Unfortunately Ford didn't have any 5-speed manual equipped V6s available for testing, so I spent time wringing out the new
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| I found the 5-speed automatic transmission in the V6 had a tendency to hunt for the right gear when going up steep hills, never satisfied in 3rd or 4th. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
5-speed automatic. Driving up a long hill I noticed the transmission's tendency to hunt for the right gear, never satisfied in 3rd or 4th. "What's the deal?" I thought to myself. I've driven a host of 5-speed automatic equipped cars and never found this to be a problem, as the extra cog allows the engineers to compensate for even low output engines by optimizing its "sweet spot" - the rpm range or power band where the engine makes its optimal horsepower and/or torque. Ford proves this point with the introduction of its new Five Hundred sedan, which in top-trim sports an Aisin-built 6-speed automatic that turns the 203 horsepower Duratec V6-powered machine into an extremely entertaining package. I got to the top of the hill, questioned a few engineers and then proceeded back down when, upon fiddling around with the shifter I noticed that the transmission may not be a true 5-speed after all, or at least not in the modern sense of the term. Rather, it seems more like a 4-speed gearbox with an electronic overdrive acting as a 5th gear, complete with a defeat button on the shift lever. OK, now that would explain a lot. While the tall top gear allows the engine to cruise at highway speeds at an extremely fuel efficient 1,900 to 2,000 rpm, a fact that should really help the car when rated by the EPA for fuel economy, as well as the brand
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| The Ford engineers can say what they want about the automatic transmission, but it doesn't feel like a regular 5-speed. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
on the whole when ranked by CAFE, it doesn't seem to make a bit of difference when rowing from 1st through 4th gears. Alternatively, Ford has included push-buttons to allow the driver to lock-out or enable the top (overdrive) gear on demand for years, so it could just be this. Either way, the shortcoming isn't noticeable on the flat, which is where most people spend their time anyway. Whether the transmission was designed as a 5-speed from the ground up or not, it doesn't really matter. The 5-speed unit gives Mustang an edge over competitors that don't offer similar gearboxes. When pressing Ford's engineers on the issue they assured me the fourth gear is set up 1 to 1, just like a regular 5-speed automatic, with the fifth gear optimized at 0.75 to 1 for better fuel economy. OK, they can say what they want but it still doesn't feel like a modern 5-speed autobox. Third gear, by the way, is 1.55 to 1.
