SilverJ

Outside of the Cadillac, whose looks I despise, and I dont even think thats AWD, is the 4G TL the only manual shift 6 cylinder vehicle under 50K left ?

BDoggPrelude

Audi S4 starts at $48xxx.

liquidneon

this is a question that has been at the back of my mind since I got my TL. No real options out there after this car... S4 may be the only remaining option. If you get all the options in an S4 that you have with the Tech package TL, you'll be over $60K (CAD) pretty quick.

SilverJ

And the S4 (which I do love) is 60 K and unreliable beyond 50k miles. Or sooner.
I paid less than half of that for my TL, granted its used but even low mileage used I've seen the S4's in the high 30's and 40's. I wouldn't touch a higher mileage used Audi.
I could however see my next car be an S3. However as of right now they don't offer a manual. Sad.

JM2010 SH-AWD

You guys should take a look at the issue of Automobile magazine that tested the 4G 6MT vs. the S4 in about 2010 or 2011. They basically ran dead even on a road course. The S4 was a bit quicker in straight line acceleration. The testers really liked the TL's 6MT and felt it had better steering feel than the S4. Good read.

SilverJ

cool. link ?

liquidneon

yeah I've read this too... I'm thinking like 3-5 years down the road when I'm ready for a new ride... TLX won't be made in 6MT... options will be LIMITED. I think I read somewhere the 5 series comes in manual and X-drive is an option...

TheBlueBomber

2010 Acura TL SH-AWD vs 2010 Audi S4 - Sedan and Sports Coupe Comparison - Automobile Magazine
Here's the automobilemag review

BSG1

The 2015 VW Golf R is essentially the same powertrain as the S3, plus it comes in manual. And for cheaper than the S3. 0-60 in 4.9 seconds...hell yeah!

liquidneon

good read

SilverJ

Very good yes. And amusing. My favorite part of the article.
on the TL's interior.
"But then there are the buttons. There are seventeen of them on the steering wheel alone, and perhaps another eight thousand on the dashboard. "

Lol.
Nice to see the TL hangs with the S4 on some things. I love the S4.

liquidneon

"If it seems like neither car can pull an advantage here without the other catching up, you've been paying attention. The final equalizer is that, comparably equipped, the Audi costs nearly $11,500 more than the Acura. If we could combine the Audi's good looks, brakes, and tupercharged V-6 with the Acura's steering, handling, and all-wheel-drive system, we'd have discovered luxury car nirvana for the enthusiast driver". Sums it up nicely.

I used to love the S4, but to be honest I think it looks a bit boring now. Hopefully it gets a redesign yet maintains the manual tranny by the time I look at one.

Pgr1990

I will never buy an Audi Again... Here is my '12 S4 story. Granted, I tuned my car (couldn't resist!), the issues I had were absolutely ridiculous and my warranty was voided.


EPC light came on

SilverJ

Wow. Thanks for posting. Your story makes me never ever want to buy an Audi. Acura has their own issues, but nothing like Audi it seems.

BDoggPrelude

Issues with the dealership aside, no car manufacturer is going to cover repairs like that on a car with those types of mods under warranty and, honestly, they shouldn't. Audi, like any other car company, designs a car to operate within certain tolerances. When you add things like a "high boost pulley" and an aftermarket tune, you've gone outside of the tolerances they designed the car to be in. Why should they cover repairs when it breaks?

SilverJ

Valid point. I have never modded any car like that so I'm not familiar with whatever mods he did, and I agree, they should not be covered if they break the car. In general though Audi is known for having mechanical/electrical issues, hence why I stick with Acura.

liquidneon

Lol - wow... quite the story. That REALLY sucks. haha I thought it was the only potential replacement for me once my 6MT TL days come to an end. I really don't want to look at a 3-series. They do come in 6MT and X-drive though do they not? Can't imagine the AWD system is as good as the TL's but shit... not many options remain. Hopefully by the time I upgrade I'll be able to afford n MT sports car... and then have a boring ass sedan or SUV of some sort as my daily driver... sounds so awful... hahaha I actually enjoy driving now... MOSTLY due to the MT.

TheMuffinMan

iTrader: (1)

TL;DR -

I increased the boost, changed the ECU programming and now it doesn't work right!

Gosh, wonder why they didn't cover anything under warranty? Should I try to have Honda warranty my supercharged S2000? I mean, it just has an AEM EMS instead of the stock ECU and is pushing ~350whp. But they've still gotta cover any damage right?

Gotta pay to play. I certainly wouldn't rule out Audi based on one person's experience. Especially from a person that attempted to reflash their ECU back to stock to cover their tracks to have Audi cover the damages.

And then you bitch about APR and how they should cover reflashing your new ECU. Clearly it was their fault! I mean fuck, is everything someone else's fault?

Zalgorithm

If you really like the 3 series, they do not come with X-Drive and a manual transmission. It's auto only, but the rear drive is still available with a MT. Though I'm not disappointed as I don't like them very much. When they first brought the AWD over to the US (~2003) in their sedans you could get a E46 330i with AWD and a MT, but that didn't last very long.

Bilybobjef

Odd, because I'm driving a 2013 335i with xDrive and a 6 speed manual. You have to get the 335 though, the 328 and 320 don't come with a manual and AWD.

hddnav

Although this post is about the manual 4G, what got me into my TL is the question of how many 300hp AWD sports-sedan, no matter the transmission, are left under $45k (under $40k actual purchase price), much less under $50k and only with a manual transmission.