I fell in love with the TL when I saw it in the showroom. IMO, there is nothing out there that can compare for the same amount of money. I'm not a fan of FWD at all however, and the only thing making me even consider this car is the LSD that comes with the manual transmission, along with the fact that it will be my wife's car. I finally test drove it the other day and was disappointed with three things.

1) clutch is too light
2) steering seems light and vague
3) torque steer

#3 seems disconcerting at times and I've heard that the automatics without LSD don't have any torque steer (although I didn't test drive an auto). Has anyone bought a manual TL only to regret it after living with it for a while?

 

i have 6MT and do not regret it one bit. its one of the nicest options that acura offers for this car. it was weird when they came out with the 2ng gens and did not offer a manual tranny. with a 270hp car you would want to offer it in a manual mode for a greater sports feel. the clutch takes a little getting use to depending on your experience with manuals. i picked it up right away and don't really have a problem with it. i dun think steering being light has anything to do with it being a manual tranny. just the way acura designed it so that it takes a less effort to steer. again depends on where you come from. if you are use to driving a sports car then the steering will be very different to you. for normal driving i rarely encounter torque steer but under heavy accleration through a corner you will feel a little. the lsd helps to cancel it out a bit but nonetheless its the nature of fwd cars. some have said that what you are feeling is actually the lsd not torque steer. if this bothers you that much i think you should consider the 5AT as less people have reported the torque steer problem, or a rwd car if snow is not an issue for you.

 

Noway PbPedis. Contrary, I've seen a lot of posts on this forum regreting that they did not buy a 6MT. Also what seems a torque steer is not actually a torque steer as I read on TOV. However, that is not you cannot control. I'm sure you can control it after driving for 30 mins.

I do not know what you meant by "clutch is too tight" I do not have any problems with the clutch. Try driving another 6MT.

 

I regret not getting a stick like jogan mentioned... however, for me the automatic was a necessity for the type of driving i do.. I dream about a manual every day however, and I know deep down that if I got the manual, i would have loved it regardless of the occasional annoyances of stick shift driving in heavy traffic, etc.

 

Here is what I noticed during my test drive. The was a small patch in the road that was repaved but lower than the rest of the road. I was fairly hard on the accelerator as I hit this patch and the steering wheel jerked to the left. I'm not used to this kind of behaviour as I've had AWD and RWD cars most of my life (or underpowered FWD cars in the days when I drove my parents' cars).

I agree that the light steering is not a factor of it being manual transmission, but I thought I'd mention it as I didn't like the steering feel. Keep in mind that I drive a Corvette Z06 so the clutch and steering are obviously heavier. My wife currently has an Audi A4 which IMO has a much better feel to the clutch and steering. I just can't get over the fact that you seem to get so much for so little money in the TL. Despite the above 3 issues I have with the car, I think I'd regret it if I bought something else. I just hope I can live with the torque steer. Although it will be my wife's car, I'll still be driving it quite a bit.

Anyway, thanks for your input.

 

The clutch on the TL is one of the best.

 

i have to agree the clutch is one of the best i have driven and the stick is super smooth. i drive audi's and bmw's tranny before and thought they were superb. i have not gotten a chance to drive too many honda manuals but after this one i have to say that it is one of the best i have driven.

 

The clutch in the S40 and MB C class feels really weird. I don't like it.

 

That clutch may have felt tight because the car you test drove hasn't been broken in yet. Also, I do not regret get a 6MT. I just picked mine up yesterday and love it. I just need to remember the car is a stick not auto. Also, what torque steer is everyone feeling. I have not felt this yet however, car is still being broken in, so I'm taking it a little easy on her. The few times I punched it I did not feel any at all.

 

>Anyone regret buying 6MT?

No.

 

Yep, I regret every time I lift offf the cluctch and get a little burn in third

 

Yep, I regret every time I lift off the clutch and get a little burn in third, :P while smoking a bimmer or some RX8 :fingerfawk: . I also hate when I'm in a sweeping curve ,punch the accelerator and it hangs tighter and faster :'( . What I regret most of all Is when I hit the brakes time and time again and the car keeps stopping on a dime, yep what a POS!

 

My 6MT is great and I'd do it again.

Torque steer complaints are overblown IMHO.

But I'm somewhat in agreement with you on the clutch. It isn't so much that it's light as it lacks feel. That's a trait of most hydraulic clutches compared to cable operated ones. The clutch action is smooth and positive enough, but it's nearly impossible to feel the point where the clutch begins to engage. It takes time to learn how to let it out cleanly.
If a person has only driven vehicles with hydraulic clutches, they won't understand the difference in feel with a cable actuated one.

 

PbPedis, I have the 6MT and do not regret getting it at all.

There have been several threads regarding the "torque steer" issue. I came from an 88 911 which has a much worse trait (swapping ends!!) when hitting the accelerator. I quickly learned with the 911, you can't always apply full power in any situation. I have found three conditions where "torque steer" can be a problem in the TL. You mentioned the first - uneven road surface and lots of power. I am not sure but I think the torque is generated when one tire is gripping more on the outside edge or inside edge due to the uneven surface. The other two situations where "moderated" power application is prudent are full power in a hard turn in gear 1 or 2, and on surfaces that have uneven traction (icy, sand etc.) The 270 ponies are wonderful for merging, passing and and most spirited driving, but I now know when and where I can use them all.
Overall this car is an excellent handling and driving car that offers the best of a luxury car and most of the fun of a sports cars at an incredible price. It takes more than a test drive to learn the clutch and when to moderate power, but once learned it is awesome.

 

At first I thought the clutch take up was strange on the Acura, I was coming from a 2002 A4 quattro, no I appreciate it as one of the easiest MT cars to drive in traffic. As far as torque steer, my opinion is that is a bunch of hooey. On flat smooth pavement you can romp the gas and car will to pull to the left or the right, a la old turbo charged k-cars. If you are on uneven pavement, yes it will pull a bit, but even a rwd car's steering wheel will move on uneven pavement. The real benefit comes when you are pounding on the car, the LSD just hooks up th front wheels and gives the car an uncanny accuracy in the steering, try it one day, you'll be amazed.

 

I agree 100% with KOSH2258. The clutch has no point of engagement feel to it. In fact, I feel like the clutch actually engages when the pedal is past the point where it should`ve. Kind of like, over the hump motion. Just try pushing in and out of the clutch in neutral a few times and you`ll know what I mean.

Do I feel I`m sorry for getting the 6spd? NO WAY!

 

Do I regret getting the 6MT. NOPE. I love the car. I came from an 03 A4 Quattro, I felt that the clutch was way too light in the Audi. A feather could have pushed the clutch in on my Audi. I agree with what some of the other posters have said about the clutch being broken in and getting used to it. Now that my TL has over 1000 miles on it, it is probably one of the best MT setups that I've had.

 

Pedis, I had a 2001 5MT Audi A4 (like your wife's car). The German MTs have the best, most forgiving clutch of anyone. Very smooth takeup. The TL's 6MT is much more abrupt, but you will get used to it. I enjoy my 6MT immensely. Like you said, you get ALOT for the money.

 

I couldn't have said it better!!!

I have one of the first 6spds off the line... The clutch is great, I have more problems with crappy roads out here than torque steer and I can only smile when I hit the gas. The Tl is considered to have the second best production tranny on the market today, first place goes to the S2000.

 

The 6 MT is great. The clutch is nicer than the '99 Civic Si I came from, and the Civic was fine. The steering firms up slightly in a week or two as the tires wear off the silcone mold release and the little mold nubs.

 

I know what exactly what you're talking about while accelerating over an uneven surface and feeling the wheel want to jerk one way or the other when the LSD kicks in. It's even more pronounced while accelerating through a turn and catching some uneven pavement, and it can also happen on icy or snowy roads. It's a bit of an adrenaline rush, but you learn to understand it, when to expect it, you make the quick compensation, it's over and done and you drive on.

Acknowledging all that, I absolutely would not trade my car for a 5AT (not that there's anything wrong with a 5AT). Having driven both options extensively, and previously owning a TL-S, I find the stick a much more fun, enjoyable and satisfying car to drive, LSD warts and all.

Sure, RWD or AWD would be a better setup, but they aren't available, and the car still rocks. BMWs and G35s are better behaved over uneven pavement , so if it's going to be a significant issue for you, you may be happier in one of those cars (personally, I'd still prefer the TL 6MT on wintery roads).

 

no torque steer. clutch and shifter are awesome-i prefer them to the S2K's i had.

zero complaints

 

My only regret is that there isn't enough road (clear of traffic) between work & home. I cant get to punch it & run 2nd & 3rd gear like I want to. This car needs room. Also regret there are so many speed cops around. I Love this car.

 

poll?

So we can see just how lopsided it is.



Love my 6MT.

 

...no regrets!

 

i dun think that you will find any 6MT who regret it. all 6MT drivers chose that tranny because they wanted the more sporty feel and control of a manual tranny. 5AT on the other hand had to make their decisions based upon alot of other things. its more likely that a 5AT will regret getting an automatic than the other way around. this car is so great and one of the best things to me was the fact that acura offered it with a 6MT option. when they released the previous type-s they should have included this option. they got it right this time and the numbers show it. last poll that was posted had almost a 50/50 split of 5AT to 6MT. i am sure this does not reflect the entire TL production but says something about the popularity of the manual tranny's.

 

First post and it's time to chime in.
We drove the 5at and liked it just fine, but decided to wait until the 6mt was available. Drove it in Januaary and bought it on the spot and have not and will not look back. This is an outstanding car. My previous car was a98 Accord EXV6 coupe with the auto and I detested that transmission from day one. It functioned just fine, just had some strange shift patterns. I don't think it ever shifted the same way twice. It was like it was trying to anticipate what I was doing at any given moment and it just never could figure it out. Then at about 75000 miles a bearing started making noise in the transmission, so I dumped it and bought the TL. No more Honda automatics for me.
Torque steer is way over emphasized. It is noticeable, but certainly not as bad as the press would lead you to believe. Anytime you have this much horsepower driving the front wheels you will notice some torque steer. But it's no big deal. The clutch on mine seems just like most other Hondas. By that I mean near perfect. I have not noticed any take-up problems or over center feel. After 5000 miles it seems I don't even have to think about it at all.
Buy the 6mt, you won't regret it.
Rick

 

As the debate about the presence, absence, or importance of torque steer continues, there's an editorial in this month’s C&D that pretty much said front wheel drive is dead because of the HP wars. Bottom line is that front wheel drive can only handle so much power and that limit is being reached and, in some cases, exceeded. There’s a reason (other than marketing) that the RL has 300HP and AWD.

 

PbPedis, I'm weighing this decision, too. Currently an auto driver, but being a MT-wannabe I'm very tempted by the TL's 6MT.

By the way, great user name!

 

I test drove both auto and manual demo TLs, since I was up in the air about which I wanted.
My husband has an RSX-s w/6 speed, and it is the best Manual transmission I've every driven.
I figured if the TL was as good, I go for the 6 speed. But it wasn't as good, IMO so I opted for
the 5AT. I'm happy with my decision, since it seems like there is so much to 'play' with on the
TL, I'm better off with the free hand. And when I want to drive the manual, we can trade cars.

 

I am in total agreement with that. Shoving 270hp through the front wheels is a lot to ask.
But as in most things automotive, the TL is a compromise. A quite good one, but nevertheless a compromise. I would much rather have a rear drive, high horsepower car. But living in an area where it snows often, I will settle for fwd.

 

Though its too early to say, I'm so glad I'm lucky enough not to be the kind of driver that will notice this problem. I am not an aggressive driver other than the fact that I like to take corners hard when im all by myself. I dont race, I dont do a lot of sporty maneuvers, I just drive and enjoy "power on demand".

I got the 6mt and will take delivery this week; though I have to say after my test drive I can't see myself have regrets. My only regret has been driving AT the past 3 years since I traded in my Integra. No more!!

 

Dont regret it all. Although there may be times during intense traffic I wish I had an Auto, but once traffic loosens up I'm glad I have my 6 speed

 

Anyone in central ohio want to trade cars for a bit? I would love to try a 6MT TL

I'm a bit curious about the TL, how big are the gears? My Legend does about 93 in 3rd and 125 in 4th with a 6700 redline. 6th gear is 3000 @ ~93MPH. How is the shifter feel? Are the throws long or are the gears pretty close together?

 

the tl 6 is MUCH better than the rsx-s

 

No regrets at all. The torque steer can be a negative at low gears when rapidly accelerating from a turn, but just hold on to the wheel and you will be all right. Don't hold on and you will be eating the bumper of an oncoming car! I guess the positive way to look at this is that in my old 1994 Accord (5 speed) there was no torque steer because there was simply no torque, period! My TL has get up and go. Combined with the fact that you need the 6MT to get the Brembos, which i would not trade for anything, and you have a happy driver.

 

Clutch was tight the first 5000 miles, I'd say. It's loosen up quite a bit since. I am at 10k (this past weekend it cross 10,000!!)

 

I debated between the 6mt and 5at. The MT had Brembo brakes, an LSD, and thicker sways. Plus one of the best shifters in the business. After I reasoned all that through, I wanted the MT.

After I drove it? It just confirmed my reasoning...it was so powerful and the shifter was so precise. The clutch although at times can feel a little "dead", it is easy to get used to, and the pedals are optimally placed (at least for my feet)...

 

No regrets with my 6spd, but the constant squealing with the Brembo brakes is annoying.

 

My brakes stopped squealing around 2500 miles.