My fiance owns the new TL 6 speed and I just love the way it drives so smoothly compared to my Z. Can you guys tell me why this is the case and if there was a mod out there that can make our Z as smooth as the new Acuras out there? I would think that the new TL's would give a Z a run for its money but its in a totally different class. We all know that a Z would own the new TL's in a race but I just want to know why our cars don't drive as smooth. Is it because it's a sports car? Is this because Nissan wanted to make it affordable?

 

The 350 is a sports car...acura is aiming more for sporty luxury. Acuras are still sporty cars...but they don't fit the "sportscar" mold like the Z. Most of the time spent developing the Z went into performance...not comfortability(is this a word?).

 

i considered the tl when i was in the market...i hated the fact that the tl was too smooth. i wanted a real sporty feel, and the z delievered that. even compared to the g35, the z feels more raw and i like that. i think the manufacturer wanted the car to be that way

 

What's the torque rating on a TL?

 

pulled the following from "Car and Driver"......

"Engine type: SOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 196 cu in, 3210cc
Power (SAE net): 270 bhp @ 6200 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 238 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm

Transmission: 6-speed manual
Wheelbase: 107.9 in
Length/width/height: .186.2/72.2/56.7 in
Curb weight: 3543 lb"

 

pulled the following Acura TL specs from "Car and Driver"......

"Engine type: SOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 196 cu in, 3210cc
Power (SAE net): 270 bhp @ 6200 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 238 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm

Transmission: 6-speed manual
Wheelbase: 107.9 in
Length/width/height: .186.2/72.2/56.7 in
Curb weight: 3543 lb"

 

i guess it's because i've never had a sports car before...lol i just thought it was weird how loud the tranny was and the fact that the clutch is rough compared to most cars. I do remember drivin a bmw 330ci and that car was very smooth but i guess its not a sports car like the z.

 

While I selected the 5AT....I test drove numerous 350Z 6 speeds, as well as the manual BMW Z3, and Boxster.....had no problems with either......clutch feel was not a issue with my choice of vehicle....matter of choice I guess.....

 

I had a 2003 accord coupe V6 6 speed and I definitely miss that shifter feel. It had 212 lbft of torque and the linkage felt like it was machined out of solid blocks of teflon. That car made 240hp from a 3.0L engine and was designed to run on 87 octane gas. I've recorded over 28mpg on the highway at an average speed in the high 80's. Sometimes I miss that car.

 

All of Acura's gearboxes are super smooth, because they are made by Honda. The Honda s2000 is also a sports car, but theyre stick shift is very smooth, as is the Acura NSX.
I would have loved to have the Honda gearbox but I didnt want a convertible, couldnt afford an NSX, and really wanted a rear wheel drive car so RSX and TL were out of the question.

 

So is there a way for our car to make it smoother like buying a different clutch or something? For people that has the JWT clutch or any other aftermarket one, what is teh biggest difference in these clutches?

 

The Z just has a different transmission philosophy. I had an S2k, with its light throws and rapid engagement...but I prefer the Z's solid THUMP into gear. I believe that I can shift just as fast in both cars though. That said, the Z's transmission makes far too many strange noises IMO. Understand that unlike many of the Honda/Acura front drivers the Z's shifter is mechanically linked to the transmission. The idea was to NOT isolate the driver from the transmission. With the cable operated shifters (as common in Honda/Acura), the tranny gives very little feedback to the driver.

NzZ