A manual or an automatic in your new car? That choice is actually getting smaller and smaller. You only see automatics, especially in hybrid and electric cars. Which is the better option, manual or automatic?
While cars with an automatic transmission, continuously variable transmission (CVT) and semi-automatic transmission in the Netherlands accounted for 19 percent of total sales ten years ago, this percentage had already risen to 58 percent by 2020. This is what Bovag and Rai Association say. In our country, too, the choice between manual or automatic transmission is more often the case with the automatic transmission. What are the pros and cons? And what will you choose in your new car?
manual gearbox
The manual transmission is the oldest way of transferring power from the engine to the wheels through a transmission. The gear train has a mechanism that is connected to the gear lever via rods or a cable. With the lever, you operate the shift sleeves that establish the connection between the input and output shaft. Before you can shift, you need to unclutch. In the past, manual transmissions had three or four gears. Today they have five or six. There are even cars with a seven-speed manual transmission.
Advantages:
– High efficiency
– Compact dimensions
Cons:
– Uncomfortable operation
– Interruption of the pulling force
Dual clutch transmission (DSG)
Volkswagen introduced the dual-clutch transmission in series production in 2003 under the name DSG (‘Direktschaltgetriebe‘). Two automated bins are provided with a coupling. The odd gears are in one sub-box, the even gears in the other. Depending on the rotational speed and speed, the electronics control the actuators in the transmission housing. It shifts more comfortably than a manual gearbox and also faster, more economical and more efficient.
Advantages:
– Quick Switch Actions
– High efficiency
Cons:
– Technical complex
– Driving away from a standstill is often not so smooth
Sequential gearbox
Sequential gearboxes can be found in both small cars and sports cars. The operation of a sequential gearbox is similar to that of a manual gearbox with automatic control. Hydraulic cylinders and electric servo motors together with a control unit take care of the change of resistance.
Advantages:
– Affordable
– No higher consumption
Cons:
– Interruption of the pulling force
– Slow shifting behaviour
CVT
The ‘continuously variable transmission’ is a stepless transmission. DAF took the first Variomatic into production in 1958. The main part is the variator. It consists of movable sets with conical discs, over which a belt or chain runs. One cone disc set is coupled to the drivetrain, the other to the engine. By shifting one cone disc on the shaft while the other cone disc is held in place, a stepless transmission ratio is created depending on the speed.
Advantages:
– No shifting pauses
– Lots of comfort
Cons:
– Lots of engine noise
– Distant driving feeling
Automatic with torque converter
Inside the transmission housing are several planetary gears; the number of systems determines the number of gears. Multi-disc clutches ensure the power transmission of the planetary gear systems between the input and output shafts. Until the 1980s, these transmissions were hydraulically controlled. In today’s cars, the clutch is electrically operated by hydraulic valves, the actuation is done electronically.
Advantages:
– Lots of comfort
– Nice when towing trailers
Cons:
– Transmission takes up a lot of space
– Substantial surcharge
Which automatic or manual transmission is faster?
The Audi R8 with 525 hp is available with three different transmissions. A six-speed manual transmission, the six-speed R-tronic automated transmission and the seven-speed S-tronic dual clutch transmission. In comparison, the R8 with S-tronic appears to perform clearly better and it still consumes less fuel. The Porsche 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman with a six-cylinder boxer with 400 hp sprint significantly faster with the seven-speed dual clutch transmission (PDK) than with the six-speed manual. The latter, however, has a 6 km/h higher top speed. The practical consumption was identical.
Conclusion
Whether you opt for a manual or automatic transmission has long caused division. You see a different picture there. New combustion engine models, such as the next Volkswagen Tiguan, are only offered with a dual clutch transmission. Many electric and hybrid cars also only have an automatic gearbox. Then there is simply no choice. Look in the AutoWeek CarBase car comparator to the possibilities that your car has.
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