Why so many gears?
Discussion
Blakewater said:
6th gear left the car with absolutely no acceleration whatsoever, so was dangerous even on the motorway.
It's the drivers that make cars dangerous. If it's that dangerous to try and accelerate on a motorway in 6th, why didn't you try changing down to 5th?Edited by xRIEx on Sunday 2nd February 09:32
peterbredde said:
Hello all. Let me first point out that this is not a rant or complaint. Just wondering. Why does my car have so many gears?
It is a new Mustang GT (manual) with 6 gears. I guess it's to make use of the power under rapid acceleration. But for everyday driving I find the box doesn't really make sense. Just too many gears. It feels as though I am changing all the time when I don't really see much difference. So I tend to find myself skipping gears, maybe from first to third to fifth, or from second to fourth to fifth or sixth.
Shirley for everyday use the car would be better suited to a five speed? Is there any real benefit to the six gears? Am I doing and damage in skipping gears?
Cheers
Possibly the worst thread I've read recently.It is a new Mustang GT (manual) with 6 gears. I guess it's to make use of the power under rapid acceleration. But for everyday driving I find the box doesn't really make sense. Just too many gears. It feels as though I am changing all the time when I don't really see much difference. So I tend to find myself skipping gears, maybe from first to third to fifth, or from second to fourth to fifth or sixth.
Shirley for everyday use the car would be better suited to a five speed? Is there any real benefit to the six gears? Am I doing and damage in skipping gears?
Cheers
1. Did you not test drive the car?
2. You're changing all the time when you don't see the difference. Don't change then?
Had a few 6 speeders, never use 6th unless on the motorway, fail to see the issue. Maybe you should have got an auto?
There's always one isn't there, but ok:
1. Yes - read the thread again - I am NOT complaining, just wondering why so many gears.
2. OK - good point, I'll drive everywhere in one gear, constantly. Good thinking.
Your last point is not worth the effort.
1. Yes - read the thread again - I am NOT complaining, just wondering why so many gears.
2. OK - good point, I'll drive everywhere in one gear, constantly. Good thinking.
Your last point is not worth the effort.
Edited by peterbredde on Sunday 2nd February 10:01
peterbredde said:
2. OK - good point, I'll drive everywhere in one gear, constantly. Good thinking.
It's a logical comment so I'm not sure why the flippancy. If you're not seeing any benefit then don't change, hold on to the previous gear as the situation demands.As the general trend of the thread, there most likely is a small difference in economy through reduced friction.
xRIEx said:
Forgive me, what effect does it have on ergonomics? The human/machine interface is the same as a 5 (or fewer) ratio 'box and most drivers have the mental capacity to cope, so I don't see the issue.
Hard to describe, but if the gears give be brain-ache then it's not ergonomic.I get brain-ache if there are more than 3 planes in a manual gate.
(As did a friend who was driving me in his new 6-speed Mini, having just changed from a 5-speed, and he hit reverse when he wanted first!)
As described above, the 4-speed auto gave me brain-ache when the 3-speed didn't.
I need my brain to concentrate on the hazards ahead; the car controls should be intuitive.
The more attention I have to pay on the inside, the less I can give to the outside.
V8forweekends said:
My crappy A3 (1.6 fsi) has 6 gears and it's still quite low geared in top - I often skip gears - as for the idea of close ratios to stay in the power band - I'll let you know if I ever find any power.
I wonder if your A3 has the same engine as the new Octavia 1.6D Greenline which we had for a day - that had no power either. Number of gears wasn't the problem with that car!xRIEx said:
It's a logical comment so I'm not sure why the flippancy. If you're not seeing any benefit then don't change, hold on to the previous gear as the situation demands.
As the general trend of the thread, there most likely is a small difference in economy through reduced friction.
Leading to the demise of anything more than 4 cyl engines....As the general trend of the thread, there most likely is a small difference in economy through reduced friction.
Tickle said:
MagicalTrevor said:
But that would suggest knowing the characteristics of the car and how best to drive it 
You sound like one if them there Driving Gods I've been reading about
peterbredde said:
It is a new Mustang GT (manual) with 6 gears. I guess it's to make use of the power
No, on the Mustang it's purely economy and emissions.- Automatic gearbox - multiple gears are great for emissions.
- Diesel engines - multiple gears help to mask the limited power band and rev range.
M4cruiser said:
(As did a friend who was driving me in his new 6-speed Mini, having just changed from a 5-speed, and he hit reverse when he wanted first!)
Would he have the same problem driving a 4-speed manual car? FWIW, I think I've only owned a couple of 5-speed cars where the reverse was where 6th is (Micra and Scooby) and you could argue that it's equally dangerous because you may be downshifting from 5th and attempt to go into reverse (complete with lots of mechanical graunching) rather than 4th. All the other cars were next to 1st.M4cruiser said:
I need my brain to concentrate on the hazards ahead; the car controls should be intuitive.
The more attention I have to pay on the inside, the less I can give to the outside.
The System of Car Control recognises this and suggests that you should be selecting the correct gear as part of the approach to the hazard. If you're having trouble selecting the right gear because the car layout isn't intuitive, I can see a few options: a) buy a car that is intuitive, b) invest some time familiarising yourself with the car you're driving, c) take the bus The more attention I have to pay on the inside, the less I can give to the outside.
Chris
Edited by ScoobyChris on Sunday 2nd February 12:40
gvij said:
My TT has 6 forward gears and I think it is too much. When you boot it in 6th nothing happens as its out of the turbo range. Obviously its to save fuel which is a compromise.
Give me a 5.9l v12 Aston Martin then I wont care how many gears it has!
Yes you will. If it had 1 gear it'll be slower than your TT. Give me a 5.9l v12 Aston Martin then I wont care how many gears it has!
Using the cable gear linkage on my old TDCI Mondeo to stir through the six forward speeds was a chore. Five forward speeds in a manual 'box seems about right for a road car. As others have said, i don't care how many gears there are in an auto or semi-auto so long as the shifts are decent.
Tickle said:
Drop a cog then?
Sounds like hard work. Engineering is all about making complex things simple to get the best result. 6 speeders take away from that vs 5.The 1.8turbo 225 engine puts up a very impressive show of power for what it is but it is no naturally aspirated V12 with high torque and power throughout the revband.
I can understand that most people haven't got the cash for fuel,co2 taxes and large purchase costs for 6,8, and 12 cylinders hence the push to 4 cylinder turbos petrol and diesel.
Roll on the days if I become wealthy and can pick and choose my chariot.
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