mioduz

I am lookin to buy a new TL, I love their styling and its a great value. I like the dark grey (I think its called anthresite). Heres my problem. The dealer has two. Both black leather, both navi, both the same dark grey color. One auto, one a 6 spd. I know this is all up to personal preference, but what have u guys noticed after u got ur car. Did u resent getting one or the other??
Keep in mind that im still young (22) and i have a weekend car that purs to the tune of 500 RWHP


I love driving, i love the stick, but this is gonna be my daily driver.....should i go with the 6 spd?

Let me know what u think

jeffie7

Should be an easy answer for you....

Im not sure why you're asking this question.

do I wish I bought an auto? hell no, never.

Hawhyen51

Welcome aboard. The question about 6MT or 5AT has been asked so many times. Seeing this is your very first post, I'll point you in the right direction. Good Luck in your decision.

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=137216
https://acurazine.com/forums/car-parts-sale-361/i-am-looking-97-99-3-o-engine-help-135148/
https://acurazine.com/forums/ramblings-12/i-hate-ups-133458/
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129727

pettydw

I have the 6MT and would not consider an AT version. The AT car is definitely slower accelerating. The 6MT has a nice shift action (especially with the GM fluid) and the clutch is not too heavy for stop and go traffic. The engine is quite smooth and flexible, so you can choose to drive as the mood strikes.

bklynpanman

6mt !

ityper

get the automatic. I purchased mine brand new and never thought once to get the 6spd, even with lsd, brembo, stiffer sway bar etc. this is a luxury car, why would you need a 6spd? It's not exactly a fast car. quick maybe, but not fast and seeing from the picture, you dont look like you need something quick, but more of something to get u from point a to b

mioduz

ok i think i want a 6MT.....i cant wait....
next question:

Suspension.....is aspec the best ride/performance suspension for the money or is there something better

BBallhog

Why buy a Spoty car with out 6MT?

verse101

Since you only have the 6MT right now, you can ask yourself if you've ever hated being stuck in traffic w/ your manual tranny. I switched over to AT when I lived in Southern California and I have a fairly rough commute now in the SF bay area too. But I'ma bout to move back to LA..so no matter where I am, I'm faced w/ bad traffic. Even if the clutch is easy to hold down, bumper to bumper traffic is annoying, having to switch between neutral, 1st, & 2nd.

One salesman at the BMW dealership said it best. AT is fun only 5-10% of the time you drive the car, the rest of the time you're stuck in the same gear anyway. You just have to ask yourself if it's worth it for just the 5-10%.

seany

I have the same dilema. I live in DC so the stop and go can be a killer. I want the stick, however I'm 38 and I keep cars for 10 years. Will I be happy at 45? Any guys out there around my age who have the stick in heavy traffic, your thoughts. Also, who has time in both cars that can compare the performance gains of the stick vs auto. Presently I drive a Volvo 850R, auto, I'm sorry to say since that's the only way they made them. Is the autostick function any good? Do the 06 Navi auto's come with decent tires?

BustedJack

6MT. For those who say they're too lazy to drive AT in traffic. They're ghey.

123456SPEED

I have the 03 CLS/6MT and I'm over 40, but I don't drive in too much bumper to bumper. I live pretty close to work so the 8 to 5 commute is not too bad.
I had an automatic 95 Legend Coupe and even though the car is a classic I got bored with the auto tranny and traded in for the CLS 6 speed.
Honda makes the best shifters, my CLS is fun to drive.
A sedan would be harder to resell with the stick. Most drivers drive sedans and automatics.

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

6MT.

Added bonus = Brembo front brakes. No BBK required...

fan_888

6 MT FOR SURE!!!
LOVE IT.

jmbnova

6mt

CobraGuy

I looked at both. The salesman was very upfront with me...the sticks just weren't worth near as much on trade as the a/t. They didn't have near the market for them.

ACCURATEin

I would suggest the 6MT.

The 5AT is strong like bull though. 70,000 hard miles and no problems yet.

erik_tedder

6mt

a-spec suspension is ok. but i felt the drop wasn't aggressive enough, so i went with the TEIN set-up which drops it a little lower

Papaman677

6MT. I had a loaner TL auto and I felt that my MT was much quicker. Auto is boring, in my opinion anyway. I think you will read people regretting getting the AT over the 6MT, but never people saying they wished they had the auto.

your_mom

6MT. 5AT = AARP.

I live in Atlanta and 6MT in traffic isn't that bad. I used to drive a domestic POS with AT and it's not like traffic magically didn't suck just because I had AT. I mean, it's not like the Swedish bikini team parachuted in through the sunroof bearing 12 packs of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale because I had an AT in traffic, while MT drivers had naked fat dudes dropping in through the sunroof and farting.

XtraKrispy

6MT - Why settle? If you are used to driving manual then you might be wishing you had manual if you buy the auto. I think it just makes the drive more interesting and fun!

Fructus

6MT hands down. Better acceleration, better brakes, better cornering due to thicker rsb, thicker steering wheel, not to mention street cred.

lembowski

iTrader: (1)

I perfer the 5at personally in this vehicle. I will be recieving a weekend car (04' Corvette 6spd) from my dad once he upgrades in 08'. I knew this when I purchased my TL. I didn't need two manuals, 1 for work.....1 for fun. I live in SoCal and traffic would bother me switching from 1st to 2nd all the time. I'm sorry but a 45 minute commute that is 6 miles in a stick is not fun, nor are you ghey like AcuraDriver2006 said perfering 5at.

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

I'm 31, and drive from Stafford to Tysons daily. I think you would.

The clutch is the lightest I've ever felt on a stick... It's not much heavier than the gas. They use one hell of a hydraulic booster! My buddies Nissan Z is silly stiff in comparison. You have to drive one.

Even sitting in the I-95 traffic, I dont regret my stick. The extra realized power, and that blast around the 18 wheeler in your away makes all that traffic frustration go away.

If you're concerned about resale, or want to talk on the phone and do your makeup while driving, then get the auto... If you want a fun car to DRIVE, get the 6MT.

BTW, Men drive sticks to keep thier wives from driving them...

JoganJani

Auto = fun


6mt = way way more fun to unleash those ponneys

Decide for yourself.

verse101

Haha.. true, I don't want anyone else driving my car even though it's automatic. HOWEVER, I like the option of having someone drive me home if I get sh*tfaced drunk.

noah82

I drove a 5 speed before I got the TL and bought the 5AT. I am in stop an go traffic all day, so I am loving the automatic, and when I have the urge to downshift i just use the SS!

I still do miss the clutch though, but I am not dissapointed with my choice. This is really a personal decision, but you really can't go wrong either way!

SouthernBoy

Generally, I would say that if you have to ask the question, you probably should get an automatic. This is for the simple reason that most manual drivers are diehards and would not consider an automatic for their personal driving machine.

I have one of each. An '04 manual (mine) and an '05 automatic (wife's). I can drive either one (obviously, better than 90% of the time, I drive mine). All manuals have several major advantages over automatics, one of which is the fact that the drive train locks from the engine to the drive wheels when the clutch is fully engaged. An automatic cannot do this because it uses a fluid coupling, so there will always be that slippage between the engine and the drive wheels under certain conditions.

Because of this, the manual TL feels more responsive and alive than does the automatic. Granted, the automatic in the TL is good, but it's still an automatic.

So if you must ask the question, get the automatic. If, on the other hand, you love the driving experience, by all means, go for the manual.

dap0901

6mt. My first car was a stick and after that I got an automatic cause I was tired of shifting. But then I complained about not being in touch with the car and the road. Driving a stick makes me more aware of the road and traffic. In addition, every automatic wants to be a stick i.e. the sequential shift mode. But there is nothing like a clutch and a 6 speed on a nice day with some curving roads. Sweet!!

realfresh

i'm pretty sure he's already decided on manual but YES, the SS isn't that great. You can't even manually go to 1st. I test drove the 5AT, didn't like it, bought a 6spd black/camel two days ago=)

gauravp123

I'd have to agree with everyone here - as this being my first 6mt car....its AMAZING, driving is fun again and this car f'ing rocks......

my point being dude, "if you need to ask" then get the automatic...I've driven AT's all my life (granted i'm only 26) and from this point forward, will never buy an automatic....

do what suits you, but 6mt is the way to go, ESPECIALLY for the TL and how beautiful and effortless it is!

leedogg

Have you driven both to compare? That alone might answer your question. Hows the traffic in your area as well? I'm assuming you've dealt with it in a stick so far? Has that been tolerable? Do you care about resale value?

Cecilt

I don't think this to be the case. There is a buyer for anything out there. Now it might take longer to find a buyer for a TL with a 6 speed but it will sell. Also, why trade. Worst thing you can do is trade in the first place. Case in point but has been true for every car I sold but his is my most recent sale that took place 1 week ago. I just sold my 2001 BMW 330i 5 speed. Acura dealer offered me $13,500. I sold it for $18,100. I certainly didn't invest 4,600 into selling it. Actual cost was $80 to list it in the paper and autotrader. I had 3 people drive it and 2 of those people were bidding against each other for it. Selling price was $400 less than asking price. Cha Ching!!!! Moral, never trade unless you don't have the option.

richpearl

After much test driving and deliberation, I bought an '06 TL 6MT two weeks ago. I love it. I bought my wife an '04 TL AT two years ago, and have driven it occasionally, so I'm in a good position to compare.

More, I live in Falls Church and commute to Rosslyn, where I catch the Metro to DC each day, so I now have two weeks experience commuting to Rosslyn in traffic. Further, I'm 62, so a bit older than you. My previous car was a 2002 Passat W8, which was available only with AT at the time I leased it. My car before that was a 1998 Lexus GS300, also available only as an AT. So, it had been some time since I've driven a stick.

Here are my conclusions so far:

The AT is easier to drive, but the MT is more fun.

The MT is just fine in heavy traffic. I hardly notice the stop-and-go. The shift action is fluid and relatively precise. The clutch takes some getting used to.

The MT handles a bit better--even though I didn't get the summer tires. I think there are a couple of reasons for this: 1. The MT has thicker anti-roll bars front and rear, and 2. The MT is about 100 pounds lighter than the AT.

I still prefer a MT after all the years I've spent with an AT. MT models are just more fun to drive.

I haven't really gotten on the brakes yet, because I'm still breaking in my new TL, but I can tell they're noticeably more powerful than my wife's TL's brakes.

Again because of break-in process, I haven't done full acceleration runs, but I can already tell my TL is zippier than my wife's

The tires on my TL are Michelin Pilots, while my wife's AT has Potenza's. I like my tires a bit better. I believe that it's the luck of the draw if you get an AT as to which brand tires you get.

I'm happier at 62 than I was at either 38 or 45, and I hope you have the same experience. Anyway, despite one's physical decline, new cars keep getting better.

To answer your last question, the autostick function on my wife's TL is just fine, but it's no substitute for an actual stick shift.

One final note: Of the many cars I test drove before buying the TL 6MT, the Mazdaspeed 6 was the most fun. It's an absolute hoot to drive and a bit quicker than the 6MT TL. It's clutch is heavier, but I found it took less getting used to than the TL's. I was offered a great deal on one, but the quality of the interior wasn't what I wanted. And, although it doesn't have WRX-like doo-dads, I did feel a bit too boy-racerish in it.

Hope this helps in making an informed decision.

--Rich

Hugh9269

6MT!! All the way! I have only owned one car of 7 without a manual...

djesuna

My roommate has a 6 spd, and he recently blew out his left knee (probably both inner and outer ACL). Now he's driving my car (5AT) and I'm driving his. Here's something morbid to think about... if you somehow get in a bad accident with your 500 HP beast and you break a leg, it'd be good to have a 5AT to fall back on. Hope that didn't kill anyone's mood today :P

coykiam

its neither ghey or being lazy...its a matter of convenience and preference.

LoReNzZz

Def get the 5AT - Especially if you are gonna keep your car that's MT right now.....It can be like a luxury getaway car....still fast and you can relax without having to shift and you still have the tiptronic if u feel u need to downshidt here and there....lol

But......Your gonna hafta take some time to think about it......If you get the wrong one, you may feel that you regret it ----- but if you get the 5AT.....and u feel like driving manual, u always have your other car.

Another thing is.....this car is also considered a luxury car.....so, theres nothing wrong with choosing the 5AT......my last car was a GTI and i had that for yrs.....manual was all i loved to drive.....now i have the 5AT and i kinda like not having to shift gears & especially after i do legs in the gym or dance all night at a club......alsowhen ur drunk & if a friend drives the car and doesnt drive manual 2 good.....well.....u kno - there are the pros and the cons.....make your own list and whatever outwieghs the other will give u your answer.

ubnpast

Please do not post if you do not know what your are talking about. RSB has nothing to do with better cornering, it only helps the lean when you go around the corner. VSA when left on will take care of almost anything when talking about sliding.

Thicker steering wheel?


I would say the 6mt may possibly have better cornering because of lsd when the vsa is off..

jonnyn

6MT all the way. I live in a mixed area but drive in stop and go traffic a lot.

My salesman suggested that I go 5AT. The dealership is on a road that was under construction and the traffic was terrible. I drove the 5AT for at least an hour, but I knew within minutes of getting into the 6MT that this was for me.

I haven't regretted it one bit.