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Manual vs. Automatic Car Transmission: Which is Best? | Car Bibles.Automatic v manual transmission
On regular cars, a twin-clutch gearbox will have just as many gears as a manual, sometimes more, and it will deliver faster, smoother shifts than a manual, too. Because the electronics are controlling the gearbox, it will also select the optimum gear for any situation, therefore optimising fuel economy.
Indeed, look at the claimed consumption figures of an engine that comes with either a manual or twin-clutch auto, and you'll usually find the latter will be as good as, if not better, than the manual. Sometimes a twin-clutch gearbox will have stop-start fitted as standard, while the latest systems won't re-engage until the driver presses the accelerator.
If you like a sporty drive, then many twin-clutch gearboxes have a sport mode that means the electronics hold on to gears for longer. Alternatively, you can often select a full manual mode to take control yourself. Some cars use a gearlever for this which shifts back and forth through the gears, a bit like a motorcycle's foot-operated gear selector, while steering wheel paddles add another level of involvement. The best paddleshift-equipped cars feature large, high quality paddles mounted to the steering column or the wheel itself, and offer an experience that's similar to many of the latest racing cars.
In addition, many sports cars with twin-clutch gearboxes will also come with launch control, enabling you to perform rapid standing starts if you're taking part in a track day. There's a lot of advanced electronics that control the gearbox, and the twin-clutch set-up means there's twice the risk of clutch pack failure.
However, there's no doubt that the twin-clutch gearbox is no less reliable than a manual or conventional auto, and on a new car any repairs will be covered by the standard manufacturer warranty. If you're passionate about driving, you'll want to take full control, and the best way to do this is still with a manual gearbox and clutch.
But if you do a lot of town driving and just want to relax at the wheel, an auto is the better choice. In many ways, a twin-clutch semi-automatic offers the best of both worlds, allowing you to take manual control when you want.
In the end, it will largely be a personal choice depending on the type of car and the type of driving you do. Just make sure you examine the pros and cons of each option before taking the plunge.
BMW grille to get even bigger, and include headlights. Skip to Content Skip to Footer. Why are manual cars cheaper, and are autos worth the extra cost? What kind of driving licence do you need to drive an automatic car?
Semi automatic Pros: Smooth shifts, can be more efficient than a manual, adds involvement Cons: Still not as engaging as a manual, complex design means potential for costly repairs There is an 'in-between' option when it comes to automatic gearboxes, and it goes some way to reintroducing driver involvement to the mix.
So which gearbox is right for you? In this manual vs automatic review, we will look at the difference between the two types of transmission. We will look at the pros and cons of both and conclude with what we feel is the best choice. A car needs a full working transmission or gearbox in order to allow the vehicle to change gears, but the inner workings of a vehicle differs greatly between a manual transmission car and an automatic transmission car.
A manual car is recognisable from the inside, as it contains a clutch pedal, which is used to change gears, as well as a gear shift stick between the two front seats, which offers full control of the car and between gears and reverse.
In a manual transmission car you will select the right type of gear for your journey, changing where necessary throughout. An automatic car does what it says on the tin, in that it selects the right type of gear for you in relation to your speed and the road conditions. There are many factors to take into consideration, which we will go into more detail later, but generally speaking it depends on a number of things, including what type of driver you are, the roads and conditions that you drive and your budget.
The gearbox is so simple even a child could use the controls. Because automatic cars are easier to drive, many people choose to learn how to drive automatics only, so in this respect, they can make learning to drive way more accessible for people who otherwise might find manual gears tricky. This means you have more time to focus on your road position and speed. Automatic cars are better in cities where you drive through stop-start traffic.
The drive will feel a lot more comfortable as the transition between gears will feel smoother. Automatic transmission cars are better for areas with lots of hills. Better to learn how to drive manual car and then make the decision as to which you prefer afterwards in our opinion.
Automatic cars are thought to be not as fuel-efficient as a manual transmission car, although technology is advancing and some are said to be better. Depending on the vehicle and the driver, a CVT can provide a smoother driving experience when comparing it to a traditional automatic. According to Carfax , one of the most significant advantages to having a CVT is that they are often more fuel-efficient than a regular automatic.
This is part of the reason that they are becoming a more popular choice for automakers in many vehicles. In order to see how a CVT works, How Stuff Works explains , you need to understand a manual and a traditional automatic. A manual has a set number of gears, and the driver determines what gear ratio they need. An automatic also has a set number of gears, but it uses a hydraulic system that responds to pressure created by the conditions to determine the gear needed without any input from the driver.
A CVT is similar to an automatic in that it doesn't use any input from the driver, but that is where the similarities end. A CVT doesn't have any gears. Instead, it has two pulleys. One pulley connects to the engine, and the other connects to the wheels. A flexible belt connects the two pulleys. The width of the pulleys changes depending on how much power the vehicle needs. When one pulley gets larger, the other one gets smaller.
Since neither the pulleys or the belt are fixed, they can provide an infinite number of gear ratios, unlike the automatic, which has a set number of gears. Not all CVTs are created the same. The most common type is the pulley-based, but some other types include the Toroidal CVT, which uses rotating discs along with power rollers to produce the same result as the pulleys. The hydrostatic CVT uses pumps to control fluid flow, which then produces a rotational motion.
Toyota recently made some changes to its CVT. CNET says it now uses what they call a Launch gear to provide drivers with the feeling of a conventional transmission. The launch gear is almost like the first gear in a regular automatic transmission. As the vehicle speeds up, the transmission will switch this out, so it starts working as a CVT.
Toyota says that using these new fixed gear ratios will not only feel more like a regular transmission; it will also increase belt efficiency and improve performance. One of the advantages of a CVT is its ability to continuously change its gear ratio.
This means that no matter what the engine speed it, it is always performing at its peak efficiency. CVTs often offer better fuel economy as a result, especially when driving in the city. Digital Trends says that most cars equipped with CVTs offer a smoother ride than a similar car with a regular automatic.
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