Are More Gears in a Transmission Better?
2 Answers
In general, the more gears a transmission has, the better it is. A transmission with more gears tends to have higher transmission efficiency and smoother gear shifting. Transmissions can be categorized into two types: manual and automatic. Below are the specific details: 1. Manual Transmission: The shifting clutch is a wet multi-plate clutch. When hydraulic pressure forces the piston to press the driving plates and driven plates together, the clutch engages. When the working fluid is discharged from the piston cylinder, the return spring causes the piston to retreat, disengaging the clutch. 2. Automatic Transmission: After the engine starts, the crankshaft drives the pump impeller to rotate via the flywheel. The centrifugal force generated by the rotation causes the working fluid between the impeller blades to be flung from the inner edge to the outer edge.
I don't think more transmission gears are necessarily better. From a driving experience perspective, as someone who often speeds, I've driven cars with 6-speed and 8-speed automatic transmissions. More gears do provide smoother shifting at high speeds, more seamless acceleration, less frequent downshifting, and a much stronger sense of continuous power delivery. However, the drawbacks are equally obvious: the increased complexity of the transmission leads to significant weight gain, sometimes causing the car to shake when starting, and it actually increases fuel consumption in congested urban areas because the engine often lingers in the low RPM range. My car with a 10-speed transmission has been repaired twice, with terrifyingly high costs; more parts mean higher failure rates. In reality, 5-6 speeds are completely sufficient for daily use—any more is just gilding the lily. More gears are meant to optimize performance, but there can be too much of a good thing; 6-8 speeds are the sweet spot, offering driving enjoyment without sacrificing reliability. Having more gears is beneficial for long-distance driving, but overall balance is key to long-term enjoyment.
