Its not a simple case of preferring one over the other, there are situations where I prefer an auto and situations where I prefer a manual.

 

When I go to the races, I often visualize myself as the driver since I really don't race at all. It is at that moment when I start to visualize myself making that throw to second and calculating speed and time to win the race.

I can't exactly tell you how this will feel unless I am on the start line ready to race. I am sure that with an MT, control and timing are a factor. An AT with a predetermined shift is less exilarating. Having that control is priceless when you decide when to shift and even a cooler stance when you hold onto that handle just prior to take off.

MT for me!

Can't handle the predetermined shift of an AT. Better suited for picking up a gallon of milk at the local corner store or renting a video at Blockbuster. For those who race with it, that stainless steal coffee mug comes in-hand. It is just a waste of time holding onto that AT knob.

Personally speaking of course...

I know...

nothing factual because I don't race!

P.S. Never owned an AT

 

NEW TL-S Auto isn't bad at all. I test drove the manual and fun..YES! bt everyday traffic and crap...Nope! The new TL-S paddle shifters are down to 200 millisec shift now right? And you control 1st gear.

 

I'm not sure about 200 millisec on the shifting, but the sequential shift on the 07 TL-S is the best they have put out so far, but it still lacks the tactile pleasure of working the clutch and running through the gear box.

AT is like listening to a CD
MT is like playing the drums

 

My last 3 cars have all been MT. I live just west of NYC, and drive 50 miles roundtrip in traffic. Rte 78 is going to be redone over the next 5 years. That's 5 years of reasons on why I got an AT this time around.

Having a MT usually kept the wifey out of my car, but now, there's no reason to keep the keys away from her. (She drives a TSX.)

 

By far this makes the most sense of all arguments on this subject so far...

 

MT all the way. Love the acceleration, and it keeps me AWAKE.

 

I voted AT, I use the car for business too, so it keeps it less rocky if I have someone in the car. and I've had my share of traffic MT would not be good for me, even tho I like to use my hands hehe.

 

i like MTs because I like to accelerate quickly. But I drive to work 50 miles there and back, with rush hour. SUCKS, so I have a AT.

 

Couldn't agree more with everything he wrote, especially the last comment.

 

As typical SouthernBoy bought up a good point in that many mid-high end car manufacturers today are providing MT avialability for their newer vehicles. When MB introduced the 2G C-class they brought back a MT option for the US market (the 1G C-class had a MT for non-US markets).

In a interview back in 2003 Charlie Baker of American Honda/Acura (he was 2G and 3G TL design team leader) stated that bringing back the MT for the 3G option was for addressing the segment of the market that wanted a more sporty aspect to their car. This was acomplished with stiffer sway bars, the limited slip differential, and Brembo front brakes besides the MT. I don;t recall all the details from the interview, but I don't think Acura was ever expecting the MT to be the main choice over AT. But it brought in buyers like SouthernBoy, myself and others who wanted a MT option.

I don't expect MT to gain much in this market segment but I believe they will remain because there are enough enthusiast to warrent offering the option. And it's not a simple option for a auto manufactuer, offering a MT options means more manufacturing logistics, more S/W development for the ECU/VSA/..., vehicle support (parts, training,...).

Something that was well written by Dennis Simanatis of Road & Track magazine a couple years ago gave a worldwide usage of AT, MT and SMT transmissions. It gave a good insight to the US market, despite large scale change in the 50's-80's from MT to AT being the majority, the MT market-share has lost only a small amount in the last dozen years in this country. I don't expect the MT to make any sort of comeback, but I also do not think it will fad to nothing since there will be folks like myself and others who prefer to shift ourselves.

 

A question for 6MT drivers who have driven other MT cars before:

Does the TL have one of those electronic clutches? I haven't personally driven a 6MT TL yet but I keep hearing how people don't like the clutch. I've heard stories of electronic clutches having a somewhat artificial feel to them. By artificial I mean like the Toyota and Lexus steering feel.

If I ever got a 3G TL or even 4G it would definitely be a MT or I wouldn't even bother getting one. I haven't driven it yet though, maybe I'll go to a dealership for a test drive and try it out.

 

Now, if only Acura could figure out how to make a MT as fun as the one found in Mazda Miata.

 

I've never heard of an electronic clutch and have no idea which, if any, vehicles have such a thing. I can absolutely assure you that the TL has nothing of the sort. The clutch actuation system on the TL is hydraulic. The only other actuation systems in operation that I know of are cable and rod (sometimes referred to as mechanical).

The problem that people tend to have with the TL's clutching system is this. The pedal travel is relatively short and the take up is, of course, shorter still (as it should be). Most TLs clutches begin to engage when the clutch pedal is within approximately 1.5" from the firewall stop pad. And the travel from the initial point of engagement to the point where enough force from the pressure plate is exerted to move the car is also quite short. This tends to cause people to stall or "buck" the car when first getting used to the clutch.

That is really all there is to it.

 

Absolutely! the TL is my first stick when I learned to drive one, and now I don't ever want to go back to an Auto.

I'm still beating myself up by getting a Mustang GT in an Auto back in 01, eventhough I really couldn't drive a stick well at the time. I leased a G35c last year and that is a stick too. Sticks are definetely more fun to drive for me, and when I test drove the TL, I tried the Auto and stick. To me the stick seemed more responsive, and the auto seemed a bit sluggish for some reason. But with no stick option in the TL, I probably would have got a G35 Sedan or an overpriced BMW lol!

The G35c has to go back, soon, but I'm keeping my TL for good and probably my first car that I have no problem with keeping for longer than 2 years. In the event I do trade the TL in, it will be for the new TL-S!

 

My TL is AT and I love it... BUT since I got the car, I have been learning to drive MT....no doubts here that my next car will be MT

 

Back in the modded Eclipse, and Taurus SHO days I drove 5 speeds. What I hated most was racing obviously slower (but not by alot) vehicles with autos and losing to them because I shifted at the wrong time or clutched it incorrectly. Now with quick autos such as what I have now I have beaten obviously faster cars with sticks because they didn't shift and manipulate their clutch PERFECTLY. A mustang has NEVER beaten me and I believe that is why because on paper they are faster vehicles, but make 1 very small error, and my auto is the victor.

I am lazy too, but I must admit the control the stick gives you cannot be duplicated in an auto. The stick is more enjoyable as long as traffic lights are sparse.

 

^^I don't know about you playa, but I tap my rpms out! I leave nothing on the table. I do believe it is about the driver. I eat people up on the regulah when I catch a buzz and just want to punch it! Yeah,, my driving ability does help, and I'm not saying that I am a racer, but you ain't winning just becuz you have an automatic against me. I just refuse to accept that!

Did you see JJ's thread where he was running with that Evo and that M5? (oh yeah, they handed him his lunch eventually, but the TL rev limiter kicked in too)

MT! MT! MT! MT!...you know the lyrics!

You go girl!

 

Ahhh....but don't discount the satisfaction it brings to us AT'ers while we sit there laid back with one hand on the wheel and our other on the window sill as we smirk at you working your ass off with clutch and speed shifting to hopefully (and I say hopefully because many MT'ers will burn the tires off, stall the car, or just simply have the car all jumpy) beat our AT's by a whopping car lenght.

I can personally account for being on the MT side learning this lesson back in 1988. My uncle had a new Chevy Silverado with a 350 AT transmisson and me with a new Toyota Celica GT with a 5 speed (slow vehicles by today's account). I even got a good start, moderate tire spin, wound out the gears nicely and best I remember we stayed pretty close to one another up to around 80 where we both just rolled out of the gas. But what I DISINCTLY remember is seeing him leaned back, wearing (my car was to his left) his shades, left arm out the window and a cold beer in his drink holder. I'll never forget it because my uncle has always been very cool (his past cars as I grew up included a Cuda, Road Runner, and Chevelle with a 396). I know he had to be entertained with my determination to beat him as was working my ass off trying to stay with him.

As the poster before I'm no racer...well let me correct that...I'm no Auto racer (reference motorcross bike photo about a page before), but I'm not all that shabby with a MT. Cary's right, the "typical" MT driver has plenty of opportunities to mess up when the pressure comes to race their ride. I would imagine TL MT drivers would fall into the "typical" category, as a person that wants to go around street racing on a daily basis would likely be in a WRX, Mustang, or Z28 and not a 4-door family sedan.

 

Whaddup Cat! Who you calling a "4-dr family sedan"? This is your AT against my MT! And yeah, your AT the one on the left! Notice they gave you a "standing 5 count" cuz you got taken out in each gear!!! LOL!

 

Touche' my friend!

How about I spot you one gear and let me use the BMW GS1200? I won't start after you until I hear you hit second gear. I know, that wouldn't be fair, but it'd be fun gobbling up that TL.

Hey I threw you a bone about my wife's Subbie in the "pleased with my TL today" thread...thing that was the name of it.

Cheers!

 

Ok, I'll check!

 

You very well could be an exception, if you never leave anything on the table when shifting you are better at it than I ever was, lol. There are some very good drivers that can consistently wring every drop from their vehicles, I wish I was one of them.

Where is JJ's thread, I would like to see it..?

 

Just do a search for JJaber06.

 

If there were no MT on TL, I'd be sitting in a 6 MT Maxima right now. MT for MT, there is no comparison, and I'm very happy.

 

Whoa! And you rolling in my neck of the woods too! Gotta be MT! Way to represent man!!!

 

Smart people drive Auto!

 

I don't get all you ladies whining about the MT in traffic, it's got a hydraulic clutch for crying out loud. If you want a real challenge try driving a Chevy truck w a 350 in traffic for extended periods of time.

The wife's SUV is an auto and serves as basic transportation. The truck is used for work, towing and plowing and has an auto.

I bought the TL purely as a pleasure vehicle. I wanted something nice (a step up from my Altima 5MT), near luxury with a MT and limited slip differential for the winters up here. Bottom line it had to be fun to drive, which to me means MT. If it wasn't available in an MT, I'd be driving something else.

Pretty much everyone in my family can drive MT, and now my niece is driving the Altima and says she wouldn’t want anything other than an MT going forward.



-mc

 

44 more MT drivers, than AT!! The people have spoken!!!

 

Spend a month in the East Bay driving to work and see if you feel the same way. Bet you won't. And I have a MT, mainly because the primary reason for buying the TL was not for a commute. If/When I have a full time commute, I'd likely get an auto and have a MT for weekend fun.

 

I think At is more practical if u need to multitask:eat, drink, talk on the cell,etc. but Mt is way more FUn and u have bettter control of ur car nothin like switching gears at the precise moment in succession with the engine=s e x!!!lol

 

Yeah, we're part of a small group of 3G TL's out there in the Balt/Wash area.

I did see a year or so ago a TL identical to mine (NBP, Camel, 6MT, non-Nav), but mostly I see almost always AT 3G TL's.

 

Hmm...You know what I was thinking? I know that there are minor mods that MT owners can do to increase the performance level of the driving experience (like aluminum shift cable bushings and short shifters). What sorts of mods can AT owners do to improve it? I am asking because I really don't know.

Also, if you have known the answer to this since you were ten years old, don't flame, just explain! (even if that answer is: nothing)

 

*LOL* But that's just here on Acurazine. I wonder what Acura's sales figures say.

 

damn Sebring, where you been?

 

MT is superior for rural driving but in the city with its stop-and-go traffic pattern necessitating frequent gear-shifting, AT wins hands down.

 

I prefer MT, no matter what the car, unless its a pure passenger vehicle, like a minivan, truck or SUV. If I got a wagon, it would probably be MT unless it weren't available. It is just soooo much more fun driving MT than an AT. When I'm hauling people around I prefer AT.

Seriously, driving my 95 MT Integra 4-door is almost as fun as driving my 03 TL-S, even with the MPG difference aside. It could be because the Integra is more of a raw automobile, but nonetheless thats what I feel.

 

Nah...where YOU been? U didn't get that PM I sent you?

 

Ray I dont think I did. I just looked, I dont see anything. Hit me up tonight

 

I drive AT cuz i dont know how to drive MT lol