This is not really a question, is it? The debate between automatic cars and the ones with manual gears should be long over. The race is over – the winner is clear. Automatic shifts won by a mile and that’s because of a number of factors.
In the past, people would argue that automatic gears are not reliable. People would say that they break down rather quickly and easily. To an extent, this was somewhat true. Car manufacturers were still new in this field, and automatic gearboxes had a lot to be desired.
Furthermore, racers were thought to perform better when they have full control over the gear shifting of their respective cars. In other words, automatic gearboxes were not “smart” according to most users.
Technology always wins
As we look at those arguments today, they all look laughable. Gearboxes nowadays are equipped with incredible systems and are aided by a very advanced software. The first thing the driver feels is the convenience. There’s no clutch pedal, there’s no need to touch the stick and most importantly, your car will not shut off when you are slow with the clutch. The pleasure of driving is truly complete when you are in a car which features an automatic gearbox.
How about we check out some examples
We already mentioned that automatic gearboxes have come a long way and have greatly improved over the years. It has been almost 10 years so far that we have enjoyed better working gearboxes. For instance, BMW introduced a brand new automatic transmission in 2008. It is called ZF 8HP and was initially featured in only a few BMW automatic cars. We are talking about the 7 Series.
The ZF 8HP must be a good transmission because it is still in use. Now you can see it featured in almost every model all the way down to the 1 Series. The gearbox is compatible with the V12 engine and this gives drivers optimum results.
The real beauty of this transmission is the fact that it is an 8-gear one. Imagine the power and the fuel efficiency that we get from it. It is about 11%-12% more efficient than the previous BMW automatic gearboxes and a whopping 15% more efficient than regular manual 5-gear transmissions.
You probably already want to test drive this thing
Cars which feature transmissions of the highest quality also come at a price. But if you wish to drive a nice BMW 3 Series for a few days you can always stop by the used cars dealership in your area.
If you want to buy a used car, rent it first. You can always go down the street and visit the closest Hertz location. Ask about any vehicle with automatic transmission starting from Honda Jazz, through Toyota Auris all the way to the BMW 5 Series.
Some people take advantage of exclusive offers such as the Hertz Rent2Buy where you get to test drive a BMW for example and decide whether you want to keep it.
Meta: Automatic transmissions have won the battle of gearboxes as they give us convenience. If you don’t believe us, go ahead and test drive a BMW and see how even a used car holds up.
