5 ms·

If you read the article is says that dual clutch automatics are much faster than manual transmission and most modern automatics have 7 to 10 gears for better fu

If you read the article is says that dual clutch automatics are much faster than manual transmission and most modern automatics have 7 to 10 gears for better fuel efficiency but no one is willing to use a manual transmission with that many gears.

falcolas 4y ago
Truckers have entered the thread. (I agree though, since I don’t drive a semi or dump truck.)
- jreese 4y ago
  Trucks don't have 18 gears for efficiency. They have 18 gears because low-revving diesel engines have small power bands; mix that with heavy loads, and it pretty much necessitates having a lot of short, closely-spaced gear ratios, so that maximum torque can be achieved consistently, no matter what speed you're at. Also, FWIW, they don't just pick between 18 gears with a single shifter. They have multiple inputs that allow shifting between multiple combinations of gears, some requiring clutch to change and some not, as they gain speed. Most trucks still only have 6-ish positions for the main gear shifter to slot in to.
  - schuke 4y ago
    Sounds like they could really use a CVT. ;)
    - jreese 4y ago
      I'm sure they would love one, but it's probably not that easy/cheap to find one that can handle that much torque with such heavy loads. The biggest/heaviest trucks just end up using electric/traction motors running from diesel generators, so they don't need a transmission at all.
kazinator 4y ago
> dual clutch automatics are much faster than manual transmission and most modern automatics have 7 to 10 gears for better fuel efficiency In what < $15K econobox? :)
- tmh88j 4y ago
  The prior gen Ford Focus and Fiesta had a DCT, along with the C-Max. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_PowerShift_transmission https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_PowerShift_transmission
  - ptmcc 4y ago
    It was disastrously unreliable, and they knew it, and got sued for fraud over it. So they don't use a cheap DCT anymore.
- analog31 4y ago
  Where can I buy a < $15k econobox? Seriously, I'm looking. Yes I'm also looking at used cars, but they're also expensive.
  - throwaway_4ever 4y ago
    Chevy Spark: https://www.chevrolet.com/cars/spark https://www.chevrolet.com/cars/spark Nissan Versa at $15.5k: https://www.nissanusa.com/vehicles/cars/versa-sedan.html https://www.nissanusa.com/vehicles/cars/versa-sedan.html Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent aren't too far off at $16.5k: https://www.kia.com/us/en/rio https://www.kia.com/us/en/rio https://www.hyundaiusa.com/us/en/vehicles/accent https://www.hyundaiusa.com/us/en/vehicles/accent
    - iggldiggl 4y ago
      Mitsubishi Mirage, too: https://www.mitsubishicars.com/cars-and-suvs/mirage https://www.mitsubishicars.com/cars-and-suvs/mirage
- ChainOfFools 4y ago
zahllos 4y ago
Apart from Dominic Toretto and his merry band of car enthusiasts, for whom 7-10 are definitely low numbers ;)

falcolas 4y ago

Truckers have entered the thread. (I agree though, since I don’t drive a semi or dump truck.)

jreese 4y ago
Trucks don't have 18 gears for efficiency. They have 18 gears because low-revving diesel engines have small power bands; mix that with heavy loads, and it pretty much necessitates having a lot of short, closely-spaced gear ratios, so that maximum torque can be achieved consistently, no matter what speed you're at. Also, FWIW, they don't just pick between 18 gears with a single shifter. They have multiple inputs that allow shifting between multiple combinations of gears, some requiring clutch to change and some not, as they gain speed. Most trucks still only have 6-ish positions for the main gear shifter to slot in to.
- schuke 4y ago
  Sounds like they could really use a CVT. ;)
  - jreese 4y ago
    I'm sure they would love one, but it's probably not that easy/cheap to find one that can handle that much torque with such heavy loads. The biggest/heaviest trucks just end up using electric/traction motors running from diesel generators, so they don't need a transmission at all.

kazinator 4y ago

> dual clutch automatics are much faster than manual transmission and most modern automatics have 7 to 10 gears for better fuel efficiency In what < $15K econobox? :)

tmh88j 4y ago
The prior gen Ford Focus and Fiesta had a DCT, along with the C-Max. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_PowerShift_transmission https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_PowerShift_transmission
- ptmcc 4y ago
  It was disastrously unreliable, and they knew it, and got sued for fraud over it. So they don't use a cheap DCT anymore.
analog31 4y ago
Where can I buy a < $15k econobox? Seriously, I'm looking. Yes I'm also looking at used cars, but they're also expensive.
- throwaway_4ever 4y ago
  Chevy Spark: https://www.chevrolet.com/cars/spark https://www.chevrolet.com/cars/spark Nissan Versa at $15.5k: https://www.nissanusa.com/vehicles/cars/versa-sedan.html https://www.nissanusa.com/vehicles/cars/versa-sedan.html Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent aren't too far off at $16.5k: https://www.kia.com/us/en/rio https://www.kia.com/us/en/rio https://www.hyundaiusa.com/us/en/vehicles/accent https://www.hyundaiusa.com/us/en/vehicles/accent
  - iggldiggl 4y ago
    Mitsubishi Mirage, too: https://www.mitsubishicars.com/cars-and-suvs/mirage https://www.mitsubishicars.com/cars-and-suvs/mirage
ChainOfFools 4y ago

zahllos 4y ago

Apart from Dominic Toretto and his merry band of car enthusiasts, for whom 7-10 are definitely low numbers ;)