2010 Acura TL SH-AWD 6MT

2010 Acura TL SH-AWD 6MT Significant revisions to spring and damper rates help turn the 6MT into a veritable master of back roads. The ride is on the busy side, but that's a small price to pay for phenomenal body control and composure. Michelin tires generate ludicrous levels of grip, and Acura's torque-vectoring 2010 Acura TL SH-AWD 6MT system can send up to 70 percent of the engine's power to a single rear wheel. The top TL explodes out of corners without a trace of understeer or the old Type-S's torque steer and wheel spin. The TL is smoking fast over curvy, broken pavement - literally, as the brakes quickly reach their heat capacity.

The perfectly weighted, short-throw shifter is pure Honda heaven - no other car company does shift feel this well. The 6MT's clutch, though, is another story. The soupy clutch pedal engages gradually, but inconsistently, throughout most of its travel - and, worse, the gas pedal is a hypersensitive all-or-nothing affair. That's exactly the reverse of how it should be, making smooth shifts all but impossible at around-town speeds.

It's much easier to be smooth when you're railing on this Acura. And that's exactly the reason that the TL SH-AWD 6MT exists. It may not have a catchy name, but it has the best chassis tuning of any Acura since the Integra Type-R (two more discontinued labels), and that's what matters.

The Specs
ON SALE: Now
Price: $43,195
Engine: 3.7L V-6, 305 hp, 273 lb-ft
Drive: 4-wheel