Automated Transmission In Dodge Van Test By Car And Driver

[pistonboy]

In this 2015 article by Car & Driver, they compared a Dodge van that used and automated manual transmission and they were highly critical. They said:

"It is the only vehicle in any comparison test in memory to receive zero points in a subjective category from one of our voters. That would be for its dreadful single-clutch automated-manual transmission. The other voters each gave it one mercy point. Pull out into a busy road and the vehicle comes to a near stop as the transmission pauses to find the next gear. It's not just annoying, causing your head to bob fore and aft with every shift, it's scary."

In the final analysis, the other two vehicles got 8 out of 10 points for their transmissions. The Dodge automated manual transmission got 1 out of 10 points.

http://www.caranddriver.com/compari...ng-performance-data-and-complete-specs-page-5

 

[johnsnownw]

I have yet to drive an automated manual transmission that gave a good driving experience. I drove my mother-in-law's Focus and honestly thought something was wrong with it. Nope, the transmissions just drives like a teenager learning to shift a manual transmission.

Hated it.

 

[RSchneider]

BMW made the SMG transmission starting with the 1996 e36 M3. It's literally an M3 manual transmission with the shift detents removed and then a computer operates the rest of it (including the clutch). SMG I was OK but SMG II (used on the later ones and the e92 M3) is a great system. It's better than the manual because it uses launch control, you can't mis a shift no matter what, it has paddles and it matches revs on downshift. It gets praises from everyone that drives one (including me).

PDK and DSG transmissions (used in Porsche, Audi and VW) are automated manuals too (regular manual gears, syncros, shift forks and sliders). The only difference is that the electronics are integrated into the transmission and it has a wet double clutch. Kia offers a double clutch 7 speed transmission also. What is nice about a double clutch is that it'll have the next gear engaged and ready to use (the reason for the two clutches), thus it shifts really fast and smooth.

 

[W. WIllie]

There is the secret...double clutches.

 

[NSTG8R]

Luckily there'll be better than 5k Elios on the road with input from the owners before I have to decide. Didn't want to, but I might have to grind my own if the automatic-manual sucks as bad as Pistonboy's link says it does. Better up the dosage on the Glucosamine and chondroitin!

 

[RSchneider]

Remember, that's a review from 2014 and by a car magazine that over exaggerates anything. Plus, its a delivery van and not really designed to be a family vehicle made for the ultimate comfort (the USPS and FedEx have bought a boatload of them, so they can't be that bad). The RAM Pro Master is a Fiat Ducato that is also marketed as a Citroen and Peugeot (you see them all over Europe and most I have seen are not manuals).

Also just about every bus and tractor trailer today is an automated manual.

All Elio has to do is go get a 2008-2014 SMG e92 M3 and make it shift like that. They have plenty of different modes you can choose from also. It's literally 20 year old technology. Who wouldn't like a car that has launch control, rev matching on downshift, the option to shift it manually by paddles, performance and eco mode. Once you have the mechanical part of it, all you have to do is just write lines of code to make it do what you want (which was done many years ago). Honestly, you can eliminate the shifter completely and put a few buttons on the dash like most modern cars have today. It would just give you more storage space in an Elio. Maybe just replace the whole shifter area with a mini 12V cooler. That would even be better.

 

[Ian442]

My Hyundai 2015 Accent has an AMT and it shifts absolutely fine. both in Manual and Automatic mode.

 

[pistonboy]

My Hyundai 2015 Accent has an AMT and it shifts absolutely fine. both in Manual and Automatic mode.

Do you know if it is a single clutch or dual clutch system.

 

[Johnny Acree]

All most all the bad reviews of automated manual transmissions come from people who refuse to learn how to operate the thing correctly!
smart's transmission has been widely reported as a bad transmission. I drive a smart. The smart transmission is a good transmission, if you take the time to learn how to use it. It does not have a sport mode, so don't expect a sporty shift.
Most people have no experience driving a manual transmission, so they don't have a clue how to modulate the throttle.

 

[Maurtis]

My Hyundai 2015 Accent has an AMT and it shifts absolutely fine. both in Manual and Automatic mode.

Are you sure it is an AMT? From what I have read the Accent still uses a conventional automatic with torque converter. It has a manual "Shiftronic" shift mode, but that just means you can select gears at will but it is still a regular automatic under the covers.

I saw this description of a 2017 online: "6-speed automatic transmission - With overdrive lock-up torque converter, gate-type, SHIFTRONIC, Hillstart Assist Control, and Ignition key interlock system"

I had a Hyundai Veloster a couple years ago, mine was a manual but I know they offered a DCT in that. But Hyundai made a big deal that it was a DCT and mentioned it everywhere. I would assume if the Accent had a DCT they would do the same.