I know the 6MT TL posts substantially quicker 0-60 and 1/4 mile times than the auto...I was just curious if that holds true for a rolling start...say rolling at 55 on the freeway.. Is the Mt still quicker of does the advantage disappear from rolls?

I suspect that at rolling speeds the auto likely keeps up with the stick....and th big advantage is the launch for MT cars?

What about shifts in turns? I have noticed when I'm in sport mode...I can punch it from a dead stop as I enter a tight 90 degree turn and the car redlines first, and shifts to 2nd...keeps going..with almost no hesitation..quick shifts, .and no loss of traction. I honestly think that might be harder to do in a stick. The AT seems to shift fairly quickly...I'm not saying the stick is not as good,...but I'm curious if the stick reallly has a 100% performance edge over an AT or if there are situations where the AT has a slight edge or equals the stick?

 

I can't say for sure, but I know there's close to a 100 lb difference in the MT versus the AT...the former being lighter.

Fortunately the clutch is smooth and the shifter has very short throws for a stock setup, so I have not encountered any issues in shifting through turns as the time it takes to shift is minimal.

 

Gearing will win every time!
the 6MT has better gearing and will take the auto from a roll!

 

Depends on the person doing the shifting. If you are racing my Mom, you will definitely win.

 

don't believe him, his mom is actually the little old lady from pasadena.
No insult intended.

 

^^^^^
She only down shifts when the car is almost about to stall. But, she is a maniac when parking. The old lady still drives a stick though.

 

If I coudl have found a stick, I likely would have *seriously* considered buying one... but I was on a budget - looking at CPO cars, not brand new.. and trying to find a 6MT is not easy. When I was buying - there were about 15 of them for sale in the entire country...the closest one worth looking at was over 1000 miles away..and I wasn't wanting it THAT bad....

I also was very particular on color. I wanted WDP on ebony. that was priority #1. next was mileage, price.. a stick woudl have been nice..but I can live with an auto.

I have been pleasantly suprised with how the car behaves in sport mode, and when paddle shifting. keep in mind I migrated to this SH-AWD from a 2006 RL..which was a nice car, but NOT something that was designed to be sporty... my RL shifted SOOO much slower than this TL.

I've been impressed with the speed at which the car downshifts and takes off.. not as fast as if I was driving a 6 speed manual...but quick enough to keep me happy.

I was just curious.. if you were on a freeway..both cars rolling along at 55-65...and both guys hammered the gas... even if the 6MT was a bit faster.. how much? i was wondering if at higher speeds...maybe the difference was less noticeable.. vs low speed runs or taking off from a dead stop?

not that I plan on doing any drag racing with this car..I was just curious what hte actual performance difference bewteen stick and auto was. i know from 0-60 runs the posted / advertised times are quite a bit faster for the stick..but I wondered if maybe that had to do with it's ability to launch better... and if you were to run the two cars from a roll.. maybe the difference diminshes and they are a lot closer.

there is an inherent difference in feel / sportiness that a stick gives you..and an automanaual like the TL will never duplicate that... granted.. but in terms of brute acceleration.. I suspected that on a freeway roll.. an AT car might be close enough to the stick car such that the average TL buyer would not care about the difference?

 

The 2012+ models should have closer times now since they're all 6spd automatics.

 

I would expect the difference to be minimal. At that point you really are not going to notice much difference. I have driven the manual, and it shifts nicely in sport mode, and the acceleration feels just about the same.

 

With any car it depends on the driver, with that being said if you have two evenly experienced drivers the MT would spank the AT day after day. I drove both but because of the trade in value i got for my car then i went with the AT.... Kinda regret it but it saved me about 8k

 

Agree, they SHOULD be neck and neck. However Acura for some illogical reason forces the AT to shift around 4000 rpm in 1st gear when floored, even in sport mode. This is where the MT has a big advantage in 0-60 and why its runs mid 5's.

My 2010 never did this in sport (was limited because of the 5spd), not sure why they implemented this with the 12. Maybe they are trying to prevent another glass transmission.

 

When Honda offers its 7DCT the auto will be top dog; until then it has to rely on MT6 driver error.

 

My friend has a 2012 TL SH-AWD. When he floors it, the RPM's go to redline.

It wouldn't be neck and neck. Remember that the 6MT has better gearing, weighs 100lbs less and the manual tranny puts more HP and TQ to the wheels than the auto tranny. Advantage still goes to the 6MT.

 

Drivetrain loss is such a dice roll but you're right typically a standard transmission will have less loss than an automatic. Anyone have any dyno numbers on a 2012?

 

Try removing the block behind the pedal!!. There is no way the car shifts at 4k rpm in any mode (sport or not) when you have the throttle pinned at 100%. I don't have an auto TL, but I know they don't up-shift at 4k.

 

let me clarify since I said around 4000 rpm, its actually 5500 RPM which is well short of redline. i would ok if it did this in D but S it should go to redline.

https://acurazine.com/forums/4g-tl-2009-2014-123/2012-tl-sport-mode-shifts-way-before-red-line-817555/

Originally Posted by vinnier6
just read your owners manual online and it says it will shift automatically from 1st to 2nd while in S and using the paddles....this is different then the 09-11 cars, and even the 07-08 type s...

i suspect its set to shift early to keep you from bouncing the tach off the rev limiter...

 

Anyone else notice this on the TL? Its a standard issue on the BMW autos except for the 7DCT.

Causes a major WHP drop on the big aftermarket turbos compared to the 6MT

 

^I noticed this too when I had my 05 TSX auto. I would start off in 1st, but the computer would automatically upshift to 2nd at ~4k rpm. It was frustrating to wring any performance out of the auto TSX.

FWIW, I test drove a 08 or 09 Cayenne GTS (automatic) sometime ago. That sucker would hold 1st gear, or hold any gear for that matter. The auto transmission in my former TSX is no match for the transmission in the Cayenne (totally different class of vehicles I know), but just for comparison's sake.

 

launch in M2 - see how you like it

 

For a serious run I always launch in 2nd with reduced boost. That being said I don’t think the TL has enough torque for it to be effective.

 

Most (if not all) automatics do not lock up the torque converter in 1st gear, so rolling start would still go to the MT due to less 1st gear slippage even if gear ratios were identical. ...not sure when Acura ATs start locking the torque converter for better efficiency (I think it's usually only the top 2 or 3 gears in most automatics). I might be showing my age, but I remember when "lock-up torque converter" was considered a "feature" that increased fuel mileage back in the late 1970s - top gear only - made a 3-speed auto feel like it had a 4th gear when it locked up...

 

I wonder why acura made the manual so rare. Clearly there is a lot of demand for manuals as this forum proves, yet only something like 2% are manual.

 

Think of it this way, most of those 2% are enthusiasts and that's what makes up a large population of these forums. I think it's safe to say most of us on this site aren't likely to be your typical TL owner.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by wreak

Think of it this way, most of those 2% are enthusiasts and that's what makes up a large population of these forums. I think it's safe to say most of us on this site aren't likely to be your typical TL owner.

I have a 2012 6AT SH-AWD. I would have bought a 6MT but the dear wife was more happy with a AT and as both need to drive the TL ( at times) I deferred to a AT.

Sometimes we cannot make choices with our hearts :-)

 

^^^ Your wife make your right the last part? ^^^

 

Happy wife....happy life....

Life is full of compromises..especially when you have a family. I suspect a lot of us TL drivers who have kids.. Are car guys and bought the TL because it represented a lot of value, with good performance, and reliability... With room for kids in back! If we were single we would,have been looking at two seaters! If I was single I'd have a Cayman or 911...

As much as I'd like a stick...I find myself also wanting an auto at times.... And I'm content with the auto manuals performance. If a stick TL was easier to find I mig have gone for it. But they are too hard to find... At least when I bought...there were none nearby.

I was just curious what the real performance numbers are like...at vs MT.

 

I have a 6MT, have driven a loaner 2012 Advance from the dealer; hands down, in agressive driving, the 6MT will take the AT at least to about 100 mph

The only "bad" thing, performance wise, about the 6MT is that the engine is so torquey it will slide the rear on command in a corner. Don't think its as easy with the AT.

 

Gearing and weight play a big part.

both of these attribute to the 6MT being the quicker of the two.