Rise of the Gears
Q: We are car shopping and finding many vehicles are now six-speed instead of four- or five-speed, and one sales guy told us eight-speed may be coming soon. Is this a gimmick or is more actually better?
A: In this case, more is usually better, and most carmakers are either offering or eyeing seven-, eight- or 10-speed transmissions. BMW and Audi models, to mention just a couple of examples, have eight speeds; the 2014 Land Rover Evoque and the Jeep Cherokee boast nine-speed automatic transmissions; Volkswagen is one of a small handful that reportedly have 10 speeds in development.
The idea of adding more is essentially to keep the engine operating at all times in a range in which it has the best performance and the lowest fuel consumption. With four-speeds, the periods during which the optimum combination does not occur are frequent.
Some carmakers are saying six-, eight- and nine-speeds are getting or will get 10 to 15 percent better fuel mileage.
As to whether more is always better in this case: theoretically, probably, but as with all new technologies, some will more successfully achieve the desired results than others. The 2014 Jeep Cherokee nine-speed, for example, has been befouled with issues and consumer complaints since it rolled out, most of them having to do with rough shifting or too-late shifting. Software updates have been ordered more than once for the Jeeps. Some reviewers found similar, though not as dramatic, shifting lags with the Evoque nine-speed.
This is more evidence, in my opinion, that would-be buyers should wait at least a year (until the next model year) before purchasing completely redesigned cars or brand-new technologies. With luck, the companies will have sorted through the bugs before you buy!
Meanwhile, another approach you’re seeing on an increasing basis is CVT transmissions (continuously variable automatic transmissions). Pulleys constantly adjust the gear ratio so the car is always in the most efficient gear.
Q: Where is the Hyundai Sonata built?
A: Montgomery, Alabama. The company boasts that in that plant, each vehicle “goes from sheet metal to street-legal in exactly 19 hours flat.”
What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, driving and repairing your vehicle. Email Sharon@ctwfeatures.com.