09TSXMan

It's totally a personal decision, as others have said.

My $.02 - I have the 6MT and the manual transmission is one of the best ever made on any car. It really is perfect in many ways. The clutch is super light and easy to control even in high traffic areas.

Good luck with your decision! You can't go wrong either way.

dom

I thought the same thing...until I drove an S2K

Craig-D

Driving a manual is about as much a source of distraction as steering and braking. Anyone that would be distracted by these things probably shouldn't be driving. Putting on makeup, eating, changing a CD, or talking on a cell phone while driving is a distraction, not operating the vehicle.

305TSXGT

Like everyone been saying depends how your daily commute is, and if you willing to tolerate the traffic in your area; i was driving a manual car for about 8 yrs and i luv it, but with traffic getting so dense, and a commute of 50 miles round trip, i was coming home exhausted. i brought a automatic for various reasons, but i still luv manual.

HeavyDuty

Yeah, this is definitely a good point. My 06 Alti SE-R was a 6MT and I'd have had a lot more response selling it had it been an auto.

wackura

It would be sad if someone were to make ease of resale their deciding factor, especialy for an asset that quickly turns to salt.

CarbonGray Earl

^^interesting thing is, for some makes and models, you could put an ad out that says "will only sell to enthusiasts" or "would like to sell to knowledgeable buyers" and get a good or better price for manuals.

Not sure the TSX is that way, but with the limitation that you can't swap an MT into an AT, I'm sure the rareness of the 6mt will affect prices sooner or later, at least on the private market.

HeavyDuty

Yeah, I know, but people have different priorities.

My dealer looked at me like a nine-eyed midget when I stated I'd only accept a 6MT.

hcshao

I'm sorry you think this way. But then again, you're not me and have different priorities.

wackura

I think that's because you just made his job harder more than anything. He knows he'll be saying "no, we don't have it in that color.. no we don't have any with that trim... we can bring one in from out of state..."

mucter

Mine gave me a similar reaction. Especially when they had 4 6MT's on the lot at the time, and non of them were the color combo I wanted. HAHA

SG81

iTrader: (1)

i don't consider the TSX "sporty" but i would still get the 6MT if i were to get one.

since i've gone 6MT, i can't go back

darmok

How does a nine-eyed midget look at you differently than an average person?

HeavyDuty

I think I still have two of the three contracts filled out by the dealer *and* signed by me for one of the PMM/Ebony 6MT's I purchased but didn't get because they were picking their noses and didn't send a truck to go get it two weeks later.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

I get this all the time. People look at me in the weirdest ways then I tell them that I drive nothing but manual transmission cars and that I refuse to drive an automatic anymore.

wackura

For my money MT is sporty in itself. It lends itself to hard driving because the RPMs continue to build until you decide otherwise. People only drive hard for sport unless they are late for work or whatever. If you equiped a minivan with an MT I'd feel that minivan was sporty.

HeavyDuty

Hah, um, they looked at me as though I was a...n/m.

Luca_09

All I know is M/T can save you money on gas, longer brake life, keeps you more focused on the road, and most importantly is more fun.

and for all s2k lovers, maybe this will make you like your TSX even more...the TSX has been called "the 4 door S2000".

Breako

Yes, and that was in Car and Driver when they reviewed the '09 TSX in their July issue last year.

Tapwave

hey so, i have an automatic grigio base tsx with about 8900 miles. How hard do u think it will be to trade for a similar car but in manual at a dealership?

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

It wouldn't be hard. Just expect to pay out for the difference between a new and used car. Don't expect them to do you any favors on a trade like that.

TheGoodGuy

Here is an easy way to help you decide.

Do you want performance and control for those times that you are carving up canyons or twisty roads. - get manual

Do you want gas mileage increase and not have to change gear = get auto.

Remember the auto shift with the paddles are NO replacement for a 6speed manual. I found that out the hard way a few times that have i take the longer route home. You get stuck between 2-3-4 and 3rd is the best gear to be in.

melody

I went with the AT. I was going to get a MT, but there were several things that swayed me to the AT:
- my finacee, who purchased the car with me, does not want to learn to drive a MT
- I have a 100 km round trip commute daily in mostly stop and go traffic
- I have decided to one day (hopefully soon) get a small little MT coupe for weekends and occasional commuting - a "fun car"

I have often found, as an AT driver with both my TSX and my previous car, that some MT drivers can be pretty snobby when it comes to their view that a MT is superior. And I guess a lot of AT drivers get offended (maybe they take comments to heart and feel that they are somehow less of a driver because they have an AT?) and so they get defensive and snarky about the benefits of driving and AT.

I think that everyone can agree (provided they've driven both AT and MT) that driving a MT will give you more of a feel that you are really driving, and will give you more control (think winter driving). And I think that everyone can agree that driving an AT is more relaxing if you are often stuck in really bad stop and go traffic. And an AT is easier on you if you have any joint pain, as someone else pointed out in this thread.

But really, who says that only 'sporty' cars should be driven with a MT? I know people who have Toyota Echos and Suzuki Swifts with a MT (because they enjoy driving MT cars), and I know people who have BMW 335's and Mazda RX-8's with an AT because that is what they felt was best for them. None of them are "right" or "wrong".

I wanted to have a relaxing commute everyday, hence the AT. And I thoroughly enjoy driving my AT TSX. Sure, it's slower than the MT version, but I didn't base my purchase on the 0-60 time - I based it on what I wanted out of the car.

Those who have the MT TSX and prefer it over the AT were obviously after something else with the car.

To each his own.

Breako

You only get stuck between gears if you don't shift using the paddles.

Farage

post pics of the cl

ressling

A reputable dealership would never do that. You would have to pay in addition to the trade.

SG81

iTrader: (1)

here's some old pics without the rims:

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-cl-photograph-gallery-53/so-my-car-487113/

Craig-D

Good luck with your car. You certainly don't have to defend your choice. But who's snobby about driving a Manual? I don't care what anyone else is driving, and certainly don't look down at people for their transmission choice, so that's weird if some people are like that. Although I do wonder why some people drive pure sports cars with autos - kinda defeats the purpose. That said, it's not snobby to say that manual is superior in terms of performance - it's a fact. Ever see a race car with an automatic? Ever notice that you rarely see any automatics in countries where driving is a serious pursuit like Germany and much of the rest of Europe? There's a reason why. Automatics are a uniquely American thing. I'll leave it to the masses to ponder why, but it may have something to do with why we're also the fattest country in the world.

Like you, I was headed to the dealership to buy an auto because my lady doesn't drive stick. But once I test drove both, I couldn't pull the trigger on the auto. The relative lack of power off the line simply wasn't sufficent to allow me to enjoy the car. My lady now has a choice of either never driving it or learning to drive stick. Unlike you, she had little say because I alone make the payments. I did let her chose the color though, so it made her happy to have some input.

You met your needs and that's all that matters. Anyone else's opinion is irrelevant because you have to live with he car, not them. If my car was commuting in heavy traffic, I likely would have gone auto too. But I live in the city and walk to work. So the car is for weekend errands, fun, and roadtrips. My needs were value for the $, fuel efficiency, fun, and two extra doors for easy access for rear passengers. So for me, value + fuel efficency + fun + 4 doors = 6 speed manual TSX. You said it best: to each his own.

Tigmd99

Is the TSX a pure sports car?? Don't get me wrong, we love out TSX. However, i won't pretend that it is a BMW M3. It is a sporty family car...no more, no less. We bought the TSx because of that very reason...it is safe, it is relatively roomy, and it is sporty.

Formula F1 has sequential transmission, which is a clutchless manual. But then again, is the TSX a race car?

People drive manual in Europe because, traditionally, manual-equipped cars are more fuel efficient and cheaper. This is why Europeans favor small cars with small diesel engines. The roads are also narrower. So, going by your logic, small cars are what we all should be buying because the Europeans do it! Different environment demands different things. In addition, in recent years, we have seen that the newer automatics are actually getting better fuel economy than the manuals. The acceleration gap b/w manual and automatic is closing too.

For us, we chose the automatic because my wife does not know how to drive a stick AND she is stuck in traffic often on her daily commute. The auto shifts pretty damn good i think...and i come from a BMW M3 with SMG (sequential tranny). It is very responsive, as is the throttle.

Craig-D

A BMW M3 isn't a pure sports car either. It's a sporty coupe. By definition, a sports car only has 2 seats. Anything else is considered "sporty". So I'm talking about Ferraris, Corvettes, 370Zs, Boxsters, Caymans, Z3s, etc. If anyone buys cars like those with an auto, I don't look down upon them, but I admit I have a WTF moment.

To most Americans, cars are mere transportation appliances. People in Europe drive manuals because it's a driving-oriented culture. American drivers license tests are a joke compared to theirs - you should see what you have to do in Europe to get a drivers license. Most Americans would fail it. With many autos now getting better mileage, you still won't see them switch. That's why Europe has the best driving cars. Their cars are made for their culture's tastes and cars here are mostly made for America's tastes. Even American companies' best products are offered there and not here. Ever drive a Euro Ford Focus compared to the one here?

You don't have to defend your choice of an auto to anyone. There's a reason why 95% of North America drives them. The gap between auto and manual may have closed, but there will always be one. There's only so much the laws of physics will allow with the greater powertrain losses and weight penalty an auto imposes. I'm sure your auto equipped TSX is sufficiently responsive for you and is better suited to your needs, but let's be honest here: it's no match for the performance of the manual version.

Tigmd99

You do realize that most Europeans drive small rinky-dink diesel econobox, right??

And what do those Ferraris and Caymans and blah blah sports car offer these days?? Yup, sequential clutchless trannies. And according to Porsche, they expect quite a bit of customers to buy this option. Yes, these are not true automatics, but they are just as practical as automatics and anyone can drive them. In fact, according to a few manufactuers (see Caddilac CTS-V for instance), the auto 6-speed tranny actually OUTPERFORMS the manual in acceleration! How do you explain that??

I think that you are too infatuated with the European "culture" to realize that the other countries have caught up to those darn Europeans and may have surpass them too in some cases. (And this is coming from someone who owned a M3 and is currently driving a European-made car.)

BTW, if you think that i was defending my choice, then you really don't know me too well.

You stated this: "So for me, value + fuel efficency + fun + 4 doors = 6 speed manual TSX."

Well, what value are we talking about? Cost of maintenance?? Fuel efficiency?? Isn't it pretty clear that the automatic beats the manual in this regard??!! Fun is relative...so, i won't argue your viewpoint on that because it is YOUR viewpoint. 4-doors...yup, we autos have that too.

09TSXMN

Setting aside the performance issues, one other thing to note is the car at idle, especially with the A/C on. The automatic transmits more vibration through the steering since there is more of a load on the engine at idle, amplified by it being a larger displacement 4 cylinder. The manual at idle is smooth as silk.

Tigmd99

Huh??

dom

There are more and more AT equipped cars being released that perform as well or even better than their MT counterparts. The new Camaro being one example and I think the new G37. Seems new AT's have less drive train loss or are geared more agressively. Having 6 and 7 speeds doesn't hurt either I'm sure.

ressling

can we close this thread already?

dom

Just realized the OP never came back so all this arguing was for nothing.

Craig-D

I can easily explain that: it's not true. In 0-60 mph times, it's true both CTS-V transmissions perform similarly. But you neglected to mention that the auto tops out at 175 MPH and the manual at 191 MPH. That's not equal performance.

http://jalopnik.com/395504/2009-cadi...al-gets-556-hp

As for the G37, Edmunds had this to say: Six-speed manual G37 sedans shouldn't give up more than 1 mpg to the automatic, though, and we think there's a stronger argument for doing your own shifting in 2009 Infiniti G37 sedans and coupes.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=133130

Back to the TSX, I'm sure you guys can find a small handful of cars whose auto transmissions perform close to the manual version, but the TSX isn't one of them. I think we can all agree on that.

dom

Since most of my driving is done between 176-191 MPH I'll keep that in mind while shopping.

I wasn't referring to fuel economy when I mentioned the G37. Many AT's have for some time now (a few years) gotten higher MPG ratings than their MT counterparts. First gen TSX was one example. I was referring to acceleration. The fact that AT's have at least narrowed or eliminated that performance gap is noteworthy IMO.

And yes. not when the TSX is concerned. But I wonder if that has more to do to with Honda's AT. I'd be interested to see what a modern AT could do performance wise. Maybe we'll find out with the 6 speed in a couple years.

Tigmd99

Honda's AT is conservatively geared.

09TSXMN

Sit in both cars at a stop in drive with the auto and with the clutch depresed in the manual, and that will answer the question, there is a vibration from the engine on the auto, especially when the A/C is on. 4 cylinder engines are not as smooth in the firing sequence at low idle than a 6 or 8.