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Acura introduces six-speed manual gearbox on its 2010 SH-AWD range

tryme submitted on 9/23/2009 Official Bell & Ross Timestamp: 3:33:02 PM

22 user comments | Category: New Cars | Source: | SOURCE: www.4wheelsnews.com

A manual transmission model has been added to Honda’s TL range for model year 2010.

This installment makes it the most diverse line-up ever in the carmaker’s history.

The luxury division of Japanese manufacturer Honda announced the addition of a manual transmission model to the TL range for model year 2010, making it the most diverse line-up in the manufacturer’s history. In a release, Jeff Conrad, Acura sales vice president said that the new manual transmission equipped TL SH-AWD allows the driver to take full advantage of the performance of Acura’s SH-AWD system. He claims that the new 6-speed manual transmission model is the best performing Acura TL ever.

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Acura introduces six-speed manual gearbox on its 2010 SH-AWD range

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tryme

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User Comments

HSCenterconsole

I have to give props to Acura for offering this car with the manual. Sadly, manual transmissions seem to get rarer by the day. While they will sell only a handful of 6MT's, it does give them some performance cred in my book.

That being sad, I still don't get why ANYONE would buy this 6MT TL over a 6MT 3-Series or G37 sedan. Those are far more dedicated sport sedans. Plus they don't share the "odd" (trying to be nice) looks of Acura's current styling theme.

— HSCenterconsole (View Profile)

Posted on 9/23/2009 4:34:02 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 8   

Invisible

Well, one reason people would buy the TL over the 3-series and G, the TL is far larger, cheaper, more reliable.....

— Invisible (View Profile)

Posted on 9/23/2009 5:10:41 PM | | Votes: -1   

LexSucks

And uglier, and slower.

Reliability? None of the cars mentioned are going to leave you stranded on the side of the road. And the Acura won't outlast them.

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 9/23/2009 5:16:50 PM | | Votes: -4   

Spectator

Have to disagree with you on one part of your response 'Invisible'. You mention the G being more expensive, however an AWD G Sedan starts at $35,700 whereas an AWD Acura TL starts at $38,600. The G is a longer car with a higher cargo and passenger volume. And if I remember correctly JP Power ranked Infiniti above Acura in Dependability.

So lets not go throwing Infiniti under the bus just because Acura decided to make a 6 speed.

— Spectator (View Profile)

Posted on 9/24/2009 1:56:00 PM | | Votes: 2   

Invisible

Yeah, I'd like to see the ruler they used when measuring the rear seat dimensions on the G.

— Invisible (View Profile)

Posted on 9/24/2009 2:19:27 PM | | Votes: -1   

Whelan

"In a release, Jeff Conrad, Acura sales vice president said that the new manual transmission equipped TL SH-AWD allows the driver to take full advantage of the performance of Acura’s SH-AWD system."

After which he was overheard whispering "Now if we could just get our design team off drugs."

Good job offering the 6 speed manual. It was long overdue in the last generation TSX. Wonder how much longer they will make you wait to get AWD in the TSX. Or make another coupe CL, or roadster, or V8 MDX, or an RL similar in size to a L, S, or 7. Or bring the CSX down from Canada.

Sorry, not a fan of Acura anymore.

— Whelan (View Profile)

Posted on 9/23/2009 4:47:34 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

lexusrox123

Is there a body kit that could hide the flawed grille and the lower bumper? Make it look at least tolerable?

— lexusrox123 (View Profile)

Posted on 9/23/2009 6:32:04 PM | | Votes: 2   

LexSucks

MikeyDred, Blakura,

What the hell has happened to Acura? Your Brand has gone to Crap!

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 9/23/2009 5:15:07 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

Badgewhore

Blame Obama, our govt. infiltrated Acuras design department, gave them millions in an attempt to destroy acura so Cadillac can have a chance.

— Badgewhore (View Profile)

Posted on 9/23/2009 11:51:17 PM | | Votes: -3   

LexSucks

Funny!

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 9/24/2009 12:48:33 PM | | Votes: 0   

mikeydred20

Acura is fine, wait until the first real performance test and guarantee all will be surprise since the claim to fame was the last test was an "Acura sponsored event". Furthermore I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder I get more complements now in my 4th generation SH-AWD TL than I ever did in my 3rd generation and that was a design argueably ahead of it's time. You want to see ugly look at the M 37 featured on a seperate article on autospies. "advance"

— mikeydred20 (View Profile)

Posted on 9/24/2009 8:26:14 PM | | Votes: -2   

lambo98

looks pretty nice but its not like your ever going to go into 6th gear

— lambo98 (View Profile)

Posted on 9/23/2009 7:27:44 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

veyron1001

Looks like the car has a need for speed front bumper kit on it. Change it, and it would have better sales.

— veyron1001 (View Profile)

Posted on 9/23/2009 9:00:41 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Badgewhore

What's the point? When people wanted a manual in the cool looking last gen TL, Acura gave them the finger, now they're trying to woo those same people back with a manual in a super ugly car.

Acura did the same thing back in the 90s when the import scene was 85% Honda and acura, their people refuse to acknowledge these enthusiasts and went ahead and changed the names of the Integra/Legend into some stupidazz letters so they can copy Lexus and further distance themselves from the boyracer image. On the HOnda side, they uglied up the last two gen Civics and mediocred the accord for mainstream. Look at how sad they are now without enthusiasts support.

— Badgewhore (View Profile)

Posted on 9/23/2009 11:33:49 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Invisible

-Badgewhore, read and get informed before you post. The last Gen TL did have a manual transmission.

— Invisible (View Profile)

Posted on 9/24/2009 8:51:18 AM | | Votes: 1   

Badgewhore

My bad, but what I meant is AWD manual tranny like they're trying to offer now, Mazda speed6 had AWD with manual tranny. What good is a heavyazz FWD manual tranny TL? All it does is get acura trashed by the media who prefer RWD.

— Badgewhore (View Profile)

Posted on 9/24/2009 2:18:06 PM | | Votes: 2   

Invisible

You mean like a RWD Mustang GT500 that has almost identical weight distribution?

— Invisible (View Profile)

Posted on 9/24/2009 2:21:00 PM | | Votes: -1   

Whelan

You can fix the grille slightly, get it painted to match the car. The only one in the lineup that doesn't look compeltely stupid and horrid would be the MDX, it somehow fits the car nicely. But the TL over-exagerates the grille and on the TSX it just doesn't belong. Look for most if not all the Acuras to get a MAJOR fix on their grille design in the upcoming refresh.

Just think Subaru did it with the B9 Tribeca looking to hit their aiprlane heritage, now the Tribeca looks like every other SUV with a bland plain slotted grille. They missed the mark with the new grille, then missed it again making it TOO plane(plain :-))

— Whelan (View Profile)

Posted on 9/24/2009 10:09:14 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

golfer38

The car is pretty amazing to drive with that 6 spd gear box. Also, check out the Motortrend test a few months back where the manual TL was quicker than a 335xi around Honda's 1.1 mile proving ground track. Now I'm sure there's tracks that will favor certain cars but this at least proves that the TL certainly belongs in the conversation of sport sedan.


http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_0809_2010_acural_tl_sh_awd_manual/index.html

— golfer38 (View Profile)

Posted on 9/24/2009 10:17:12 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

PerformanceGuy

This is a good move for Acura, but I don't think it will be able to stand hang with the G37 and 3 series.

— PerformanceGuy (View Profile)

Posted on 9/24/2009 1:13:40 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

1UAW

ok good 6peed manual now lets add rwd and a descent V8 to a car with a body kit to make it look better.

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 9/24/2009 5:51:23 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

LexSucks

Gonna take more than a 6-speed to make it compete.

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 9/25/2009 7:41:33 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

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