Hey guys I wanted to know how you guys like the transmission in the tl? I have only driven 3 different manuals and all had a different feel. My moms 2008 civic is very sensitive. I usually switch gears around 3-3.5 rpms and I am just not a big fan of the stick at all. On the other hand my friend drives a mercedes 2003 kompressor and the stick is very smooth and forgiving and I switch gears around 4-4.5 making for a much more enjoyable ride. Could you guys give me some insight on how the ride is. Thank you in advance.

 

I switch at 7k.
fun ride!

 

umm... go drive one?

 

It's almost perfect.

My previous fast car was a 2005 WRX STi. I have still not found a comparable feel to the transmission after perusing multiple vehicles, but the TL-S 6spd is the closest yet.

Si felt sloppy and long. Boxster was slick but the shifter travel felt huge. Etc...

It's mechanical, precise, with a moderate travel distance. You don't reach for the odds and take a journey to the evens.

I found after switching to the GM Syncro FM, it was an even smoother improvement with the shifter "slotting" into the next gear.

Overall, I very much like it.

 

It's still not as forgiving as the german cars. I drove a GTI and I could not stall it as easily as I could the TL.

Also the gear shifts and engagement were smoother on the GTI. Everytime I drive the TL it's like I'm learning to drive stick for the first time lol!

It doesn't help I have the TL stored for 5-6 months of the year.

 

It can be a little touchy, especially 1-2, but not bad. Pretty fun but...3.5k is just getting started for this motor, shift at like 6-7k if you want to have fun.

 

Once you put in the GM fluid, its great. Otherwise 3rd gear can be a little tough to get into on occasion.

 

it can be a little notchy when it's cold out, but otherwise I like it

 

livin life one quarter mile at a time baby!!!!!

 

I cannot wait until I get my GM Synchro-Mesh and get it put in. I have heard from so many people how it drastically changes the way the car drives. The only complaint I have is the 3rd gear issues. It took a lil getting used too, the gear box in general, even though I have owned many manual transmissions. And it did take a little getting used to, but overall, I love the car, the way it drives and handles.

 

The clutch takeup is very sensitive. It does indeed take some getting used to, but then becomes no big deal over time. I once watched a mechanic at Big-O Tire stall it when he first tried to move it. Good for a lol in the shop. Also had an old Audi A4 that was the smoothest, most-forgiving MT I've ever had.

BTW, how cool is it that your mom drives a stick! Totally awesome!

 

That's how I feel everyday driving it. I have drove B5 S4, Gold R, Mustang and they all are easier to drive than the TL. But you do need the GM syncro to take full advantage of the car. No doubt about it

 

Too touchy for my taste. I had two manual type S's and now I'm back in an automatic. I have had some pretty serious cars with manual trans and none of them were as much of a pain in the ass to finesse as these damn TL's were. I always had to think about it and worry if I was gonna make the car shake or slip the clutch too much. Sure, they were fun at times, but for the 97% of the time I was driving it normally it just got annoying. Not only that but pretty much all of them will have 3rd gear issues which is cured by changing to the GM fluid (or atleast covered up to seem that it's fixed). I also had clutch issues with one of then that was a $1000 repair bill from Acura. Don't have to worry about any of that stuff anymore with the auto. I will leave the manual trannies for my fun summer cars.

 

Yah. The clutch is one of the more difficult ones I've encountered. Not sure why either. My easier clutch was probably my c5 corvette. So much torque it was pretty much impossible to stall.

 

Of the half dozen or so manual cars I've driven, the TL has to have the strangest clutch. There doesn't seem to be any feel and the actual engagement seems to be a bit high. So even after having the car a year I find it a bit difficult to operate the clutch smoothly.

The shifter is a tad notchy when it's cold too, so it can be easy to grind if you aren't careful with your gear changes.

On the plus side, the shifter feels fairly nice once everything is warmed up and the gear ratios and spacing are pretty good.

The trans is connected to a fantastic engine too. There's so much torque (compared to the 4 bangers I used to drive) that I have never stalled my TL. Power is abundant too and more than enough for driving. The engine also sounds wonderful throughout the rev range too.

 

i love the TL manual. I love Acura manual transmissions in general. My buddy has had a couple of rsx-s cars and they were a dream to shift. The TL is on par once you throw GM syncromesh fluid in and do the slave cylinder check valve delete (really easy 30 minute DIY).

as others have said, it can be a bit notchy when it's cold. minor complaint though.

In comparison, my boss has an E30 M3, an E36 M3, and a 2007 Audi A4. They all have more forgiving clutches but they are sloppy in comparison. I've driven them minimally, but he's also driven my car and from a guy who has tracked cars for 25 years and is a professional auto-x driving instructor, even he prefers the TL manual.

My buddy with the RSX-S also has an e46 M3 and still swears by his RSX and my TL. Shifting is so much better, lol, don't care what anybody says.

In the past 2 years, I've also had some low mileage, older German and British cars (2 lotus esprits, bug-eyed sprite, TVR 280i, and a porsche 911), and all of them were a bitch.

Of all the cars, I find the TL to be arguably the most finicky to get smooth from 1st to 2nd gear when you first drive it, but within a week of having GM syncromesh fluid, and also removing the check valve in the slave cylinder, I have scarcely found a better manual transmission.

and I've owned a lot more manuals than what I've listed here. I flip a lot of cars as a side gig. Drive them for a month and have some fun, then sell them. It's tough to compete with the Acura manual transmission.

 

i test drove a 2004 TL stick shift and i was really amazed. it was the best stick shift ive ever ridden. but i bought a automatic TL-S.

 

i will also say from what i've experienced in my father's e46, this is true.

The shift throws are truck like compared to the TL's and it doesnt have this mechanical preciseness to it. It feels very sloppy.