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Sorting through modern gearbox technology

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Justin Pritchard
Confused by the slew of abbreviations like DSG, SMG, CVT, and the like? You aren't alone.

Mazda's Manual Mode (Photo: Justin Pritchard, Auto123.com)
There are those who love the thrill of taking the reins of a high performance car with a slick-shifting manual transmission. And, there are those who couldn't care less about the performance of a vehicle, happily to selecting "drive" from the shifter and carrying on their way.

In the recent past, options for transmissions have expanded dramatically. Some are appealing if you share your vehicle with someone who cannot operate a manual box, while some have no gears to shift at all.

More and more cars are being offered with "Manual Mode", "Sport Mode" or even "Paddle-Shift" transmissions, and you'll likely see one or more of these systems in the brochure for your next vehicle. Will you choose a manual? An automatic? Or will it be somewhere in between? Will it have as many as 8 gears? Or as little as none?

Manual-mode automatic transmissions in their most basic form allow the driver to switch between automatic or manual shifts at will. In manual mode, one taps the gear lever forward to shift into the next gear, or pulls it back to shift down. This has its benefits in the back roads or for passing slower traffic on the highway. Put the shifter in drive if you're holding a coffee on the way to work and allow the car's computer to operate the transmission as economically as possible. It's like having a manual when you need it and an automatic when you don't.

Acura CSX with shift paddles (Photo: Justin Pritchard, Auto123.com)
These systems add a sense of control to the driving experience, and are fun to use. Most can be a happy medium if a real manual transmission is not available with the vehicle you are set on.

The Hyundai Sonata is offered with both a Manual and a "Sport-Shift" Automatic transmission. Jeremy Mannella, a Hyundai sales rep says "gentlemen commonly buy automatic cars for their wives, but in this case, they can have a little more fun and a little more control if they were to drive the car."

Manual-Mode transmissions have benefits in winter driving conditions as well. Acceleration on a slippery surface can be aided by having more precise control over the gear the transmission uses and when it shifts. Downshifting can be used more readily to help keep the car under control while slowing down on snowy roads without using the brakes.

Paddle Shifters?
A Formula-1 inspired gearbox was first fitted to Ferrari's screaming F355 F1 model years ago in an effort to bring a taste of F1 technology into a street legal vehicle. It was a success. Even some entry level cars nowadays like the Acura CSX can be had with steering wheel mounted shift paddles. Though the transmission can be left in "drive", a simple tug of the gear lever into "paddle mode" puts the 2.0 litre engines 155 horsepower at the
(Photo: Justin Pritchard, Auto123.com)
driver's fingertips- meaning there is no need to remove their hands from the wheel to shift gear. A click on either paddle quickly sends an electronic signal to the transmission calling for the next or previous cog.

Cars like the CSX with their paddle-shift gearboxes are big fun, but they still deliver an automatic feeling gearshift: fairly slow and with no real interruption in throttle during the changeover. There is a slight delay between the paddle being clicked and the transmissions subsequent reaction. Underneath it all, it's still a conventional automatic transmission.

But for the ultimate in light-speed gear shifting, Volkswagen, BMW, Audi and other European carmakers have embraced the latest technology by using direct shift or dual-clutch gearboxes which actually have a clutch mechanism inside, and much the same internals as a manual transmission.
Justin Pritchard
Justin Pritchard
Automotive expert
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