AlanW

When I bought my 02 TLS back in 08, I wanted/thought we needed a 4 door sedan to occasionally carry my or my wife's elderly mothers around some, it needed to have an automatic transmission due to my wife's back & leg problems, and I wanted something sporty & kind of quick.

I have loved the car for 6.5 years. I love the overall feel to it-the quality feel to everything, the steering feel, the handling (lowered 1.5"), the power & quickness-it's just a joy to me to drive it. While it might not do any one thing great, it does everything well & just responds effortlessly to every command. I do really miss a manual tranny though.

Now-reality...the paint looks terrible, the driver's seat needs work, And to my knowledge-nobody ever end up riding in the back seat-ever. Plus my wife's back & legs are better and she could shift a manual again now.

About time to sell it & move on. I would love to have a 07-08 TL Type S 6-speed manual, or a 06 TL 6-speed manual. But I just can't find one anywhere remotely close to me and most of the 07-08 TLSs are still higher than I want to pay, especially considering a 500 mile+ road trip to check it out & buy it. (and take the risk it's not what it should be when I get there)

I know a lot of you guys on here really know your cars & have a lot of knowledge.....since I can't find a 6 speed manual TL and don't really need a 4 door car (although not against it if I like it).....
What other kinds of cars could I look for in that price range that would have the quality feel & performance of the TLs??? ( I don't really like the other Acura models like the TSX) What are some quality fairly badass 6-speed manual coupes or sedans I should consider???

cheacheachea

the new honda accord v6 manual is tit i heard. havent driven it but looks great and is cheaper than an acura. im torn between leasing that or a tlx. i do love my 02 tl tho. legit might cry when i sell her

wrayman

Hmm, sounds familiar...just like I am thinking lately.


I also have an 02 TLS, and love the car. Although it is working very well, I am thinking of a manual car again. So, took out an '09 TSX 6 speed the other day...just to rule it out.


I did read that you aren't really into the TSX, but as info...


I was impressed overall....no worry about less acceleration, and handling was good. All the interior features that ours has plus a couple more no doubt.


I'm considering it instead of the very nice but pricier TL.....yeah, giving up the bigger motor etc will be tough, but the 2.4 in the TSX really takes off when asked. Fun to drive


Good luck....
Mike

nats007

It all depends on what you are looking for? I've been through this with my wife, and from what I gather from what you stated, you have to stack requirements and prioritize. For example, manual seems to be a hard one. With that, do you have a preference in automaker (e.g., American, Japanese, Korean, European)? Also determine if you want to keep a sedan or can you go with a couple, or even a hatchback or wagon?

Once you get those out, you can start searching models based on your price range, amenities, and one of my biggest is reliability and maintainability.

If it were me, I'm a Japanese car fan, in particular Honda/Acura. Also, I was looking for a manual sedan that had feature similar to the TL (e.g, leather seats, nav, homelink, etc.). I also looked at other Japanese makers like Lexus/Toyota, Nissan/Infiniti, and Mazda. I also looked at MB and Audi just cause I didn't want to discount. With that, I looked at

Some cars we test drove:
Acura TL 6MT, Honda Accord 6MT, Infiniti G35/37, Mazda 6, MB C300, BMW 335, BMW 535, Audi A4

All were great, but each had their pros and cons. Ultimately, we wanted a new or CPO, and after a roadtrip with our kids, my wife gave up on the 6MT and went with an SUV (We got an MDX ).

gnuts

iTrader: (1)

hmmm, you loved your TLS, don't want/need 4 doors and want a 6speed manual. Look at my avatar for your answer.

AlanW

Man, I thought you guys would have a hundred suggestions. I don't really like the styling on the CL-S, and trying to find a 6 speed manual CL-S around here is just as hard as finding a 6sp TL, plus I want a newer vehicle than an 02 or 03.

What can be said about the Infinity G series coupes with manuals

01tl4tl

seat covers can be replaced or mended easily
extra doors don't matter
Use SS if you really must have the feeling of control of a stick
Most new cars come with auto trans and SS paddles!

one day your back or legs will have an issue and having the auto trans when desired will pay for keeping the car
You can always put the stock struts back on, make it easy to get in and out of!

AlanW

seat covers can be replaced or mended easily
Yeah, but not cheaply. My driver's seat has the seam split open & the heaters don't work.
extra doors don't matter
I'm cool with extra doors
Use SS if you really must have the feeling of control of a stick
The "Zin" of it is just not like a real manual, about the only thing that SS is good for is holding a gear
Most new cars come with auto trans and SS paddles!
I can't justify buying a new car, just want a new toy-with a manual
one day your back or legs will have an issue and having the auto trans when desired will pay for keeping the car
Then I'll sell it
You can always put the stock struts back on, make it easy to get in and out of!
You just haven't seen my paint job. Putting $2500+ into a new nose cone & total paint job, just isn't worth it-it would still be 2002 car.
It's only my wife & I and we have 3 vehicles. It's not like I even need a car,. it's more just a toy, and I want a newer toy, a 6 speed manual toy..

Skirmich

""The "Zin" of it is just not like a real manual, about the only thing that SS is good for is holding a gear""

What exactly do you think a Manual do differently? The only gains from a REAL Manual is the extra performance. "Holding Gears" is exactly why everyone loves a Manual.
SS = Manual with a hit on performance but with added comfort of being AUTO when your not in the "mood".


Id take a 4G 6 Speed Auto SH-AWD TL over the Manual any day of the year! I simply do not race so a Manual is rather pointless to my needs.
And anyone who says a Manual is better for DD is just in denial, In traffic an AUTO will be faster than manuals guaranteed

gnuts

iTrader: (1)

Ford focus ST? S2000?

Skirmich

^ S2K ftmfw! Best roadster I ever driven...

Will Y.

The continuous shifter vibrations from the 2009+ G37S sedan I tested were annoying; it might be an issue in the G coupe and Nissan 370Z as well. Clutch and shifter feel were good though.

The 2009+ (prior gen) Audi A4 2.0 had the best manual trans outside of the Acura TSX.
The 335i shifters were a touch rubbery and the clutches released higher than I liked.

The 2005+ Mustang GT manuals worked pretty well, but the interiors were pretty retro.

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

Budget?

We need to know your budget.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

GTI
A4/S4
335
135
G37 / 370z
Focus ST
Miata
BRZ/FRS
S2000
Pre-owned Vette
Pre-owned Porsche

Could go on and on. Budget would help though

oonowindoo

Depends on your budget, i think G35/G37 sedan or coupe will be the closest thing to your requirement.

VQs are bulletproof and transmission is reliable but it does have some rawness to it.

It has all the luxury features from TLS and a lot more.

the only downside is MPG is not as good as TLS (if you care enough about it) and ride is a little bit more stiff.

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

I believe the 1G G35/37 had an oil issue, didn't they?

oonowindoo

G37 does not have any real issues as far as i can remember (2008+)
I had a 2003 G35C and a 2006 G35C... pretty reliable overall. if you are talking about oil consumption... well i dont think that is an issue since a lot of the cars nowadays need to fill up at least 1 qt between oil changes.

MTEAZY

09 335i

kurtatx

I would definitely put the G37 on your watchlist. Quality car.

csmeance

pick up a used E66 2006+ 750 from an auction/used car dealer. With 2-3K of work it'll last another 100K miles easily.

sumeiya13

Hey guys!! im new to this forum.. I was looking to buy a TL typeS soon, but i wanted to get feedbacks from you guys first! help plz?

GTFOOMW

I leased an '08 G37S and really enjoyed it, but when the lease was up I bought an '11 Genesis Coupe V6 Track. Better handling and a much more enjoyable car to drive IMO. I would also add that to the list, 2013 and later are 348hp.

Aman

^ What's your fuel economy like in the V6 Genesis? The EPA numbers are not impressive at all.

oonowindoo

it can't be worse than G37 in the real world.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

Welcome

Check out the TL section of Acurazine. Below is the link to the main section, from there you can click on the correct forum depending on what year you're looking at...

AcuraZine TL/TLX Community - AcuraZine Community

AlanW

Thanks for the advise. I pulled the trigger on an out-of state 06 NBP TL 6-speed Nav that was delivered last night. I checked out 2 Infinity G coupes, very nice, but I just didn't like it as much as the TL. I really like the Genesis Coupe w/manual, but they are harder to find than a 6-sp TL around here-which was like trying to find a unicorn.

The car I bought looks beautiful & new inside & out with 118,000 miles on it. New timing belt & water pump & accessory belt service just done. The clutch is a little gimpy under at high rpm shifts, which was a known factor when I agreed to it.
I got it for $10,200.00 + $500 shipping, so I guess that was my budget-that and another $1000 or so for a clutch job. I figure any manual car with over 100,000 miles on the ticker is going to need a clutch job soon anyway.
Again, thanks for the advise & sorry I've too busy to check in on this post more often

YeuEmMaiMai

congratulations on your new purchase...

CarapellucciM

Is there a big difference between the 07 TL 6MT and 5AT?

YeuEmMaiMai

maybe half a second to the 60 mark?

Will Y.

The manual can only be found in the TL-S for '07 and '08.
The regular TL came only with an auto.

The TL-S (auto and manual) has about 20 additional horsepower, a Navigation system standard, tightened suspension, different front seats, etc. There are also trim and appearance differences that are discussed in the 3G TL section of the forum at https://acurazine.com/forums/third-g...2004-2008-93/; check the 3G TL Service Dept/Garage thread stickied about 4 threads down.

Welcome to AZ.