Types Of Automatic Gearbox In Cars? | Which Type Of Automatic Transmission Is Best?

We will see the types of Automatic Gearbox in cars today. Because in recent time there is surge in traffic in India quite a bit. People are buying more automatic gearbox. But there are many types of this automatic transmission available in the market so taking a right decision is a must. We are going to talk about this transmission and will try to clear all doubts about them.

5 Types Of Automatic Transmission?

If your are going to buy an automatic car you need to know what are the different types of transmissions that an automatic car has. Because it overall affects how the performance of a car will be there on the roads. We will go from the simplest and a not more expensive solution to a higher more sophisticated types of transmission one by one.

IMT (Intelligent Manual Transmission)- It is the same Manual transmission but the thing is that it does not have a clutch. Mechanically the internal structure is same but the system of shifting gears is different. There are number of gears and the gear lever also indicate the same numbers of gears. The shifting is done by the driver but without using a clutch. Actually the work of a clutch is done by a sensors intelligently. The electronic control unit is there which decide when the shifting is needed and accordingly it helps in gear shifting. It provides more control on the car speed. The Upshift and Downshift is in our hand so there is no lag as such in shifting gears. Mileage is as good as a proper manual car. It is actually a manual car but without a clutch so ease of driving.

AMT (Automated Manual Transmission)-This transmission is mostly found in budget automatic cars like available in Maruti and Hyundai. This is a little less expensive. It is basically a regular manual transmission but it is programmed using a electronic unit which decides when to change the gear. It is mechanically the same in the design and in internal structure with manual but just the shifting is different. The benefit of the AMT is that it is not expensive and the mileage is not much affected in AMT cars. The mileage is close to a Manual car. But the thing is that there are gears and these gears when changes they come in notice. The car also shows in which gear your are driving in the meter console. So consider it as a manual car and there is a computer programmed chip which helps in changing the gears.
This is very good for a city drive because its a slow driving. The drawback is that there feels a lag in gear shifting when we drive it enthusiastically on the open road. There is a slight delay in changing gears. Overall a simple less complex and a cost effective solution of Automatic gearbox.

Torque Converter Automatic (ALSO AT Automatic Transmission)– This is one of the traditional transmission that is being used from the past and were known as an universal Automatic Transmission in 80s. One of the oldest and most popular automatic transmission. Old and now matured so much over the decades. The technological advancement has evolved that in todays cars it is performing very well. Also it is the most reliable automatic transmission available in the market. Any automatic that specifically do not explicitly define any transmission then it will be a Torque Converter. It is still used in some of the expensive brands Cars like BMW. Most reliable automatic that is why it is used widely.
But the thing with a Torque Converter is that the mileage gets affected when compared to a Manual transmission. Many of the Hyundai cars are also available in the market with this transmission. It is a very efficient transmission we hardly notice any gear change in the traffic and at the low speeds it is smooth and lively. When at the higher speeds gear shifting can be noticed. So all in all much refined and much reliable transmission not jerky at all.

CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission)- The other transmissions still have number of gears like 6 gears or 8 gears but it is completely a different technology. It does not have gears but it has a pully system. So the transmission held by pullies which continuously moves according to the requirement of the engine and power. Technically it is not shifting gears because there is not number of gears as such but it has infinite gears. Advantage is that it is very very smooth in city traffic at very low speeds. The technical advantage of the CVT is smoother shifting at the same time mileage is not get affected as much. Very comfortable to drive in city traffic Honda cars have this technology there is no jerks in shifting. Downside of a CVT is that it is not for enthusiasts.
In quick overtakes and stops it feels laggy. There is a sort of Rubberband effect in CVT. It does not react very quickly. The lag is for about 1-1.5 seconds there will be an engine noise but the thing is that the car does not pull. It takes a couple of seconds which is felt inside. So this is a problem with CVT and that is a reason many enthusiasts do not like it. But if you are driving mostly in the city then CVT is a very good option because it will give you a good mileage too.

DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission)- So as the name suggests there are two clutches and they are programed in such a way that odd number gears bound to one clutch and even number of gear is bound to another. It provides very fast shifting, no lag. You hardly notice any gear change with a DCT. It provides very fluidic and very smooth upshifts and downshifts. But at the same time it includes more complex engineering because it has dual clutches. Hence the DCT cars are on the expensive side. Also the repair cost is a lot more on a DCT. But most of the performance cars actually the Germans use DCT very much because of its fast shifting gears. Advantage is it provides lightening fast gear shifting you hardly notice any gear change.

DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox)- Its a variant of DCT used in Skoda and VW cars. Mercedes Benz also uses it in some of its automatic transmissions. It is just another name used by these company. The technology is the same as the DCT which uses Dual clutches.

Which Is Best Automatic Transmission Or Manual

What is the purpose will tell which is the best transmission for you. The suitability of transmission is based on the usage of a car.

If you are a driver who likes to take charges of your car’s power, you will most likely to have a Manual.
If you want to takes all control but without the clutch then you most likely an IMT person.
The transmission which feels smoother and your daily driving is in a city and more and more in stop and go traffic then CVT is a best option because there is not much drop in mileage.
For a person who likes automatic but wants enthusiastic performance not worry about the price and mileage. Then DCT/DSG is for you.

Which is better, AMT or CVT or DCT?

AMT is like a intelligent thinker and calculate then tells when to shift the gears, not much expensive only 50k extra and CVT continuously variable transmission is a completely different tech which is more sophisticated, no shifting is there so no jerks and smoother, more expensive 1-1.2L expensive. While DCT is for performance oriented cars. It provides faster shifting with no jerks and no lags in shifting gears.

Which is better CVT or DSG?

DSG is just another name for a DCT transmission. While CVT is preferred for smoothness and no mileage drop, the DSG is used for fast gear shifting and no lag. CVT does not have gears it works using a pully system. DSG is more complex system in which two different clutches are used for fast gear shifting mainly for a performance cars which need quick upshift and downshift in no time. If you have a more traffic drive then CVT is better for you. If you want a faster performance and quick overtakes then DSG is better for you.

Which is better, CVT or DCT?

The answer is same DCT and DSG are same functioning transmission. While CVT is preferred for smoothness and no mileage drop, the DCT is used for fast gear shifting and no lag. CVT does not have gears it works using a pully system. DCT is more complex system in which two different clutches are used for fast gear shifting mainly for a performance cars which need quick upshift and downshift in no time. If you have a more traffic drive then CVT is better for you. If you want a faster performance and quick overtakes then DCT is better for you. But DCT is more sophisticated so there will be more maintenance required for a DCT. Also its upfront cost is higher.

Is AMT better than DCT?

AMT is an affordable option of an automatic transmission. It is not much sophisticated. It is similar to a manual transmission but uses a computer to decide gear shifting. It is more mileage oriented option, easy to maintain with less service cost. But AMT is jerky mostly on higher speeds and feels laggy in shifting. It is better for city driving purpose where low speed driving happens. Whereas DCT is for person who likes quick gear shifting and overtakes. It is more expensive though it helps higher performance cars with no lag in transmission. More sophisticated so needs proper maintenance. Mileage drop is higher in DCT. So for enthusiasts DCT is better.

Why avoid CVT transmission?

CVT does not have gears rather it uses pully system for engage and disengagement of gears. It is a continuously variable transmission in which shafts are bound using pullies. It is good for city driving and low speed running. Also it provides smooth shifting with no jerks at low speed. The disadvantages of CVT is that it lags in power transmission and there is a Rubberband effect which feels little lazy. There is a 1-1.5 second lag in shifting so not good for enthusiasts. Also not good for quick overtakes and highways driving.