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

Tacoma

 

I'm not trying to hassle the hoff. When I was younger I thought 6speeds sounded impressive. Then I realized there was nothing to really be impressed about.

 

ECT

 

I think the more speeds in the transmission the better off you are. I think toyota dropped the ball by spacing the gears out too much between 4-5 if they would have made the gears better spaced, then the constant downshifting wouldn't be near as noticeable and likely wouldn't bother anyone near as badly. I think the key to a transmission with a lot of gears is insuring the spacing lines up correctly so the shifting seems more seamless. This will help keep the engine in the powerband

 

The 6.2L 10 speed that GM has does not exhibit the same annoying type of shifting. Yeah it shifts a lot but it doesnt lack low end torque, throttle response is not sluggish and it does not have delayed kickdowns like the tacoma trans. I think it has more to do with the design of the transmission and motor performance than just the number of gears.

 

My wife's 2016 Camry has a six speed auto and it is one of the finest shifting transmissions I've ever owned. I don't know why the Tacoma auto is such a disappointment. To be fair, I haven't driven a third gen, I am just basing my opinion on those who have.

 

what we need is a dual clutch trans in the auto tacoma... that my internet friends, would be dope af.

 

My Murano has an infinite number....(CVT) lol.

 

DCTs are good for lightning fast shifts in high performance vehicles. What they are not good for is durable, reliable, and low cost long-term use. God help you and the smoldering remains of your VISA card should you have to repair or replace a DCT.

I think the overall crappiness of the new taco slushbox is all in the programming. They took an already in production motor, arguably not very well suited to a truck application, and bolted the quickest/cheapest thing they had available, with some ham-fisted programming to help eek out another 0.3 MPG. Just my useless opinion, but it's a technically challenging thing to really do this well from a performance standpoint, and Toyota aint BMW.

They'll get better eventually, but unfortunately with their small trucks, Toyota is never in any hurry. It's borederline comical that some of the same issues that dogged the G2 have carried over unchanged in the "all new" G3. But don't get me wrong with all this ranting, Toyota easily still makes the best "small" truck out there IMO.

 

Maybe because it's a car engine tuned for a truck?

 

I miss the 2 speed power glide.

 

Wife's Acura MDX has 9 speeds and it's annoying. It's give to neutral while driving and you need to pull over and shift to park to reset.

 

I miss the days where cars didnt even have horsepower...

 

Number of gears isn't what makes a transmission hunt, it's the tuning itself. Companies chase MPG so much that they're trannies end up torn between reaching top gear and providing the power needed. The low powered the engine, the more noticeable if will be, since the engine can't pull the taller gears as easy.

 

I hate that trans.

 

it acted like a 4 speed though

 

I rented a Challenger with the V6 8spd transmission, and I was really impressed. Got awesome mileage on the highway, and the shifting was great. I drove it pretty hard and couldn't believe how well it drove.

 

My Dad's Jeep Cherokee has a 9 speed and I'm not a big fan.

G.

 

I had a 63 Buick Invicta Wagon with a Dynaflow. It had 1 speed...forward. I could go from 0-100 and it NEVER shifted.

 

In general per given vehicle transmissions have more "speeds" (gears) because the vehicles are:

• Inherently high performance, having a high performance engine with a narrow powerband, so as to keep the engine operating within that band;
• Inherently moderate to low performance, having smaller engines (often too small), so as to allow the tiny engine to move the thing at all;

And then of course there is that it makes great marketing hype...

My daughter has a base model Kia Soul (1.6 L) that has a 6-speed manual--at 2800 lbs curb weight this is because it needs it. I drove it once...