mitchdeerfield

Just curious . . Has anyone bought a TL with 6MT and wish they had bought the 5-Speed Auto instead? or visa versa?


I am leaning toward the Manual Transmission, but am thinking I might regret it later when I start using it day to day in commuting.. .

Any thoughts one way or the other . ..?

DNA

Whenever I buy an AT I wish I had a MT and when I buy an MT I wish I had an AT. My TL AT is no different and for me the SS doesn't add even the slightest bit of MT satisfaction. I'm happy I bought an AT when I'm in commute traffic and I'm happy when I'm on long trips (I just came back from one) and can let my MT-challenged girlfriend relief-drive. But when I'm on winding backroads I wish I had an MT.

Probably the best solution is to have a practical commute/long-trip sedan with an AT and a roadster/MT for fun.

acur8ly

iTrader: (1)

I have the 5AT and have no regrets about not getting MT. Traffic is horrible in my area. Having a MT would drive me crazy

6spdzoomzoom

nope none, I hate auto's

Qatar

I have a 2003 TL-S (Automatic sport shift) and 04 TL 6 Speed manual and my plan was to drive my TL-S fro the winter and leave my 6 Speed manual fro the spring and summer, but since i got the car, about a month ago, I haven't sat in my 03 TL-S, and thats how joyfull driving the manual is.

copter

Any regrets????



HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!

Nicki

6MT is only way to go!

wheelsetc

Mine is an AT. I love driving it on all kinds of South Florida roads and it has the balls to deal with every traffic condition encountered. I wouldn't consider an MT with a car like this.

zexi

Have a 6 speed and I have no regrets, clutch is smooth and is not so heavy to get your foot tired in heavy traffic, LOVE THIS CAR!!

neuronbob

I bought the 5AT and sometimes wish I had bought the 6MT. However, as a married guy one must sometimes compromise with the spouse, and in an emergency my wife has to be able to drive my car. She'll NEVER touch it other than that, though, except to sit on the passenger's side!

JoganJani

Have a 6MT and will buy again. No fun with the AT for me.

greenseed

Mitch,

To be honest with you and in the end, I think that the only driver who will complain (at least in some small percentage) is the one who drives a manual. My thoughts are that this person (and I've been there before), while he/she may love his manual tranny in their everyday commute and weekend travels will hit a situation at one point where they are sitting in traffic and toiling away with that clutch. THEN they wish that they purchased an Auto.

I've driven both stick's and auto's at an equal value since I've been driving. I've been on an Auto for the last 10 years now, but I decided to purchase the 6MT because my GUT (and NO! its not a cheese steak hoagie telling me) told me that the 6MT feels very right in this car.

Having said that, to each his own!

The auto was nice, but I'm sick of autos now. If I want to drive an auto, I've got two others outside waiting for me.

Anyhow enjoy and my only comment is to go with your GUT reaction!

jyg tl 3

unless you have constant stop and go comute.

jlunnen

I love the MT. I have owned many cars, both auto and mt, but the TL has the sweetest mt of all. I even enjoy working my way through stop and go traffic.

Chitown-TL

I see the majority of those who answered they love the MT live in a warm climate area. If I lived in those areas I might have one too but in bumper-to-bumper while watching it snow the AT is not a bad choice, so I have no regrets and I have no torque steer either.

Besides having the MT limits the number of customers for a resale thus lessens the trade-in value.

It's undisputable in the USA the AT rules.

And consider this before you start flaming me I own a 69 Yenko Camaro with a rock crusher clutch and a Muncie 4-speed.

Quincy

How many motorcycles come in AUTO?

Enough said!!!!!!!!!

mitchdeerfield

Does the Bluetooth technology in the 6MT make it easier to talk on the cell phone and shift gears at the same time? How do you dial a number without touching the phone?

Quincy

Press a button on the steering wheel and say "Call Mitchdeerfield"

The computer will say "would you like to call Mitchdeerfield?" you say "Yes"

The computer " Calling"

GoBig

Couldn't be happier...especially since I only spent $35k...

mitchdeerfield

How accurately does the computer understand when you give it a 10 digit number to dial, not a name? Do you have to repeat yourself?

danno

Very rarely does my (VR), voice recognition screw up. Usually its me not saying the right words

Quincy

How accurately does the computer understand when you give it a 10 digit number to dial, not a name? Do you have to repeat yourself?

mine is aweful, maybe I speak funny. I have to give it 3 digits at a time.

Chitown-TL

Honda did make a motorcycle that had an automatic transmission and there are countless motor scooters that have AT but why mix apples to oranges the conversation was about the TL.

mgmd11

I have the 04TL with 5AT and have not regretted the choice. On those windy roads or turning off-and on-ramps, I just slap it into manual and downshift to decelerate and keep the revs up in the turn without even using a clutch. I actually had to get use to not lifting off the accelerator when shifting as I would with a MT!

2k4TLkev

i have 2 regrets:

1. Should have bought one with navigation -- there was none on the lot when i went, i was in a rush ( well actually i wasnt in a rush but when i saw it i gotta have it) and also i didnt know the acura navi was the best navi on the market...dumbass salesman didnt even mention anything about it.

2. I wanted the 6sp since 6spd and 5AT are same price and 6 spd came with LSD and brembos but fiancee wanted to drive also..

so i got mad at myself and inorder to distract my madness i went out and bought and installed the factory body kit a week after i bought the car and im going to get 2 screen put on the headrest and use my xbox as a dvd player (01/18-19 weekend)...thats the only way im gonna get over not getting the navi
i will post pic when finish

rick955i

Co-worker and I went to coffee this morning, he knows me pretty well, looks at me and says "you're glad you got the stick, aren't you, I can just tell" he is right, I really wanted an auto for L.A. traffic, but the 6spd brings a smile to my face.

Rick

2k4TLkev

i have 2 regrets:

1. Should have bought one with navigation -- there was none on the lot when i went, i was in a rush ( well actually i wasnt in a rush but when i saw it i gotta have it) and also i didnt know the acura navi was the best navi on the market...dumbass salesman didnt even mention anything about it.

2. I wanted the 6sp since 6spd and 5AT are same price and 6 spd came with LSD and brembos but fiancee wanted to drive also..

so i got mad at myself and inorder to distract my madness i went out and bought and installed the factory body kit a week after i bought the car and im going to get 2 screen put on the headrest and use my xbox as a dvd player (01/18-19 weekend)...thats the only way im gonna get over not getting the navi
i will post pic when finish

mitchdeerfield

I notice a lot of the guys here would have purchased the 6MT except for the fact of their wives or girlfriends need to drive it . .

Aren't women capable of driving a stick shift?


Just wondering . . .

KJSmitty

Come on man!
You know it's hard to clutch, talk on the phone, use the blinker, put on make-up, shift, and smack the kids in the rear seat.... all at the same time

No wonder we cringe when our better halves drive off in the TL..


I will admit I miss a clutch but I do still enjoy the 5AT

Smitty

Tripp11

Have you ever tried TEACHING them? My girlfriend has not the patience nor the attention span to learn how to drive a manual. Her solution to it all is an automatic is the only way.

All my life I've had nothing but manuals in my cars and every single girlfriend wanted to learn how to drive it and only a handful were successul in learning. Maybe we're just better with our hands... :wow: :wow:

mitchdeerfield

zexi

I know my woman is very capable of driving my STICK :p

svtmike

I have no regrets about buying the auto, after driving stick cars for the past 18 years. And yes, my wife was a factor in that decision, but she is perfectly capable of driving a manual.

She has hip joint problems that make operation of a clutch for anything less than a very short period of time painful, and I wanted to not have to drive stick in my stop-and-go daily drive.

So, not wanting to buy two TLs, I opted for the one that serves my desires most of the time. This car has enough power that I really don't miss the stick at all.

Mike

skywizzard

Hi All,

I have been lurking for about a week and have really enjoyed all the information and comments. I hope to take delivery on my Anthracite/Ebony M6 with Nav in about 10 days. This will replace my 98 Volvo S70 T5, and if I enjoy the TL as much as the T5, it will be a good car.

When my wife and I went to the dealer, I was uncertain whether I would get Navigation. After a test drive in a M6, no Nav (there weren't any manual nav on the lot), I was just about ready to deal. We then looked at an auto with Nav. After the demo, my wife (who is totally non-tech, I on the other hand am a tech fanatic), said I should wait for a nav or I would regret it....

So... thanks to my wife, I don't expect any regrets. There was never any discussion about an auto. My wife learned to drive a stick with our 84 Toyota Corolla and she still prefers a stick to an auto.

So... women are certainly capable of driving a stick shift, it's just that many are not willing to make the effort to learn. Their loss (and sometimes their husbands/boyfriends)


04 TL Anthracite/Ebony M6 with Nav (soon)
98 Volvo S70 T5
00 Toyota 4Runner LE
93 Dodge Dakota