I have a 5at and have always wanted a stick when I upgrade so....

For those with 6mt, do you have any regrets not getting the AT?

Same question for people with 5at

Also is the MT really as bad as people say in heavy traffic?

 

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/6-speed-vs-auto-tl-550704/

 

I wouldn’t know. I never learned to drive AT. All those letters are confusing. And the missing pedal … what’s up with that?

 

manual has (07-08 AT also have some of these upgrades)
6 spd LSD transmission
stiffer bars
stiffer suspensions
bigger brakes

 

It's a joy to drive.

When I think about shifting is when I fuck up.
Feeling the car and not thinking about anything is when I do best at shifting.
With that being said, its a very fun ride. I can control when to shift at my heart's desire.
the DBW isnt that bad. I have instant throttle on tap.

I daily drive an automatic nissan frontier. 90hp and a tranny that wants to hunt is no beuno.
I truly enjoy my 6MT TL.

 

do you like in a big city, if so delete this thread lol

 

I have to agree with this. I tend to test drive many cars and my first encounter with a DBW car was a chrysler 300C. It instantly made me hate DBW. I could not believe how slow the pedal to throttle response was, it is just unacceptably slow. I could have my foot off the pedal before the engine reacted.

I remember working on a TL for the first time and as I was digging around under the hood I noticed it was DBW and was amazed at how seamless the pedal to throttle reaction was.

There are some times when I can tell the difference in this car, but it's little things. You don't have extremely precise control over the throttle butterfly... but you don't always need such a small adjustment. For every day driving you don't notice it and I absolutely love driving this car. That's not to say that the 5AT is junk or anything. I have driven some auto TL's and it is a nice auto.

The only thing about my TL is that I have gotten used to the power of it after this first year of ownership, it is time for some boost.

 

Ehh the TL is kinda sorta drive by wire and its sorta not. Yeah sure the throttle blade is controlled by a motor but believe it or not there is a throttle linkage connected to the gas pedal that runs through the fire wall and into the engine bay. The end of that cable is connected to a sensor which then controls the throttle motor. Im not sure if thats how all DBW cars work or not its kind of both systems in one. I have no throttle complaints with my 07 Type S 6mt. My C6 Z06 vette is also DBW and the throttle response in that car is insane. Again, no issues or complaints. Not sure how this thread turned into a drive by wire thread but whatever...back to the topic.

There are for sure benefits to owning a 6mt TL.
-higher resale value since they are very hard to come by
-measurably better fuel economy than the 5at version. 3 to 4mpg better!!
-measurably quicker
-lighter and better weight distribution.

I have owned both versions so I am familiar and I would recommend getting the TL in a 6mt. Its one of the more tricky manual transmissions you will ever drive, but eventually you get used to it. I dont deal with traffic as im in the far suburbs so I guess if you deal with lots of traffic that can be a downside.

James

 

Dude, no question man... I've driven an MT for 3 years and went to AUto....i want to go back. I live in NYC and it's not that bad you get used to it real quick.

 

I've driven a lot of manuals in traffic. After a while you just get used to it and dont really think about it much. Only issue I ever had in traffic is the occasional cramp in the left leg, but some gatorade cleared that up

 

It makes it an extremely fun car to drive! I always had a manual car and no doubt in any kind of traffic it's gonna suck but it makes up for it any other time!

 

I have no regrets. I started with a 92' Integra GS back in 1999-ish which was a 5-speed. I went into a CL Type-S in 2001 which was an auto. That car was the only auto I regretted. :-) Next, I went to a 2004 TSX with a 6-speed and loved it. Now I'm in the 3rd-gen TL Type S with a 6MT and do not regret it at all. I've even found the LSD works way better than the traction control in winter driving.

 

Thanks for the link. Idk if its just me but when I use the search this never came up

 

I had a MT Accord, then went to a F150 AT and missed my stick shift so I bought the TL with 6MT (also cheaper on gas than the truck) plus now that MT have speed control on them long trips are no problem.

 

yeah, i used Google to find that. in the search bar, just type: "site:acurazine.com [then the keywords you want]" without the quotes.

Sometimes azine's search is either slow or broken. It does have its uses since it can search the 2004-08 forum specfically. i'm sure there's a way to manipulate google's search to do that too, but been too lazy to experiment.

As far as my opinion on the matter, if you see my sig it speaks for itself. I have no regrets buying the MT, the only real complaint i have is the change in driving dynamic with the a/c on. those RPMs drop like a stone and the car is entirely different in acceleration, etc. Same can be said with an Auto, but with an MT you're that much more in tune with your car. with the A/C off the RPMs can be totally opposite and take a little longer than some people are used to. It's hard switching styles from day to day, I drive with my windows down and a/c off if it's hot and weather permitting.

a little off topic, but one pet peeve I have that may not bother others is the passenger "head bob" you get in between shifts..they dont seem to notice it but I do and it makes me feel like i cant drive stick smoothly haha..you wont get that in an auto..

 

6speeds are so rare to find especially for the type s, I hope I dont have to settle for the auto

I use the ss in my 2nd gen TL but its no not the same without the clutch

 

My only regret about buying the 6mt is that the wife can't use the car when needed. If I have to take her SUV for something she's stuck at home.

 

^teach her.

 

Agreed! It is a totally different car with the A/C on, it's kinda unreal how different it is!

 

I've tried a couple times. She forgets between then and when she has to use it and never really is comfortable enough in the traffic around here.

I need to make her drive everywhere we go in my car for a month or two.

 

I also agree. I've noticed the same timing differences when the A/C is on when shifting gears. It's not a defect with the car, but likely something to do with the weight of the flywheel in relation to the extra drag required to turn the A/C.

I don't know about the rest of you, but in times when I don't need A/C, I religiously press the A/C off button after pressing the auto climate so that the fan speed will vary, but the A/C won't be running. I do this because the feeling is that noticeable when the A/C is on.

 

Ah ha! so I'm not the only one. Yes in the 6MT with AC on the revs drop quicker so I have to shift a lot quicker or jerky jerky.

I love my 6MT but I hate driving it in bumper to bumper traffic, then again I hate traffic period I wish people knew how to drive properly and not get in to these stupid accidents while talking on their phones and such!.

I don't know if I will pick up a MT or AT beater for the winter, still thinking about it. Yes the MT will be reliable since I will be getting a high mileage beater but winter traffic is awful

 

If I have passengers, I usually turn the A/C off when I'm starting from a stop then turn it on when cruising.

 

Hummm, I have not noticed much difference in how the car drives with a/c on or off with my 07 Type S. Every now and then I will feel it cycle on during normal acceleration, but that's just a brief bump and nothing more.

 

word.

 

I thought most modern cars would disengage the AC clutch when you depressed the throttle significantly. It shouldn't be something you have to do manually.

 

No the AC is pretty severe imho. I've probably only logged 30 minutes of ACed driving so far this year. The car is sooooo much better with it off.

 

OP, just get a 6MT! I don't own a TL but I really wish I would've bought my car 6MT. I'm saving money right now to eventually do a 6-Speed swap.

So just get a 6MT, you won't regret it.

 

Thats interesting because the only cars I have ever driven where the A/C really seems to make a difference is very low power 4 bangers during hot summer days. It appears you have a base model TL, but even a base TL has 270hp they should not suffer from this. Especially the fact you actually avoid using your a/c because of how bad it is almost sounds like there could be something wrong. I would say my a/c has been on this entire summer so far. Only time I have cruised with it off is when its cool enough outside at night to drive with the windows down. 07 Type S drives perfectly fine regardless of climate control setting. No differences, no power loss etc etc.. interesting.....

 

this is my experience as well.
I drive with the A/C on and have not noticed any bogging down

 

They do. Under WOT or maybe even lower depending on the car and the a/c compressor turns off. Also, for what its worth user "I Hate Cars" dynoed his TL a few times and once with the A/C on. Dont quote me on this but I remember him saying there was absolutely zero difference in power and if anything the run with a/c on actually had more power.

James

 

I have power loss in my CL also when the A/C is on...

 

I'm not saying it's extreme but I can feel it enough to not use the AC when I actually want to have fun. I don't see how .3 liters means anything for this ac power robbing discussion though. She does blow cold and strong however.

Also, we are completely off topic.

 

Vehicles with manual transmissions have had cruise control systems available OEM for 25 years or more.

 

sorry off topic on the a/c thing, perhaps the 07-08 models had logic built into the computer to turn off the compressor?

imo the difference is fairly significant. Rev the engine in N or with the clutch in and you can see a difference in throttle response as well as the rate at which the RPMs return to idle. You might say the RPMs drop at a rate more consistent to that of a "normal" car since without a/c RPMs tend to hang between shifts.

I just force myself to get used to it. My dad's E46 doesnt exhibit that much of a difference.

 

Got my 6MT TL in '06. Don't ever think the A/C been out of auto mode. Pretty sure the compressor clutch is overridden at WOT. If its not I can't feel or hear anything loading up under the hood.

 

It's not about WOT. It's about shifting. Lol. Launching the car in 1st with AC is much different then without.

 

Yep, I dyno'd it back to back and accidentally left the AC on during the first run. They were within 1/10th hp of one another. If you keep it floored long enough, you will notice the air getting warmer.

 

You're right. One other thing that happens when the AC compressor kicks on is the throttle is opened more to compensate. Mine overshoots a little at idle, the rpms actually raise just a little when the compressor comes on. Most DBW cars even crack the throttle open a little extra when you're accelerating so it's seamless, no indication that the AC is cycling.

 

OP get the 6 mt and you will be very very very happy with your car. Think I left out a very in there somewhere.

Also I live in desert so 100's daily if not hotter and 70's at night and I notice a lil more power at night with a/c off but that is most likely associated with cooler temps outside and not lack of A/C.

I have no issues running A/C and car still pulls like a champ in any gear with rpm of 3k or higher.