englishtony2002

When driving the 2011 TL with Paddle Shifters you have complete control over 1st -> 2nd and every other shift. In the 2012 that 1st -> 2nd control is taken away from the driver, with the trans shifting at some arbitrary point based on engine load and\or throttle position or something.

Anybody out there:

a) Frustrated by this behavior?
b) Know why ACURA did it?
c) Would be put off buying a 2012 because of it (ME)?
d) Would use the paddles a ahole lot less because of it?

Just curious that's all.

Edward'TLS

Put the tranny into "S", then you will have more control with the gear selection.

lji

Get yourself a 6MT and problem solved!!

Stew4HD

1. Not frustrated at all because of it. The RPMs raise so fast that I'd rather the car shift itself so I don't max the limiter.. plus, I don't race the car.
2. To protect the drivetrain
3. I hope not unless someone is thinking of the TL as a race car It's a great car!
4. I rarely use the paddles anyway except for the occasional downshift.

As lji said, get an MT if you want that much control of shifting.

Buffa

I was already used to the 1st to 2nd loss of control, coming from a 2001 CL-S which did that too. I was surprised when I heard earlier too, that other years gave 100% control. I'm torn. I like that it protects the engine, because as Stew mentioned, the RPM's get up there quick, but would like the control too.

My wife put the foot down on the 6MT or else I would be driving that one. Plus my horrible commute makes the AT easier to appreciate.

fleming23

Agreed that it is annoying but I can understand the reason behind doing it. My 06 shifted out of 1st for me so I was surprised they changed it as well some time between now and then. All in all it is probably better that it is there than not, but I do wish it held the shift point a good bit higher when in S at part throttle.

englishtony2002

You hit the nail on the head - 2012 TL shifts from 1st to 2nd way too early on part throttle.

I love the fact that my 2011 AWD TL holds first and am pissed that my Wifes 2011 MDX does not.

BLACKURA_NY

iTrader: (6)

Acura has been off, and on, and off with this... with my cars

03 CL-S ... no control
06 TL ... no control
08 TL-S ... full control
09 TL-SH ... full control
11 TL-SH ... full control

Ken1997TL

Emissions requirements most likely.

012TL-GLM

I'm a one month '12 owner, and I've concluded that the paddles are there for a gimmick more than anything else.

When I'm impressing a passenger they make a difference in a straight line, but trying to manipulate them around corners and curves requires a level of dexterity I'm too lazy to exert.

The paddles had no play at all in my decision to buy the TL. I was sold on the solid handling characteristics, and the AWD is absolutely amazing. This car is amazingly fast for what it is (to me anyway)

englishtony2002

GIMMICK - I think not, please note that the exotics like Porsche, Ferrari, Lambo are all on the cusp of dropping manual shifters in favor of paddle shifting transmissions. This is the future of manual shifting as much as I used to love my stick, being able to switch from full Auto to Full Manual control is sweet.

omaralt

ha but not all paddle shifters are created equal. what you have on the TL is a simple automated manual. not much real control. the exotics have PDK's, dual clutch, etc. not what the TL has. having said that i will continue to drive true manuals until they dont make them anymore, no matter how much faster you can launch a automated manual you'll never have the full control like you do in a 3 pedal set up

andvari

Next gen TL is supposedly getting a 7 speed dual clutch tranny.

012TL-GLM

Perhaps paddles shifters in the exotics you mentioned are that good, but I doubt you'll ever see that kind of control offered in a car that costs less than 100K. In the case of my TL, I stand by it being a gimmick, just another toy in the car to play with

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

I'll pile on and reiterate what was already said....

you're comparing a $100-200k vehicle with RACING ROOTS to a $40k entry level lux/sporty car.

there is no way in hell, the TL paddles are as great as the super cars mentioned.

EazyRider562

sure bro, cool story!

omaralt

hahahha eazyrider is ragging on justinspace!! what has the world come to?! is it opposite day? is this real life??!

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

Justin has been asked to lay off of you. I suggest that you dont antagonize him now.

Litt

It is NOT a gimmick. Picture this. you are in M3 third gear going around 40 mph. You come up to a corner, you slow somewhat. drop it into 2nd. a smooth shift.
as you go around the corner you gas it. the outside wheels push. you go around the corner like a bat out of hell. then you pop it back into 3rd. 3rd is a great gear. M3 is basically like sport mode because it is a very wide flexable gear. 2011 rocks.

012TL-GLM

I'll keep an open mind and play with the paddles some more, but honestly in my '12 every time I use them it doesn't feel like I'm gaining anything the computer wasn't already doing

012TL-GLM

Ok, now that my curiosity has been sparked I spent all my time in the car in S mode today using the paddles. I'm still learning, and I'm pretty sure I already saw a change in gas mileage (for the worse) but there were some times it was pretty fun.

The big question I have is what's proper protocol for moving to S mode from D. The manual has next to nothing useful to say about driving in this manner. Should I be at a dead stop before moving from one to the other, or is on the fly alright? Still have less than 2K miles on this car and don't want to do anything stupid

pickler

I used Honda 6at on the zdx and Plenty (emphasize plenty) of driving with the 5AT. I noticed no difference in terms of gearing from standstill. To me the 6at has wide ratios. The 6at is helpful at high speeds though, I love the 3rd gear on the new 6at, not so much on the older 5at. They fixed the 4th gear of death on the 6at as well.