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Originally Posted by Onefast99gsx
Why can't automakers make transmissions that have more gears? The average automatic tranny has 3 gears right? Why can't they have like 7 or 8 gears? Sure you wouldn't have any power at pass time, but that's what computers are for, downshift/upshift. I think of it like a mountain bike having 24 speeds. When you're in that 24th gear you can go for miles upon miles but if you stop and start out again in that gear, you wouldn't have much power. Why wouldn't this idea work? It would be like multiple overdrives.
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At some point your revs drop low enough that your car simply does not have the torque to fight wind resistance.
My VR4 has a very long 6th gear. So long that its really not worth using it unless I'm sustaining speeds of over 65mph(as in, no gas mileage benefit). Even then I still only get 25mpg.
Its not about more gears, its about having the right gear for your speed. Do you think you can save gas mileage by using 5th gear when you are only going 20mph?
It works with bycicles becuase it is easier for us to push harder (torque) than pedal faster (horsepower). Cars are the opposite, especially 4 cylinders. Semis on the other hand, already have nutty amounts of gears because they have nutty amounts of torque.
Now, which would you rather drive to work? A fuel efficient 4cyl revving to 4k, or a diesel truck with lots of gears. All of this is probably why 4cyl turbo diesels are so fuel efficient.