Parker75

Gee, that's one of the benefits of getting your TL with 6MT -- your wife/GF + kids won't be able to drive it. That's certainly one reason that was a plus for me.

Brettg

My wife drives a stick better than I do, and has had a lot more practice at it!

I thought the manual car was much quieter under normal driving for some reason,
which makes it nice for luxury crusing...

You have a hard time smoking, drinking coffee and eating while driving the manual
trans cars in traffic, which makes you pay attention to driving, a good thing, no?
Instead of just going along eating and drinking, listening to the radio,
you actualy have to DRIVE the car, which is fun.

With the TL, they changed the gearing between the manual and auto cars,
and the auto gets as good mileage on the hiway, and maybe better around town.
The final drive ratio is much different between cars..

Brett

Macruz19

Yeah another thing about the 6 speed is the bigger brakes using Brembo. I think I made my decision getting the 6 speed. The only problem now is waiting to get the damn car!!! I asked everyone today at work and 90% of them said get the 6 speed.

ASP

Interesting link -> https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118160

Macruz19

I have been dating my girlfriend for about 6 years and she tried to drive my RSX-S but I really didn't let her. I asked her which one I should get and she says, if you get the manual its more of a guys car, and if you get auto then I drive too. Its true, this could be the last car I get with a manual transmission. I told her "hey, at least I'm getting a 4 door". Also at least she can be my passenger and help me guide through the Navi when we travel more to orlando or tampa.

Macruz19

Bottom Line is I didn't even realize I was driving a stick when I was stuck in traffic. I used to curse when fumbling to talk on the phone. Now I just hit a button and say "Hello".[/QUOTE]



Thats what I'm talking about.

WdnUlik2no

brich2929

hi,

I just went to the dealer today--West Chester Acura, West Chester, Pa and Test drove the 6MT and the 5AT (Navi).

The sales guy warned me that the manual is very close ratioed on the gearing and 1st is just enough to get you rolling. He was right, you really only have to let the clutch out about halfway in first. I stalled once on a slight incline on the test drive.

In the 5AT I was up to 5th gear within 45 secs. after pulling out of the lot. It felt sluggish to me and I was shocked to look at the shift indicator and see that I was already in 5th. (I was just about to put her on SS mode). I did get to use Sport shift later in the drive and its ok...kind of like a dummy mode because if you forget to upshift or downshift it'lldo it for you.

It was the same route for both cars and in the 6MT I never got above 4th gear...so I had 2 more gears to cover. It just proved to me that if you want performance, the 6MT id the way to go.

I think I'm settled on an 05 in White Diamond Pearl (with Navi), 6MT. I will probably get RonJon's body kit soon. I'm trading my current vehicle,a 97 Mercury Mountaineer.

TL260power

yea thats tru about the snow with manual transmission.... so thats another thing you should consider the 6spd.. I would go for the 6spd being that you came from an RSX 5spd... You will have fun with or so i hear

WdnUlik2no

I am sure a lot of us can relate the the problems you were having with 1st gear. I stalled it a few times in traffic while I was getting used to it. Kind of embarrasing. But I finally got the hang of it. Strangley enough though, I stalled it twice in less than 20 seconds in a parking lot about two days ago. I don't know what happend, had a lot on my mind probally. Good thing no one was around though.

I agree 5AT that the 5AT feels a bit sluggish too, even with the sport shift mode.

Macruz19

Yeah when I drove the 6 speed TL the first time, it was tricky. Then 2 weeks later when I test drove again I stalled in traffic. It's weird but I can get the hang of it. It seems that I can hear the engine rev so I let go of the cluth to soon and end up stalling that one time.

SouthernBoy

[QUOTE=brich2929]hi,

I just went to the dealer today--West Chester Acura, West Chester, Pa and Test drove the 6MT and the 5AT (Navi).

The sales guy warned me that the manual is very close ratioed on the gearing and 1st is just enough to get you rolling. He was right, you really only have to let the clutch out about halfway in first. I stalled once on a slight incline on the test drive.


I would bet your sales guy doesn't even know what "close ratioed" gearing is. I would bet he means that the shifter has a relatively short through or that the clutch has a short take-up.

A close ratio (proper term) manual transmission is one in which the individual gear ratios are close. For example, if you have a 1st gear with a ratio of 3.35:1 and a second gear of 1.98:1, you most definitely do NOT have a close ratio box. Because our engines (and most of today's engines) are rather low in the torque factory, unless your final drive ratio is also quite low, your transmission needs a very low first gear in order to avoid lugging and clutch riding, and to get the car in motion in decent fashion.

mrbrett

I was in the exact situation last year when I bought my TL. I traded in my baby (RSX Type S)... I miss her sometimes, but not that much. I test drove both and, well, I ended up with the 6-speed TL, and I don't regret it at all... Coming from the RSX Type S, I think you would get bored real fast of the auto TL. When I drove the automatic, I thought it was considerably slower than the manual... but that was just my perception.

SouthernBoy

Having one of each, it's pretty simple for me to make direct comparisons. My wife's '05 is an auto and my '04 is a manual. Both are fine in their own rights. Her auto does surprise me with it's very good throttle response and lack of a "slushy" feel from the tranny when starting off.

But I prefer a manual and am not one bit sorry that I bought one with this car. Beside, manuals are in demand in the TL in my area.

Hugh9269

I would definatly go for the six speed It is a tougher to drive than I first expected, the clutch engagment is at the very top of depressing the pedal. Was quite a change from my RSX type s, but after getting the hang of it, it is first rate!!

6 speed!

merdely

Agreed. I have the 6MT as well and LOVE it. Even my wife, who doesn't "drive stick" loves driving it.

Clarksville, eh? I live in Olney, Legend2TL.

-ME

merdely

Interesting. I bought my NBP 6MT in May '05 and the dealers I dealt with said that MTs were hard to find because nobody wanted them.

I think I was being snowed to make a sale.

-ME

merdely

It's interesting. I drove 3 different 5MT Preludes over about 12 years. I never stalled.

I buy this car in May and stalled, in traffic, several times. My wife and I were just discussiing it. In other MTs I've driven, you have two choices with 1st gear: let the clutch out slowly or give it more gas. The TL only has one option: you have to let the clutch out slowly in 1st gear or it's bumpy. If you compensate with more gas, you'll TAKE OFF. Literally. If you're in traffic, that's not a good thing.

That said, after you get used to the gears and the clutch, it's the best MT you'll probably have driven. It is for me. I've driven an '83 Thunderbird (it _was_ fun to drive), a '79 Celica, the before mentioned 3 Preludes ('84, '89, '92 -- 92 for 9 years), a '97 M3 and other friends cars. This is the best MT. Ever.

-ME

SouthernBoy

To merdely;

Perhaps he was snowing you just to make a sale. Or maybe in your neck of the woods, manuals in cars like this are really not in much demand. Down here, they actually are. Pohanka Acura tends to average around 25% of their TL selection in manuals because they do move off of the lot quickly.

As for starting off in first gear, the reason that so many people have a problem initially with the TL is due to three things: 1) clutch pedal travel is relatively short; 2) clutch take-up is even shorter; 3) the clutch tends to begin engagement within the first 1.5 inches of pedal travel.

Most cars are not quite like this. There tends to be more travel and a longer take-up with other cars, both of which result in a more predictable and foregiving clutch engagement. The TL is not like this and takes a little getting use to.

WdnUlik2no

Yep, TAKE OFF is right! This happend last year when I had just gotten the car about 15 minutes earlier. Naturally only having the car for a few minutes, I was having problems getting use to the stick. I was sitting at a traffic light and when the light turned green, I gave it too much gas and my TL just shot off the line. I was not expecting it to do this, so I was pushed back in my seat and the tires spun a little as I went through the light.

Oh yeah I forgot to mention the Corvette that was at the light beside me. I guess he thought I was trying to race him, because he punched it and flew right by me. I didn't speed up any because I wasn't even trying to race him, but I don't think I had a chance anyway eventhough it did take a few seconds for him to catch up with me.

ARX-01b

iTrader: (1)

If I wanted a boring car I would have bought the Accord. 6MT A-spec is the only way to go. Coming from an s2000 I could not be happier. I test drove the auto for over an hour and it just seemed like an ordinary car. We went back to the dealer, picked up the 6 speed and within 1 minute of leaving the lot the choice was clear. As a bonus of having the 6mt my wife refuses to drive it

Latinlingo

6 speed MT.....no brainer.....this car is too awesome to drive to buy the auto....6 speed all the way!

Macruz19

I have the TL demo car now until I get my real TL. To tell you yes the auto seems like in ordinary car. My parents say just get the auto, and I said no I will get bored later on. I think its worth it to wait a few more weeks till I get the 6-speed and Navi.

WdnUlik2no

That's always a plus! heh