Prejudices of the gear type
Common preconceptions include high fuel consumption and poor driving performance. But this is only partly true. Whether these points still hold true depends primarily on the type of transmission – because not all automatic systems are the same. To shed some light on this, let’s take a closer look at the variants.
Automatic transmissions – what types exist?
There are very different approaches to building an automatic transmission. Each type differs in its advantages and disadvantages compared to the manual transmission, but also among themselves. To do this, you first need a very rough understanding of the differences between the different types of transmission.
THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION
THE AUTOMATIC TORQUE CONVERTER
Other advantages of this transmission are the high driving comfort and the low-wear technology. The high torque when starting up is particularly advantageous for heavy vehicles and when starting uphill. The disadvantage is that they are usually heavier, larger and more expensive than manual transmissions.
AUTOMATED MANUAL TRANSMISSION
Advantages compared to the automatic transmission are the lower costs and the smaller dimensions. The consumption depends of course on the shift strategy. If you choose it wisely, you can even save fuel. However, the shifting comfort is rather moderate. This is partly due to long shifting breaks and noticeable interruptions in traction.
Due to the advantages of the dual-clutch transmission, this product range has tended to decline in recent years.
DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION
The advantages of this type of transmission are the high level of comfort, the fast gear changes, and the fact that there is no interruption in tractive power. Compared to the automatic torque converter transmission, they are better suited for high revving engines.
The disadvantages compared to the manual transmission are the higher space requirement and the higher weight. Compared to the automatic torque converter transmission, the worse starting comfort and the higher wear are the main drawbacks.
Conclusion
The old prejudices like high consumption and poor driving performance are no longer true. Above all, modern automatic torque converter and dual clutch transmissions achieve good fuel consumption. They are also increasingly losing their “unsporting” reputation. Many sports cars today are only delivered with automatic transmissions.
Especially with small cars, however, one should also consider the disadvantages. The automated manual transmissions, which are usually installed there, are often inexpensive and not ideally tuned. This results in slow gear changes and especially the “speedy” driver is better off with the manual gearshift. With the dual-clutch transmission, the higher wear and tear must be taken into account. In the end, everyone should weigh up the advantages and disadvantages for themselves during an extensive test drive.

And in the future?
Number of people in Germany whose car is equipped with an automatic transmission from 2014 to 2018 (in millions):
- 2014: 7,14 million people
- 2015: 7,8 million
- 2016: 8,48 million
- 2017: 8,65 million
- 2018: 9,55 million
Source: IfD Allensbach © Statista 2018 | Further information: Germany; 2014 to 2018; from 14 years; German-speaking population
Market share of automatic transmissions increases
The market share of automatic transmissions in Europe is steadily increasing. Whereas in the past they were only installed in high-priced vehicles, they are now found in all classes. And the market share will continue to grow. This is mainly due to the increasing spread of electric and hybrid vehicles. Moreover, many modern assistance systems work best with automatic transmissions. The closer we get to autonomous driving, the more important this type of drive becomes. And who knows? It is possible that we will hardly have any cars with manual transmissions in the future.
Author of the article

Arianna Blittersdorf
Social Media Manager
Related articles
TÜV as data trustee
Modern vehicles are always “online” and are sharing data. How can data protection and data use be meaningfully reconciled here?
A different perspective on automated systems – Part 2
How do we increase the trust in autonomous systems in vehicles? And what do you think about the ethical issues around automated systems?
A different perspective on automated systems – Part 1
Advanced assistance systems and automated vehicles raise new questions:Do consumers want them? What does cooperation between humans and vehicles look like?
Comments
Loved reading your article. It was very informational. Thanks for sharing this very well-written and worth reading article.