mlinn

Those of you who have gotten the 6 speed, do you wish you would have gotten the Auto, and those of you with the auto, do you wish you would have gotten the 6 speed?

spidey07

why would I want an auto?

manual has a few extra goodies, like LSD and ever so slightly larger sway bars.

Ania

i got the 6 speed and loving it even with the washington,northern virginia traffic thats starts when i sun comes up untill the sun goes down.

AzNxJ32Aspec

auto is just more comfortable when your lazy, but 6 speed has the advantage of the brembo's that the Auto cant get as an option cuz of package issues...of course high modifcations to the j32 engine on the 6 speed wouldnt warrant much change to ECU since ur manually shifting....the auto involves more technical tweaking...but of course is the most desired...can u imagine? perfect shifts everytime.
(i THINK what i just said makes sense....i hope i've done enough hw for now....ppl please correct if im wrong)

mr_superlove

I got an auto after 12 years of nothing but manuals. Every now and again wish I had gone with the manual, but 95% of the time I'm happy with my choice. I'm losing my touch, though. I twice killed my wife's RSX Type-S last weekend because I forgot to put it in neutral and I always forgot to press the clutch when trying to start it. Guess I'm not missing a stick too much.

Dkrudop

I don't regret it at all......I like the idea of putting it in "D" and enjoying the rest of what my TL has to offer.

340HP

Stick all the way. My wife's TSX is auto. And though it's convenient in NYC traffic, I prefer 6MT. I wish my FX45 was 6MT.

mr_superlove

Woah, mlinn! I'm in Conway right now! And unless you just chose your username out of a hat, I believe we work for the same company.

Xerxes480

I have the auto, and haven't had a stick in about 7+ years. I love driving a stick, but truth be told I'm lazy and since I spend a good amount of time in traffic (barely moving) I prefer not having to deal with shifting. Perfectly happy with the auto.

Aegir

I have the 6MT, no regrets. I sit through a lot of stop and go traffic and the TL is very manageable. The brakes, LSD, sway bars, and lighter weight do sweeten the pot. No wrong decisions here - go with what you enjoy.

coop1018

This is my first manual car and what a delight it is. I dont think I will go back to auto ever again. It is a joy to drive. Automatic is boring to me. Now if the car did not have the hands free set it may effect my opinion a bit but not enough to get it. There is no reason not to go with the manual unless you are lazy and you do not consider your self a "car guy"

Norse396

I bought the 5AT because of my of wifes refusal to learn stick so no matter what, so this time 5AT was my only choice. My preference would have been 6MT, maybe next time.

cM3go

I got 6MT, had a 5AT lower, was even more glad I got 6MT, i love it!

soljc

Very happy with the 6MT with one complaint: squealing brembo brakes, however, I wouldn't trade it for an auto.

coop1018

soljc....those brembos will stop squealing around 4000 miles!

soljc

I wish. I've got 6k miles currently (mostly highway) and still have the squealing.

johnb34

Have the 6MT. Most of the time, I love it and have no regrets. Sometimes, though, when feeling lazy, I wish I had an auto.

Still, if offered a switch...even trade of my 3000 mile 6MT for a brand new AT, I would stay with my baby, Ginger.

claud

Trading up from a 6mt TSX, I drove both TLs to see which one. MT jumped out of 1st, but power was fun. Torque steer did not bother me even though it was there. Auto was sluggish until I remembered to put it in sport shift mode. The dual personality of the auto/ss car sold me. Glad I had it at lunch today--bumper to bumper inching along.

DMZ

I'd still go 6MT if I had to do it all over again.
And no squealing Brembo brakes either.

NYC traffic or not, me & 6MT, perfect together. :smokin:

ccin1492

I couldn't imagine myself driving an auto. I just love dropping down a gear and takin' off like a bat out of hell. YAHOO!!!

vtechbrain

I swapped a TL type S auto for a 6spd. I'm never going back!

caball88

last car was an automatic and i regretted it. it completely took the fun out of driving. driving in traffic with a manual is not that big a deal. people make it sound like you have to think extra hard or something. you just have to step on an extra pedal when coming to a complete stop and releasing when moving. who here actually thinks about how to drive when they are actually driving the 6MT.

Tecworld

I like the AT. One good thing is nobody brought performance into the ratio because I think most people have a false sense of reality thinking everyone can drive a 6mt faster than stomping an Automatic. The times on magazines are pretty hard to achieve with the MT, but pretty constant with the AT. I'm sure once I say this, plenty of people will come in and tell me they drive their stick perfectly. Ok.

AcidHorse

No regrets whatsoever. Why would you even pair this 3.2 V6 with an automatic? And with that Honda manual tranny (imo, one of the best in the business), there's no reason why an automatic should even be considered.

Picture this: You're in bumper to bumper traffic, 2nd gear engaged, going 20 mph. Suddenly there's an long opening in the next lane. Point and shoot and floor it. Wheee! Instantaneous throttle response.

The feeling you get here is the reason why 6 speeds are more fun.

siosi

Without a doubt I would have a MT but I live in DC with nasty traffic and my wife doesn't drive stick.

No regrets with my AT but I'm sure MT is a lot more fun.

bnandreu

Ok. I thought I wanted the 6MT, then I drove my wife's RSX-S for a couple of days and found I can't hold a cup of Starbuck's coffee of the day and shift at the same time. So I got the 5AT and have no regrets. With the SS 5AT all I do is flip it to manual, push down a couple of times and BAM! I'm off like a rocket. That's a great rush and makes me love the car even more.

1violinist

Consumer Guide review reports that the "Manual-transmission models' performance-tuned suspension gives even firmer ride, especially with the performance tires. Notably rigid body structure... Tire roar intrudes, especially with performance tread".

http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/n...x.cfm/id/37492

SpecialFX

I love my 5AT, but I do sometimes wish for the 6MT. The car is really my wife's, though, and there's no way she's going to learn to drive a manual and I'm not sure I'd want her to. She has enough to do just driving the car.

After years (~18 or so) of manuals with occasional use of an auto I was so used to using both feet that a few times I've come up to a stop with my right foot on the brake and reached for the clutch with my left foot. Since the brake pedal on an auto is much wider than on a manual my left foot would catch the left side of the pedal and just about put my sunglasses through the windshield
The poor guy behind me must have jumped when my slow braking suddenly became a full-on panic stop. Sorry, dude.

UminChu

I had a Gen2 Type-S, and the stick ups the fun factor far more than my writing skills can describe. Heavy traffic is annoying regardless of transmission. Shifting this car in the open raises far more smiles than frowns from shifting in a traffic jam. Given the chance to choose again, I'd go 6MT again without so much as a second thought (however, given that same second chance, I might drive home in G35C 6MT lol).

jtruman

6MT!

I drive my gf's 2nd gen TL with auto, and it always make me itch to go back to my car.

PoochaKannInc

My first MT and I love it. I wouldnt go back to an auto. I gotta admit there are times when I feel lazy, but that quickly goes away, with the snick-snick action of the shifter...

Tecworld has a point...I don't think I'm currently faster than an auto just because although I'm smooth, I haven't mastered quick shifting for the best times (just because I don't want to kill my clutch w/ my own brand of stupidity). All in all, I just enjoy picking the gears, and the rush of instantaneous acceleration just a downshift away...

SilverJ

After driving manuals my whole life just about I got a CL type s with auto. I loved the car so much I didnt care. When they came out with a 6 speed the following year I was pissed. I love the TL 6 speed and whether I am in heavy traffic or commuting for 3 hours I would never, ever trade it for an auto. The rush of shifting and taking off is really what makes this car for me.
Honda manuals are in a class by themselves.

MadMen

Ah, Conway! My favorite dry county..........

senoufo

6MT, aahhhh l'amour.

My wife loves to keep her hand on my "knob" & row through the gears with me...that being said she's also a good backseat driver, or so she says but that's a different topic.

Love using the slushbox in traffic and the game is to keep constant speed while the yahoo's in front of you do the stop/go/stop/go etc.

My apologies for the double entendre

jjay

is this thread a joke, sixspd owners like a little more control, auto owners hopefully live in areas with heavy traffic... i dont care how bad traffic is my car will allways be manual

mr_superlove

Oh, oh! He knows! The only Outback in the nation whose bar only serves soft drinks!

ensley696

I test drove the Auto then the manual. I enjoyed the manul a lot more, but you should drive them back to back so you can decide for yourself. Its all a matter of what you prefer. Don't get the manual because of the added features, then realize you wsh you had the auto or vice versa.

moeronn

I got the 5AT and do sometimes wish I got the 6MT. The SS does help somewhat, so I don't feel too bad. Then there are days when my girlfriend borrows the car and I'm VERY glad I got the 5AT.

The thing I found really odd was I went to the dealer yesterday and saw some "Acura TL vs. The Competition" posters. In many (if not all categories) the 5AT actually preformed better than the 6MT. The one that really stuck out was the 30-0 stopping distance - the 5AT was 1' better than the 6MT with Brembos It didn't seem right, but that's what they said. The differences were pretty neglegible, though.

NighthawkUA662

My last car was a TSX/6MT. While the manual was a blast to drive, it was also a real drag in Seattle-area traffic. My TL/5AT has been great all around!

MadMen

I've spent many, many a night in the Holiday Inn Express next to the Outback. It may be dry, but there's certainly no lack of talent working there!! :worship: