The Elio Automatic Transmission

[lkptpete]

In his review of the Smart ForTwo, Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays says about the automated manual transmission, “What that means is that you drive the ForTwo like you would a regular automatic, but the transmission lurches through gear changes with the awkwardness of a 15-year-old learning stick on his brother's Corolla.”

 

[karl]

In his review of the Smart ForTwo, Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays says about the automated manual transmission, “What that means is that you drive the ForTwo like you would a regular automatic, but the transmission lurches through gear changes with the awkwardness of a 15-year-old learning stick on his brother's Corolla.”

I actually own one and don't find your comments to be based on my own experience. If you want to have a Ferrari with a conventional manual you will be looking for a fairly old used car. They don't sell them anymore. Rehashing old BS is still a load of poop.

 

[ThreeWheelBurnin]

I've read through various comments as well as PE's comments at the town hall the other day, and I am confused about the transmission still. PE said something like the auto and the manual would be using the same transmission, but the manual would be...manual (probably a bad paraphrase). My wife's car has an auto that can be put into a manual mode for shifting up and down.... Is that what PE means when referring to the manual transmission? In my world, a manual has a clutch pedal on the floor and a gated shifter for my right hand. Do we know yet or is the transmission still speculative? Thanks!

 

[goofyone]

I've read through various comments as well as PE's comments at the town hall the other day, and I am confused about the transmission still. PE said something like the auto and the manual would be using the same transmission, but the manual would be...manual (probably a bad paraphrase). My wife's car has an auto that can be put into a manual mode for shifting up and down.... Is that what PE means when referring to the manual transmission? In my world, a manual has a clutch pedal on the floor and a gated shifter for my right hand. Do we know yet or is the transmission still speculative? Thanks!

The reason why PE says that the auto and manual will be the same transmission is that EM plans on using a single clutch automated manual transmission (AMT) which is simply a manual transmission with computer controlled electro-mechanical actuators added to it which work the clutch and shift gears.

So the manual and automatic are mechanically the same except the automatic version removes the clutch pedal and gear shift and replaces them with computer controlled actuators. An AMT is driven the same as any other automatic in that D is selected and everything else happens automatically. Some AMT vehicles may also include the option to manually select gears via the shift lever and/or steering wheel paddles.

 

[Avards]

"So the manual and automatic are mechanically the same except the automatic version removes the clutch pedal and gear shift and replaces them with computer controlled actuators. An AMT is driven the sane as any other automatic in that D is selected and everything else happens automatically. Some AMT vehicles may also include the option to manually select gear via the shift lever and/or steering wheel paddles."


Am I correct that at least the early Smart Cars used an AMT? As I recall, it was/is generally panned for being very sluggish and jerky.

I have absolutely no experience with this type of transmission, so I'm just going from reviews that I seen.

Have these things been improved, or do they remain "somewhat lacking"?

wr

 

[eddie66]

The operative words are sixty-eight hundred dollars.

 

[Dustoff]

The operative words are sixty-eight hundred dollars.

 

[zelio]

"So the manual and automatic are mechanically the same except the automatic version removes the clutch pedal and gear shift and replaces them with computer controlled actuators. An AMT is driven the sane as any other automatic in that D is selected and everything else happens automatically. Some AMT vehicles may also include the option to manually select gear via the shift lever and/or steering wheel paddles."


Am I correct that at least the early Smart Cars used an AMT? As I recall, it was/is generally panned for being very sluggish and jerky.

I have absolutely no experience with this type of transmission, so I'm just going from reviews that I seen.

Have these things been improved, or do they remain "somewhat lacking"?

wr

When this topic first came up there were both positive and negative reviews so I guess it is safe to say - it depends. I do trust Paul Elio to select a transmission that is reasonably priced and works well. After all, it is to his and his company's benefit to get positive reviews. If everyone who gets an AMT hates it then Elio is down the tubes. There was a survey on this issue in another thread and I think there was a pretty high rate of yes responses for automatic over standard. This is partly because of the older age of the majority of the members and also because many people these days don't even know how to shift gears. It is one of those things for which it is always safe to say - only time will tell. Z

 

[eddie66]

When this topic first came up there were both positive and negative reviews so I guess it is safe to say - it depends. I do trust Paul Elio to select a transmission that is reasonably price and works well. After all, it is to his and his company's benefit to get positive reviews. If everyone who gets an AMT hates it then Elio is down the tubes. There was a survey on this issue in another thread and I think there was a pretty high rate of yes responses for automatic over standard. This is partly because of the older age of the majority of the members and also because many people these days don't even know how to shift gears. It is one of those things for which it is always safe to say - only time will tell. Z

On the up side, I was thinking of getting standard transmission in case I ever wanted to tow my Elio behind a motorhome, or sell it to someone who did. Before Z goes off on me for even mentioning selling my Elio, let me clarify. Should I decide to purchase another newer, Elio in the future. According to Paul, this automatic will be towable, which most auto transmissions are not.

 

[zelio]

On the up side, I was thinking of getting standard transmission in case I ever wanted to tow my Elio behind a motorhome, or sell it to someone who did. Before Z goes off on me for even mentioning selling my Elio, let me clarify. Should I decide to purchase another newer, Elio in the future. According to Paul, this automatic will be towable, which most auto transmissions are not.

Hey, once you buy it, it is yours to do with as you please. However, . . . . . . . . . LOL :-) Z