Transmissions Affect Fuel Economy.

Choosing a fuel-efficient automobile was a whole lot simpler 30 years ago, the last time the U.S. was in the grips of a gasoline price crisis. It was often as simple as buying small vehicles with manual transmissions. Not he stakes are much higher regarding your transmission choices.

Today, with gas prices soaring to new record highs almost weekly, finding fuel economy means navigating an almost bewildering selection of vehicles, modern automatic transmissions and computerized intelligence. Even enormous SUVs can qualify if they come equipped with gasoline-electric hybrid drive systems.

Behind this tremendous hike in choices — to a fairly significant extent, experts say — has been a concomitant increase in the variety of transmissions.

Whereas in the 1970s there were only four- and five-speed manual transmissions and three- and four-speed automatic transmissions, now there are six-speed manual, six-, seven- and eight-speed automatic, six- and seven-speed “dual-clutch” automatic-manual, and continuously variable transmissions.

The result: more efficient engine operation and higher fuel economy in every car, whether it’s a high-performance Porsche Carrera or a modest Volkswagen Jetta.

But there are important differences among these sophisticated transmissions, including in how much they contribute to better fuel efficiency. Knowing those differences may help you the next time you’re in the market for a new car.

The whole point of the transmission is to allow the vehicle’s engine to operate at its most efficient state under all conditions and demands.

Gear ranges help do that by matching the engine’s speed, or RPM (revolutions per minute) and torque – or pulling power – to the demands of acceleration. Lower gears provide less speed but more torque to get the vehicle’s mass in motion, whereas higher gears provide more speed, but less torque, to keep things rolling along.

The engine is at peak efficiency at only one point as its RPMs climb through each gear range, so as more gears or “speeds” are added to a transmission, the more high-efficiency spots are available and the more efficient the engine’s overall operation.

Transmission specialists at General Motors, Ford and Chrysler say 6-speed automatic transmissions will yield a four to six percent fuel economy improvement compared to 4- and 5-speed automatics.

The transmission Specialists at GotTransmissions.com are prepared to help you sort out the particular replacement transmission that is in your best interests. For most folks this is an overwhelming task to handle, trust us, our success is dependent on your success. Our representatives are trained to listen and then provide the solution that suits your needs. Call us @ 866-320-1182.