How many gears is too many?

[stevebullitt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/11/zf-de...is-coming/

As exciting as it is that it will be built here, I have to say 9 gears is ridicilous. I wonder how big the packaging will be.....

[Clemsons2k]

Anything over 7 is excessive. Unless you have a Veyron...

[JB]

Or you could be cool enough to need only two...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDn70FtCpjs&feature=fvw

[101101]

For manuals, I'd say 6 is about the limit (more than that and the ratios are so close you're constantly changing gears). For automatics it depends on how fast it can shift, but I'd say about the same.

Of course, if this is a boring grocery getting box like most cars are (and the vast majority of drivers are perfectly happy with) then I'd say infinite (CVT) is the best.

[soccerbummer1104]

idk, if i had enough power id like 7...

[98nismo]

anything more than 5 on a manual is too many
rule of thumb the more gears you have the weaker the tranny
as most companies stuff tons of gears in a box only meant for 5 and it always breaks

[straight four]

(01-13-2011 09:34 AM)98nismo Wrote:  anything more than 5 on a manual is too many
rule of thumb the more gears you have the weaker the tranny
as most companies stuff tons of gears in a box only meant for 5 and it always breaks

um what?

that made no sense at all... Most companies dont stuff gears into the same box but design a whole new one, at least the ones I care about. Honda can go...

6th gear is great in cars like the corvette where its there just for gas mileage on the highway. Overdrive for a manual so to speak...

[98nismo]

^ Nissan DOES, sr20det trannies come in 5 and 6 speed, the bellhousing and boxes are identical. I dont have a Honda nor a Corvette and could care less about anything other than what I drive bro. I have a Nissan and simply stated how I feel, and for my purposes it makes perfect sense.

[Mpowered]

6 is ideal in my eyes, at least for a manual. 5 is plenty in certain cars but I know that I, for one, would kill to have a 6th cog in mine.

Autos on the other hand can have as many as the manufacturer pleases so long as it doesn't impede spirited driving and the shifts aren't too jerky.

[Clemsons2k]

I will admit I could use a 7th gear from time to time, but my lack of torque makes that difficult. I just find it crazy how I'm riding at 4k rpms at 70mph. Not very efficient sounding to me

[stevebullitt]

^ Perhaps that is true, but 4K of your total 9 is close to the 2000-2250 mine pulls 70-80. It's all relative I guess. A supercharger would cure that little torque problem

[Clemsons2k]

I'm sure Honda did their research with efficiency ranges, it just boggles my mind that high in the rpm range would be efficient. I do get 30 mph highway though when I'm easy on the gas.

And yes a supercharger would help tremendously.

[93redfox]

makes sense to me. rpm isn't the sole determination of mpg, ie, if your car was geared to run 2.5k on the hwy, it would be sluggish up hills and you'd put your foot down. load + more throttle = more fuel being injected. I know I get better mileage running a little faster and a little higher revs on the interstate for this reason.

[Mr.Rauq]

7 would be nice. I've got 6, starting from a 2.97:1 first to a 0.56:1 6th gear. 5th is overdrive as well, 4th is 1:1. I do wish sometimes that my 1st was a bit shorter, but I like that 6th where it is- 2000k rpms is right at 80 mph. I could see 7 going into a bigger engine, but I can't imagine something under 250-300 hp making use of more than 6.

[jedimario]

15 years ago, it was 5. Before that, 4 and 3 were good at one point or another. Now, we're getting up to 7. Different powertrains and different attitudes towards fuel mileage make different configurations make sense at different times. Now, 8 or 9 may be too many, but that won't always be so.