With automatic cars becoming cheap, most of the new-age drivers are choosing automatic transmission-equipped cars. There are several AMT cars available below the price mark of Rs. 5 lakhs. The absolute ease of driving and hassle-free operation of an automatic vehicle is an important factor why people are shifting from manual transmission cars. Here are a few things that you must know about an automatic gear car. Here, we are discussing everything about automatic cars including how to drive an automatic car, the difference between an automatic and manual car, and many more.
Everything About Automatic Gear Car
Difference between an automatic and manual transmission
Without getting too much technical, the main difference is that automatic cars do not have a clutch pedal. You also have a basic gearbox. Manual transmission cars have 5 or 6 gears, with reverse, giving you total control over how the vehicle performs. Automatic cars generally have four modes:
Park-P, Neutral- N, Reverse- R, Drive-D.
The car of its own can choose the right gear for the road conditions and speed. This means you just need to think about whether you are moving backward, forward, and stopping.
There are various alternative types of an automatic transmission, including Continuously Variable Transaxle gearboxes, single automated clutch, and twin-clutch.
Are manual cars better than automatic cars?
It is not that simple.
As you would expect, there are both pros and cons to either of the choices, and it majorly depends on your situation and your style of driving.
Advantages of manual transmission
The main advantage of driving a manual car is that you will have more control. Do you want to move from second straight to fourth? Then, go for it! Need a bit of additional vigor for getting up the hill? It is a perfect choice. You will likely find that manual cars are less costly compared to automatic cars, on average. This could be down to the fact that automatics are less popular and therefore there is not much demand for them.
Also, for some drivers, it feels “right” to change the gears themselves. Some of the habits are difficult to change, and there is a level of satisfaction while shifting the gears. Sometimes, it is as cool as the Fast and Furious movies make it to be.
Advantages of Automatic Transmission
Hop into an automatic car and the first thing that you will notice is that it is easier to drive. No need to press the clutch and find the right gear. Stalling in an automatic car is now a thing of the past. Driving in slow-moving or stop-start traffic is made simpler with an automatic. There is a much smoother transition between the gears, which results in a more pleasant and judder-free ride. As there is less chance of mistakenly grinding the gears, the transmission itself is less probably to fail. However, when it does, it is probably to be a costlier repair job.
Difference between Proper Automatic Transmission and AMTs
An AMT does not function like other automatic cars due to which it might feel like a downgrade considering the feel is not the same and for some, the driving experience might even feel lethargic. For those who are first-time owners, an AMT in the name of an automatic transmission car, you will end up being pleased by how useful these are.
Important Features of an Automatic Gear Car
There is no clutch- Unlike a Manual Transmission car where you are supposed to handle the clutch daily, in an AMT, the car itself takes care of the clutch for you. AMT stands for Automatic Manual Transmission. The working of the transmission remains to be the same, it just takes away the difficulty of the clutch and manually switching gears making it much simpler for you to drive. It is much simpler than riding a gear-less scooter.
- Less maintenance- In the automatic section of cars, AMTs are an affordable choice. What AMTs are cars with some automatic transmission functioning added to the manual gearbox. As it is not such a complicated thing to add, the AMT gearbox is present in many budget hatchbacks. There is no need for all-new transmission, a couple of extra features are all that is needed which helps to keep the price low. These extra features are what make the AMTs cost-effective in terms of maintenance when compared to cars that have manual gearboxes.
- Good fuel efficiency- When compared to conventional automatic transmissions, AMTs are more fuel-efficient. Considering AMTs are half manual, they do not impact the fuel efficiency, giving out a similar average as its manual equivalents.
- 5-manual transmission traits- There is always another side to every coin and so is the case of AMTs. While AMT cars are simple to drive and deliver the similar fuel efficiency as manual, they do not provide features like hill descent, parking mode, and hill hold. So, make sure that you create a habit of using the handbrake if you have or are planning to purchase a car that is fully equipped with AMT.
- Control your car and shift gears- Most of the AMT cars get the normal stick which you can be used whenever you feel the need to control your car manually. This take-things-in-your-hands choice is not usually offered in various conventional automatic cars. There is an upside to having a car that provides you the option of downshifting and upshifting as per your choice, which AMT equipped cars to provide.
- AMTs are getting improved day by day- Technology is developing at an alarming speed in all walks of life and cars are a huge part of the technological development. You can purchase AMTs that provide features like hill hold. Apart from adding to enhancing the driving experience, it also lets a driver relax even when the car is parked on inclined terrain/ surface.
- No need to accelerate while driving in traffic- Having to drive in traffic is a nightmare for many drivers however, ATM cars nowadays come with a feature known as “creep.” This feature lets your car move slowly when in traffic without the need to put your foot on the accelerator. Just imagine how simple heavy traffic situations look now. Your car will not get turned off in the first gear, instead, it will move slowly, you just need to keep a hand on the steering, and you are good to go!
- Driving the downhill is a bit difficult task- While driving an automatic gear car, you might find some difficulty in driving downhill. Manual cars have an engine braking system, and a lot of people count on them while driving down a hill or stopping the car over a short distance. The funny thing is AMT cars do not give you total control of the clutch which means that you do not get the engine braking system. EBS keeps your car in low gears while driving on the slopes and plane surfaces which ultimately lessens the speed of the vehicle. You can switch to the manual driving mode, but different cars may behave differently so you must understand your car and then adjust accordingly.
- Be careful while overtaking- Another important thing to keep in mind while driving an automatic car is while overtaking, be extra careful. Some planning goes into overtaking when it comes to the AMT cars. Even when you have the choice to switch to manual mode, it is still a difficult task to overtake in an AMT because they are sluggish irrespective of how well developed/advanced they are.
These are some of the important things to keep in mind while driving an automatic gear car. Do you know how to drive an automatic car? How is the experience?