hint would be, don't get the revs too high in 1st, that's a mistake I made when I got my RSX-S (my first manual trans car BTW). After a few days I learned to not go so fast in 1st and shift to 2nd sooner and it worked much better. The TSX manual is actually easier to drive than the RSX, not sure if the extra weight of the car makes it more forgiving or what.

And about finding 6th gear - its not as hard as it might seem. I was a bit worried about being able to find 6th when I first got the RSX. After leaving the dealer from picking up the car and getting on the highway, I caught 4th instead of 6th. Did that about a dozen more times over the next couple weeks, then I got it. As other people have said also, reverse is locked out so that's not an issue.

The manual in the TSX is really a pleasure to drive. Go for it, you won't regret it.

 

Can anyone post speed charts? I know it depends on your tires, gear ratios, etc but let's just assume a TSX 6 speed driven off the lot. What, roughly, are the gears you should be in for each range of speed?

 

The speeds don't really matter. Drive in the highest gear you can without bogging down the engine. Generally I cruise around in a gear that will get me between 2000 and 3000 rpm. I seldom go past 4th in the city but on some open stretches I might get into 5th. If i am in 5th I'm probably doing 80km/h (50mph). 6th is purely for highway cruising.

 

Thanks for the tip. Good rule of thumbs. For those that have MT's, if pricing were different, how much of a premium would you pay to have the MT? I know that normally AT's cost more but let's say this situation is reversed.

 

Well I wouldn't buy this car with an AT so I guess I would still get it so long as it cost less than a BMW 325i with sport package because that's the car I see as its closest rival.

 

Add IS250 to it this fall.