Damiein

I currently own a 2014 RLX. I love having the shifter “stick”. It’s one reason why I traded in my TL for the RLX (instead of getting a TLX). The newer RLX have push buttons, which I loathe. What I would like to do is shoehorn in a manual shifter from a year like mine, into a 2018 SH I’m looking at.

Anyone out there ever try or even want to try? Does anyone think it will work?

Tim

neuronbob

No one has done this, to my knowledge, on the RLX forum in the last nine years I’ve been around.

The current shift panel is not THAT bad once you get used to it. Then again, I have some manual transmission cars I can drive when I feel like grabbing a shifter. In an automatic car, though, touching a shifter unnecessarily just seems like a bother.

Damiein

For me, it’s all about having a place for my right hand while I drive. I dunno, perhaps I’d get used it it being gone. Thanks for the reply!

Tim

ValdezQ26

I also HATE the buttons and would love an actual shifter. One of my few complaints about the RLX.

mrgold35

I'm ol' skool and grew up on manual shifters because ATs were crap back then with 2/3/4 gears, worse performance, high failure rate, expensive option, worse mpgs, and sloppy shifting. I've was so use to driving with left hand steering wheel and right hand gear shift for 4 decades with a manual or manual gear selector auto trans. It took me months to get use to my 19 MDX push button gear selector because I still had my 11 MDX pulling me back into familiar habits.

The push button shifter is another example of Acura being ahead of its time. The throttle, brakes, transmission, and ebrake are by wire. Acura just figured why have a manual shifter knob for drive by wire system? It would be like using a manual action window crank arm to control automatic electric windows. You are starting to see more manufactures going to push button, rotary dials, or fake shifters joystick for their drive by wire transmissions. Like @neuronbob said, you get use to push button shifter and there isn't a real reason for shift knob now days with multi geared 7/8/9/10 DCT/ATs.

I don't even have a need to use my paddles with the 7DCT because it is always in the right gear compared to when I had my 5AT/6AT in my previous Acuras. The most I do with the paddles is go into Sport Shift mode if I'm driving up/down tight mountain switchbacks to hold in a 2-3 gear range.

neuronbob

Yup, I pretty old school too. I keep three manual transmission cars in my current fleet.

I don’t use the paddle shifter in my RLX, either, except if I need to slow down carefully in the snow. The DCT in this car is awesome for the reason you state.

hondamore

I also drove manual transmissions exclusively throughout my life (until my '05 RL became my first automatic) and I agree that it takes some time to get used to the push button transmission controls, but nearly 8 years later and I honestly don't miss the stick shift one bit. Much of this can be attributed to aging and a much more "sedate" driving style than in my youth. I will echo the praises of the RLX Sport Hybrid's 7DCT transmission which is a wonderful piece of engineering and considering all that is going on with the EV mode transitions, the VCM cylinder deactivations etc., does a seamless job of always being in the right gear at the right time.

My "old man advice" to the OP would be to abandon any plans to modify the push button transmission controls into a more familiar system and just enjoy the driving experience. You'd end up spending a ton of money (on an already rapidly depreciating asset) and risk all kinds of problems. Drive by wire tech has made the push button transmission the default system of the future and the sooner you embrace it and learn to enjoy it, the better you'll be long term. Just my two cents.

Jim 2004

I learned to drive a manual in a pickup in which the three-speed shifter was on the steering column. Later, I had an '80 Mustang with four (I think) on the floor, then later on an Infiniti G-20 with a five-speed manual. Eventually, I owned a couple of TLs with 6MTs. I have also owned vehicles with automatics, including automatics featuring 1) shift levers, 2) column shifts, and 3) push buttons. Given this variety, I'll say that I'm fine with push buttons. Sticks are still a lot of fun but I'm kind of past that in my daily driver.