hi all, i'm new here. well i went to Acura today and put a deposit on a TL. i'm still shopping around tomorrow before i make a final decision. basically i have an option in getting either the 5AT or 6MT. the thing is, i've only drove manual twice in my life. my friend leased a car and let me mess around with it a few months ago. i pretty much learned in less than an hour. stalled a few times and need to practice on smoother gear shifting (jerking between shifts). anyways, if i decide to get the TL, i will be leasing. i live in brooklyn and get stuck in traffic 40% of the time i drive. so what do you guys think?

will i be missing out if i go with the AT? or should i just get the MT and go practice around the block every night for a few weeks? haha

 

when you get use to a MT you don't even think about the shifting thing really, it becomes second nature. the acura 6MT is one of the smoothest i have ever driven and i have driven alot of manual trannies. it does take some getting use to because the clutch has such a high catch point that you expect the clutch to catch alot earlier. i live in brooklyn as well and don't find it a big deal driving a manual tranny. my last car was an automatic and i will never ever get another AT again. its just sooooooo boring to me, but that's just my opinion. even when there is traffic managing the clutch does not seem to be that much extra work. both versions of the TL are great in either form, the MT version is suppose to offer a little better peformance and to me gives a sportier feel. good luck with your purchase on whatever you decide.

 

Welcome to the forum

Two bonus threads.


http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92060

http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92193

 

thanks for the advice guys. i just find it weird that when i'm with my friend i jump at every opportunity to drive his manual car. but now when it comes time to choose which one i want, i can't decide.

another thing is when i drove my auto civic, sometimes i would pretend i'm driving a manual. i'll shift with my pretend stick and step on my pretend clutch then make upshift engine noises with my mouth.

now if that's not a sign of me wanting a manual then i need to admit myself into insane ward.

i guess the real question is, how much damage can happen to the clutch or transmission, if any, to learn stick shift on a new car? even though i'm leasing but i'm liable for wear and tear at lease end.

 

IMO...get a stick..and go learn how to drive stick around by yourself. Experience is what it takes to get better in driving stick..no one is gonna teach you how to correct yourself. That's what i did. I took my dad's car out one time..and i drove it around block after block until i got that shit down. Eventually..when you talk about driving stick in traffic...i do see a lot of people complain about having to drive stick in traffic..but man..it's just stop and go..if that's hard for someone to do..how lazy can one person get? It ain't a pain in the ass either..it's hella funner than lifting and pressing the accelerating/brake throughout the time in traffic. ONce you go stick..you'll never go back.

As for damaging the clutch or transmission..i really don't know what to say..if your dedicated to learning how to drive stick..go buy it..meantime..go practice on someone's car (if they're wiling to let you drive it ahha)..and go practice with the TL. Learn it the right way..and after you get it down..it should not be that much harm to the engine. That's saying that you use the proper techniques and you don't pull shit like downshifting .powershifting and all that other goody goody shit while driving. I personally know a girl who learned how to drive a RSX-S.. First stick car..first time she ever learned how to drive the car. She drives well now..no problems at all..car looks hella clean. I doubt this is a good example for what your asking..but just telling you that..people do learn how to drive stick on a new car. If you treat it right..you'lll have no problems.

Good luck yo..i'd go with stick if i were you.

 

I completely disagree with you Reloaded. My Avg. Mph per week is only 22 MPH for 600 miles per week driving back and forth to work, etc. Thats alot of stop-and-go. No way in hell I'm doing a stick again in that mess. Commuting everday in very heavy traffic in a stick is just not worth the hassle imo.

 

My average is up to 22mph this summer, but it was around 17mph last winter. I daily drove stick cars for 18 years, and I am anything but lazy (I'll cut you a break on that unnecessary little judgment, reloaded, seeing as you are all of 18), but that's no way to drive. The fact of the matter is that stop-and-go driving is absolutely hell on a clutch and throwout bearing, and in my opinion there is absolutely nothing fun about driving a stick in stop-and-go traffic.

Nothing beats the fun of a a reasonably powerful, capably handling car with great seats, a good sound system, a close-ratio manual transmission and floor-mounted shifter (gotta make sure and exclude my dad's 1975 Dodge van with the "three-on-the-tree" here) on an open twisty road, though.

Mike

 

To alextclam;

Send me your email and I'll send you some info about the correct method to operate a manual transmission.

 

Yeah, that's pretty sad... stick envy =) There have been days when I question my auto tranny, but then I get stuck in traffic and feel safe about my choice. Not to mention that I burned my hand really badly this week, which makes it difficult to use my right hand - how would I shift in that case?! I can see buying a stick for a weekend car, but for a daily commuter it's a tough and hard choice to swallow.

 

thanks all. but i decided to go with the AT. they didn't have the color i wanted in the MT.

picking it up on tuesday. very excited.

 

NOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

I drove the AT TL and there's NO WAY I'd get the TL in AT. 6MT is the ONLY way to go.

But, you are in NYC so I guess that's probably the only way to go in the urban jungle of New York. Enjoy your new ride.

 

congrats but before you decide based on color and convenience think about it a little more. i bought my last car which was an AT because it was a "good" deal. but i got sick of the AT so fast i had to put up with it for the next 3 years. another board member 6mtv6 just traded in his 5AT for 6MT within a few months. i dunno how much he spent on the deal but its gonna cost money to trade later. like i said before either version is great just dun regret it later.

 

SVT..i'll respect you and the previous poster's replies. But i guess i didn't mention that there are some things fun about AT also in my opinion. Now that i think about it..yea...it really depends on your own enviroment that you live in. For me..i live in a moderate populated city. AInt' all that big..but it ain't all that small. But i guess i've only tasted a little of what you guys have to do everyday.

 

yes, the sequential sportshift feature is fun. it really does come in handy when you need to adjust lanes or speed up by down shifting by a push of the shift knob.

anyways, i'm excited to even have a new car. after 8 years of driving my honda civic, it was definitely a time for a change.