Automatic or manual - which is better? Gearbox selection
Modern cars are equipped with a manual or automatic transmission. Each of them has both its advantages and disadvantages. In order to decide what is best for an individual driver, it is important to familiarize yourself with all the pros and cons of different types of gearboxes.
The main purpose of any transmission is to transmit torque from the power unit to the drive wheels. Depending on the conditions on the road, the gear ratio must change smoothly for the normal operation of the motor and the compliance with the speed limit on certain sections of the road.
Manual gearbox
Manual or mechanical transmission has a long history. Over the entire existence of the car, the unit has been repeatedly improved from two to five and six-speed models, and in some sports cars you can find manual transmissions with a higher number of gears.
Advantages
First of all, it is worth noting that a car equipped with a manual transmission noticeably accelerates fasterthan a similar model on the "machine". The engine can be spun up to a critical limit, reaching maximum dynamics.
Economy manual transmission is an order of magnitude higher than that of its counterpart. However, this largely depends on the experience of the driver. Beginners who sit behind the wheel of a car with mechanics are even more likely to spend more fuel than in a car with automatic transmission.
Reliability manual transmission is quite high. It is very difficult to disable it, unless you do it intentionally. This is due to the simplicity of the design of the unit, due to which the maintenance and repair of the mechanics as a whole is simple and does not require significant costs.
In severe winter frosts, internal combustion engines on a car are somewhat easier to start by mechanics – by depressing the clutch pedal, it is possible to facilitate starting by disconnecting the assembly from the engine. In addition, a car with a manual gearbox is not afraid of slipping on slippery road surfaces, which cannot be said about an automatic counterpart.
Negative sides
Despite the tangible advantages of mechanical units, they still have some disadvantages.
The main disadvantage is the need for the constant participation of the driver in the operation of the unit and difficulties when starting to move, especially on the rise.. This mainly applies to novice drivers who find it difficult to move smoothly at the start. At first, many people forget about the need to shift gears in certain driving situations, which negatively affects both the box itself and the motor. Nevertheless, all this comes with experience, and having got used to the mechanics, the driver is able to manage it without any difficulty.
Another disadvantage is in the clutch. Disabling it is quite simple, but the repair will cost a tangible amount of money.
It is also worth mentioning that Manual transmissions significantly reduce the resource of the power unit. This is due to the fact that the driver does not always switch gear ratios in a timely manner, and the motor at this time is experiencing significant loads.
Automatic transmission
To date, there are several types of automatic transmissions:
- Traditional machine.
- Robotic machine.
- Variable speed drive.
In most cars, the number of gears is 5 - 7 positions, but this is not the limit. In addition, modern models are significantly improved in terms of fuel economy and smooth switching modes.
pros
Despite the fact that the manual transmission for many years remained the most preferable for most drivers, today, thanks to the development of the "automatic", many have become more inclined towards the latter option.
Modern cars equipped with CVTs are fully capable of competing in speed with similar vehicles in manual transmission. It was previously believed that the speed of a car with an automatic transmission is significantly inferior to those equipped with a manual counterpart, but now this is just a misconception.
The vodi.su portal draws your attention to the fact that fuel consumption on a traditional automatic transmission is much higher than on manual transmissions, however, CVTs and robots in terms of efficiency are almost identical to manual units.
For novice drivers or for those who just don't like to be constantly involved in switching modes of the box, automatic will become a more preferable option. With such a transmission, there will be no problems starting the movement and, regardless of road conditions, the driver will not have to divert attention to the gear lever.
Due to the fact that the driving mode is determined automatically, engine resource is significantly increased even in spite of possible inept actions of the driver.
In the end Automatic transmission is designed primarily for the comfort of movement. An experienced driver, while driving such a car, will experience only positive emotions.
Disadvantages of the "machine"
Although automation has quite a few advantages, there are also a lot of disadvantages.
These include:
- Expensive maintenance and repair.
- Difficulties with starting the engine in severe frost.
- High fuel consumption of traditional models.
- Noticeably low acceleration dynamics.
It is also worth noting that the price of a car with automatic transmission will be at least 30 rubles higher than a similar car with mechanics.
Among other things, even the most advanced automatic transmission is not able to foresee all traffic situations. In case of emergency braking, it will not have time to switch to a lower gear, which will adversely affect its resource.
Conclusion
It is impossible to say unequivocally which transmission is better. In this regard, it all depends on the individual preferences of the driver. For those who prefer a comfortable measured ride, automatic transmission is more suitable. If the driver likes more frisky behavior on the road, then a manual analogue is preferable. Based on this, it becomes clear that both transmission options have generally the same chances for further existence and development.
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