Thinking about trading in my 2g TL-S and buying a 3g TL-S, but I dont know which to get a auto or manual. Ive gone to 3 acura dealers and they dont have any m/t. So what are the pros the cons on both? Thanks for you input

 

This is going to be an overwhelming content of posts saying manual, with only AT guys possibly saying auto.

 

/thread

 

depends on what you like to drive an auto or manual (and if you are into performence or not especially)

 

What kind of driving do you do? Sometimes I wish I had an auto for those long days at work and driving back in brutal Toronto traffic. But rest of the time I'm happy with my MT even thoe the TL's MT is quite difficult to grasp!

Depending on your driving, but my choice would be MT :P

 

Most here prefer manual. The Acura manuals are some of the best in the auto industry. So if it were my choice I would choose the car with the man pedal every day of the week.

 

performance oriented and fun factor= MT
hellacious traffic everyday=AT

problems:
MT 3rd gear pop out, buying used--> not sure if car was abused or how the previous owner drove the car, ie how much clutch life is left?
AT tranny crapping, buying used--> has the car been regularly maintained, ie tranny drains and fills on a regular interval

the good stuff:
well the type -s has all the goodies over the base models, though the 04-06 MT comes real close in terms of performance goodies.

so what it comes down to...what do you prefer? the MT type s will be a waiting game to see if one pops up on the market as they are rare breeds. the type s AT are more readily available. up to you. good luck!

 

don't forget about the oil gutter plate being plastic, and it becoming fragile over time, then it breaks and takes out a gear (2nd for me , and it took out a spring around the synchro, that is about the diameter of a paperclip, and with out the spring, i lost the ability of 2nd gear to hold, let alone grinded like no other)

gutter is #9: https://www.hondapartsunlimited.com/...0CLUTCH%20CASE

 

i sometimes wish i had bought the MT but then i get into crazy traffic and am glad i bought the auto. i do plan on getting another project car which will def be a MT

 

This is pretty much goal as well.

I just want the 6Spd to go faster & if that's all I want, I might as well buy something that will dust a TL altogether.

 

If you are actually 21 years old the manual all the way!

 

Well, do you want to drive it or ride it!?

 

why are people always starting these threads asking for peoples' opinions (especially when it is pertaining to driving)???

if you want a manual, get a manual. if you want an auto, get an auto. either way, be happy with your choice. no one else can decide that for you.

BUT... i waited until my MT popped up. then again, i knew my next car was going to be manual regardless because my autos in between from my last one left my one foot wanted to push on a ghost pedal.

 

I have been looking for an 06 TL-S MT for nearly a year, as I will only buy a NBP or WDP. I settled on an AT Base as a daily, until I find my unicorn car lol

 

M/T, simply because the AT has issues. Read up on the several threads about pressure switches, using this and that ATF...

 

Cool well thanks for all the input I never hit traffic and I did read up on some of the threads, so im thinkin m/t. So hopefully in 2-3 months il have a new car.

 

Sweet deal

 

I have one of each: an '04 manual (mine) and an '05 automatic (the wife's). The manual is quicker and allows you to feel engine torque at slight throttle openings for the simple fact that there is always a direct solid connection from the engine to the drive wheels when the clutch is engaged. You can't get this with an automatic. The fun factor is significantly higher with the manual and this is the transmission that Acura intended the car to have. Doubt me? Their brochures and ads for the early 3G's all highlighted the manual over the automatic. They were trying to present the car as a luxury performance sedan.

But like others have already stated, get what you want. For me, there was no option. If this car was not offered with a manual, something else would be occupying its spot in my garage. I will not buy an automatic for my personal driving machine under any circumstances. While that's a very strong bias, I can be quite objective.

 

i have the 6mt and love it...although you cant go wrong either way...

 

Well keep waiting because its going to be a looooooooooong time before you see a 2006 TL-S pop up LOLOL. Im sure it was a typo but obviously Type S's werent made in 06 ;-)


Back to the OP you have to be the person that ultimately determines which transmission you want. I have owned both and here are my opinions.

The auto is nice for normal cruising and would obviously be good if you deal with lots of traffic.

The 6spd manual Type S is measureably quicker than the auto and surpringly feels quicker than it really is. Sometimes when I get on it I cant believe it has less than 300HP and is 3500lbs+.

The 6spd Type S also gets measureably better fuel economy as well. With the exact same driving I think my auto Type S averaged 21mpg and now my 6spd Type S doing the exact same driving gets 25mpg. This is with no highway use its all far suburban driving.

The only drawbacks to the 6spd Type S is that it is a difficult manual to finesse. I have had many manual tranny cars and none were this difficult to get right. Even after owning the car for a long time I still find myself sometimes struggle to get the car to be atleast somewhat smooth in 1st gear.

Only other drawback is you better have a lot of patience or be willing to travel to get the Type S 6mt that you want. These things are VERY difficult to come by! At any given time there will only be 20 sometimes 30 in the entire country!! In a large metropolitan area there is only a couple near Chicago right now. One has 140+K miles and the other ones are lsited at friggin 30K.

Goodluck with everything hope this helps.

James

 

I bought an AT and I do regret it a little but for some reason I'm still super satisfied!!! I guess it's because it's an 08 Acura TL-S and you can't go wrong with that! lol

 

That shouldn't stop someone from buying an AT. You don't hear great things about the MT either.

 

The few problems with the M/T do not prevent me from going to work or driving the car altogether. Mainly you see people complaining about the drivability of the car, and that's not necessarily the car's fault. I have no problem with the clutch feel or operation.

Changing the M/T fluid is really the only thing you can/need to do with the transmission.

 

If the only reason you want the MT is because you think it'll turn a FWD 3500lbs sedan w. a V6 into an F1 racecar, then you need to buy the automatic.

 

some of that is just practice, and being willing to occasionally accept not the smoothest of starts

the MT's have there own set of problems also, just not as severe as basically complete failure like on the AT at times (instead the clutch can crap out totally instead, if you are not the kindest to it :rofl)

 

That would be a VERY rare car... considering the type S only came back in 07. Typo?

 

I have driven MT hondas for over 15 years. (CRX SI,Civic,04TL,08TL-S) --3 of those cars have had well over a 100,000 miles and I have never had to replace the clutch ONCE.
In between the civic and the 04 TL I drove a CL type S (2001). I had to replace the automatic tranny 3 times in 58,000 miles. And the times it actually drove I was bored to shit driving it because I missed my manual.
If you know how to drive a manual you will be fine. These are very easy to shift cars IMO...

 

^^^ I agree there isnt much of an argument when comparing Honda automatics to the manual trannies. There is basically nothing to worry about with a 6mt Type S except for a 3rd gear issue which is completely fixed 97% of the time with a simple fluid change.

There is absolutely no downside to getting the Type S 6mt that I can think of unless you truely do not like shifting gears. The 6mt Type S is more rare, quicker, slightly better handler (especially a Type S HPT 6mt), better fuel economy, and better resale value due to it being so sought after and hard to find.

James

 

So does the manual....There was even an issue or 2 listed in this thread.

It all comes down to preference as both trannys have their own issues.

 

but then again the newer autos are not failing nearly as much either, honda had truely fucked up on those autos

yes, good fluid is critical to proper operation of the synchros, but then again they should be a little more tolerable to a little worn fluid

and if it gets truely bad enough, the fresh fluid is only a COVERUP, for a bad synchro (and personally i think they should have put in a triple synchro on third, like first and second, compared to only a doable one currently on it, cause third gear is not far behind second, in the number of shifts it sees; and if cost was an issue, had only put a doable synchro on first instead of a triple one)









fyi, i have an 05 TL 6-speed in my 2G (and third gear had already been replaced under warranty once at like 59k on the clock, before i bought the trans for the swap [and before you question that mileage, i called up my local dealer, which told me to call Acura corporate, which then gave me the dealer name, that had done the work, which i called afterwards, to see exactly why they had gone into the transmission, which was 3rd gear issues])

 

popping 3rd gear does not render the car inoperable. None of the problems the MT has causes catastrophic failure.

even then a MT trans replacement is still cheaper than replacing the AT.

anyways, i enjoy driving the MT. Would not have bought a TL otherwise. Tsuchiya adored the MT TL-S.
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=HSGSIU2Z

 

Zero Problems with my 2007 TL-S AT. Bottom line: Your Call.

 

I went with an Auto. I only care for manual in a sports coupe..sedan I treat as more of a luxury so I'd just go with an Auto. Unless it was something like a M5

 

It's still technically an issue, though, is it not? There wouldn't be several posts/fixes regarding the 3rd gear if it wasn't, imo.

I also never said it did or wasn't. Merely stated that both transmissions have issues, as reported by other members.

 

the times i sit in traffic with my TL. I'm thanking myself for not driving the s4 ( 6spd )

now when i drive to my friends house which is in the poconos area ( driving up and down mountains) the 6spd is much better.
Auto seems sluggish going up hills.

performance wise = 6spd
practical use = auto

 

Hey unicorn is my line!

 

OP, why not get an 04-06 MT instead if you want a manual?
They hold their ground and is a very enjoyable car

 

Perfect example of someone who regrets his A/T. . But OP, like everyone said, its all up to you. I personally hate driving auto. The 3rd gear pop out is common but its so easy to fix with the GM tranny fluid. I sometimes get the pop out in my CL but its really rare so im sticking with the honda fluid for now.

 

It's sad you even have to ask

 

So lets recap.
Manual Pros
Better resale value
More fun to drive
Faster
Better Gas Mileage
Better braking (brembos)

Manual Cons
3rd gear issue which is fixable with a fluid change but even without is more a nuisance than anything else

Auto Pros
In traffic you will not have to step on an extra pedal occasionally
Your left leg can rest easy wherever you go? :/

Auto Cons
Worse resale value
Worse gas mileage
Slower
Less fun to drive
Worse braking
Transmission may go--costing you thousands to repair and making the car inoperable.

OK--I think that about covers it