Do we really need more speeds than a six speed auto trans

The best auto trans you can get is a CVT. Infinite ratios for infinite tasks, instant torque and power or economy. These 10 speed boxes are just to bridge a technology gap until the kinks can be ironed out in larger vehicles. They attempt to accomplish a similar task.

 

The 10 speeds are popular now because of the epa.

 

EPA and for Marketing.

 

Hit the nail on the head! The problem with this transmission is the gears are too spaced apart. Had an 8-speed auto in my Ram and it was great. It allowed for a super low first gear and the rest of the gears were spaced very close, to the point that the shifts were unnoticeable

 

It's not the number of gears that's the problem, it's the general slowness in shifting. My C300 7 speed auto shifts much much faster (still a traditional auto, no Dual clutch), and you don't even think about the number of gears because it doesn't take forever to complete a gear change so those rare instances where you have to kick down two gears you don't end up with..

Throttle applied...................................down.......more throttle because it's taking forever.......shift 1 gear............more throttle.......................downshift 1 more gear...WAY TOO MUCH THROTTLE HOLY SHITTTTT

 

I agree. CVT designs need to be refined and proper materials identified so that they might reliably handle more torque and last 200k miles while doing it; then there will be the biggest obstacle, selling them to a consumer base who have been told for years that "more gears are better".

I rode "big iron" bikes most of my life, and many friends still do, but after a stroke in May of 2014 my left side was messed up and left side clutches and shifters were not going to work. The doctors told me I'd never ride again but I tricked 'em--600cc and 110 mph with my fat butt on it:



The funny part is how many of my "big iron" friends have ridden it and come back with big grins and grudgingly admitting "That's not too bad!"--which is nearly a glowing testament from a life-long Harley rider...

 

I might be one of the only people, but I wish the truck had 7 gears. It needs another gear between 4th and 5th.

 

Good to see some of the loyalists admitting there are problems with the truck motor and transmission on this truck. The first step is acknowledging there is a problem and avoiding denial.

 

This truck would benefit from the 8-speed Toyota already has. I'm not sure of the gear spacing in the other applications, but they could put in a super low first gear, 8th gear about where our 6th is, and then all the rest of the ratios would be spaced closer together.
This would allow better acceleration, mpg, and overall refinement of the truck.

Actually, I won't be surprised if the Tacoma gets the 8-speed soon since the competition has it. Hopefully they get the gearing right!

 

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"Most trucks on the US market are available with an autoshift:"



"my Kenworth T680 came with a Fuller Advantage 10 speed automated manual. It has no clutch pedal, just accelerator and brakes, and behaves more or less like a really heavy minivan."

Dan Bowkley; long-haul trucker (US based) since 2005, well over a million safe miles.
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10-speeds because the relatively tiny engine (as compared to the mass of the truck/trailer) needs 10-speeds to make it go--and even at that the best it can muster is to behave "like a really heavy minivan"...

How about a bigger motor and a 5-speed?

 

Those automated manuals are fuckin awful to drive, anytime you try to maneuver in a tight spot they drive like a first timer on a stick, all lurching around like Frankenstein's monster

 

My Audi has a 7 speed DSG transmission and I love it. Great design

 

Yup-BUT they get great fuel economy on the open road by always shifting to keep the engine in its powerband.


Oh wait, that's the "problem" we're discussing isn't it?

 

Reasons to love a manual. I only have 5 gears, but rarely use 5th. Fifth gear is meant for cruising down the highway at 70MPH or more. When no power is needed. Anything in the city, it's 4th tops.

 

I put mine in 5th and never use 6th gear.

 

That describes my 72 mile one way drive back and forth from work every day... unless I use cruise which seems to even it out a bit - but even cruise seems to "holy shit" itself sometimes!

 

I hope they follow GM and move to an 8 speed for 2018. If they do, I'll be picking up a 3rd gen.

 

A number of you have said basically the same thing but YES! The sole purpose for excessive gears in transmissions is chasing MPG and it only works for boring grandma drivers.

My previous truck was a 2010 5.3 GMC Z71 that would jump to the highest gear it could while I was turning onto a feeder and trying not to act like a high school kid fishtailing out. Then when I was on a straight path and needed to get on it to keep from getting smashed, the stupid transmission had to shift through 3 or 4 gears to find the power it needed. All this extra shifting has to put un-needed wear on the gear box.

My wife has a 2014 Grand Cherokee diesel (8 speed) with very impressive torque but it doesn't come in until about 1800-2000 RPM so you never find it unless you keep your foot on the floor. Grandma can get through the city and onto a 75mph freeway without ever seeing 2000 RPM.

The 2008 Tesla Roadster has a 8.xxx/1 single speed transmission (I don't know what the new one does). I think this is the real solution because efficiency of internal combustion engines has plateaued, thus the engineers are faking it with excessive gears. But anyone who drives with the slightest aggression nullifies the results.