2010 Acura TL SH-AWD to get 6-speed manual option

Nissan has excellent CVTs. I would think that’s better than 100 gears in terms of efficiency. They even have a "manual" mode that simulates gears in a regular automatic.

What a surprise that the Acura would be seen as the best on an Acura test track run by Acura engineers at an event sponsored by Acura. Shocking. Yet again Edmunds turns into your local newspaper's auto section: paid advertising.

redliner: The problem is that although the number of gear ratios in a CVT is technically infinite, production transmissions are typically given only six "gears" through which to work.

Orangutan - exactly!
Acura staged the event, provided the cars. Who knows what they did to the competitors cars? You don't think that they made sure that there was no way in heck they weren't gonna make the Acura seem to be the best?!!!
One clue, they put super sticky Michelins on the Acura and not on the other cars. And then Edmunds mentions how great it is?
As always, once real tests come out the truth will be revealed.

What exactly does more gears in an automatic transmission do for you?

Cons:
It doesn't give you more acceleration.
It gives the computer more chances of predicting and selecting the wrong gear, having to subsequently reselect, leaving you in limbo, out of gear, while it corrects its mistake.

Pros:
It does increase MPG on cruising by giving the computer the choice of a closer optimum top gear at any speed.

5-speed is good.
What does a 7-speed do? Better MPG perhaps.
Watch for the $5,000 transmission repair bill.

That picture is a good angle of the TL. Makes it look like it does not have huge cheeks.
Its headlights look proportional.
Acura did the same angle with the current TL TV commercials, looks good.

It only looks like it has ridiculously huge bumpers and tiny headlights when you take pictures from a stooping position.

@ desmolicious and orangutan:

Guys, Edmunds didn't hide the fact that it was an Acura event, in fact, if you look around the "buff book" sites for the same TL SH-AWD 6MT First Drive story, there's no mention of it at all -- at least not as explicitly as Edmunds said it:

"We are compelled to admit that this was an Acura event that took place at a facility owned by Honda (overseen by the Transportation Research Center) with all the test cars supplied and prepped by Acura R&D. It's not exactly our usual comparison format, in other words. This was our opportunity to drive a prototype of the 2010 Acura TL Super Handling All-Wheel Drive six-speed manual transmission (SH-AWD 6MT), so Acura arranged some track time at its test facility near its U.S. engineering facility in Ohio, and a competitive set of sport sedans."

...and then at the bottom of the story:

"Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report."

Give it a rest.

If I remember correctly each car was supposed to represent the sportiest of that specific model and all cars were fitted with the facotry sport suspensions and the most aggressive tire the manufacturer currently offered.

Edmunds had their own experiences with the car and wrote an article about it. Did you guys even read that?

Give us a reason why the TL SH-awd 6MT couldnt beat the others around this track if you dont mind.

It's a prototype/pre production vehicle wearing ringer tyres. Who knows how the production vehicle will actually perform.
Who knows how close to 100% the other cars were, since Acura provided them?
@shoe34, we know Edmunds mentioned it was an Acura sponsored event. That does not take away from the fact that one cannot report accurately on a situation that itself is not an accurate representation of the facts.

"It's a prototype/pre production vehicle wearing ringer tyres."

Im pretty sure that exact tire will be the "summer tire" or HPT option as Acura likes to call it for the TL SH-awd 6MT.

I've seen that front clip up close. I assure you, it's no better in the flesh.