Well, I had some time yesterday, to finally fool around with the sport shifter yesterday, to see how it performs.
My impressions are that, while its fun to use, for normal driving I dont think I would use it much. Fun for a while, but since your real shifting choice is your choice from second to third initially, unless your racing or trying to get max acceleration, I dont see any signifigant difference.
However, where I can see the difference, is that I like having a wider choice of gear to stay in, when the weather in inclement , especially going up and down hills(where there are a lot in my area).
Since the auto(and I think I got this right) only has drive and low, no second gear option on the auto mode(my other vehicle have d,2,1), I would use the sport shift mode, to keep the car in second gear a lot of time, to keep the car on track, using the braking power of the engine, as opposed to having to apply the brakes.
I have always done this method and find it, to be a good choice. So many times, I see cars that cant get up a slippery hill, or down correctly, because they have it in auto, and the gearing is all wrong for the situation.

Much regards to all

 

You won't even have to use SS while going downhill. That's what Grade Logic is for.



I use SportShift when I'm on a road course. It's easier to control the car that way. But when I'm at the drag strip, I gate-shift it... which you 3G owners can't do. Boo-yah!!

 

whats the diff?

 

i hate to be a newbie on this subject....but is gate shifting when cars have 1st gear...2nd gear and all the "D" gears like D1..D2...D3....what exactly is the difference?

 

The sport shift in the 3g is a joke and my opinion is that if acura was going to make such a mediocre sport shift they should have done without period.

It's slow, unresponsive, and frankly uninspiring.

 

The "L" in 3G 5AT means it'll automatically shift from 1st to 2nd, whereas the 2G's gearbox gave you the option of holding the 1st by "gate shifting." (gay-shifting, get a real MT, rob )

 

do you think there an ECU upgrade that could make it possible to switch to and from 1st gear...aswell as make it more responsive and let us shift at any RPM?

 

The one spot I've seen where it really helps is in heavy traffic when you're looking for a spot to change lanes. Get yourself into a gear that will give you good acceleration and you don't have to worry about losing the time it takes the automatic to downshift. It makes it much easier to hit that small opportunity.

 

I've never had sport shift but i like it
I didn't have the option of a 6 speed on the lot i went to. The auto is cool for me and the SS fulfill my need to shift like in manual. I do miss driving a stick but I HAVE A TL NOW!! thats all i care about really right now. The fact that my car come factory with HID's and all the other goodies and i dont have to crack open my headlights and retrofitt. Excuse me for being excited but going from civic to accord to TL through my college career, this has been a happy ending so far

 

please excuse me if this is a repeat of what someone else said, but is there anyway to modify the sport shift? b/c I don't reaaly like how it goes from 1 to 2 by its self sometimes, granted its good for the car, but i've drivin a bmw 325xi (not mine, someone elses) and that sport shift seems much better and much more responsive, and you actually shift through all the gears and have full control....i'm starting to regret not getting the 6MT, so does anyone know if there is a way to make it better? Sorry for sounding like such a newbie, its cuz I am and this TL is my first acura...ever..

 

im pretty sure it has to do with the ECU Chip because it dosn't let u down shift above certain RPM and is very unresponsive. so hopefully somewhere down the line comptech or hondata will come out with something