Which Automatic Transmission Is The Best For A New Driver?

With the advent of increasing traffic on roads, driving a car with manual transmission can be a little too overwhelming at times. Hence, technology has allowed us to choose between driving pleasure and convenience. Where everyone is not looking for driving enjoyment, certainly comfort is what most will choose. Now, as the market is full of cars with different kinds of an automatic transmissions, which one is best for a newbie? Among all the automatic transmissions, let’s look at which automatic transmission is the best for a new driver.

Most new drivers looking for a new automatic car will spend their time in the city. So, we consider city drives to be a priority in answering the question.

Before answering the question, we should look at the different kinds of an automatic transmission, shall we?

Torque converter

The oldest and the most robust automatic transmission is the torque converter. Torque Converter transmission knows it is built to last and will do thousands of kilometers before sparing a problem. That said, this has to do with its working

A torque converter transmission does not have a physical component, such as a clutch, to transmit power from the engine to the geartrain. Instead, it uses a working fluid and centrifugal force to transmit the power. This allows this type of transmission to have a greater load-bearing capacity.

What does this translate to?

For you, you should know that a torque converter is long-lasting and among the least demanding type of automatic transmission and it can be easily used in the stop and go traffic. But it has one caveat, much of the energy of the being is lost to drive the torque converter, hence these are not good when it comes to a vehicle’s mileage.

How Torque Converter Automatic Transmission Works | Explained

DCT – Dual-Clutch Transmission

As the name suggests, the automatic transmission with two clutches is a DCT or dual-clutch transmission (no shit sherlock). What I mean by that is to transmit the power from the engine to the gearbox, you have not one but two clutches. One clutch for even-numbered gears and the other for an odd set of gears. That said, here well-tuned DCT can do wonders on a racetrack with lightning-fast gearshifts, it surely is a no go when driving on stop and go traffic. That is why Hyundai has toned down its DCT for city use.

What does this mean for you?

On a racetrack, DCT is quick, but it can get into serious trouble in chockablock traffic. Not going into detail, but DCT will wear the clutch more in such conditions. And when driving on a slope, oh let me tell you, it can overheat as well. So, you have to have a different driving style to drive a DCT

DCT vs CVT vs AMT | Choose The Best Transmission

AMT –  Automated Manual Transmission

Another type of automatic that exists is AMT or automatic manual transmission. This works similar to a conventional manual transmission it’s just the TCU that does all the hard work of shifting gears. Yes, this one too has a clutch in between the engine and the transmission to put to power down.

But how it is to drive in a city?

To begin with, AMTs are cheaper than any other automatic. So, for all those first-time buyers, AMT will not cost you a dime to buy. Also, AMTs are pretty easy to use in the city. They are tuned in such a way that the transmission is never overloaded, even if you floor the throttle paddle. Also, AMTs are known to help the engine return good mileage. But the downside of an AMT is that it is jerky, and you need to get used to driving this automatic transmission.

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Here are 10 Things you should never do in an AMT Gearbox

CVT – Continuously Varying Transmission

Surprisingly CVT or continuously varying transmission is among our favourite automatic transmissions. Unlike any other automatic, these do not have a geartrain. Rather this uses a combination of pulleys and belts to change the gear ratios.

Fun Fact: Because of the pulleys and belts CVT gearbox is known to have an infinite number of gear ratios.

What is a CVT like in the city?

A CVT transmission is possibly the best to drive in the city. Because it has an infinite amount of gear ratios, the TCU of a CVT keeps the engine in its sweet spot making this transmission one of the most efficient. With that, as there are no physical gears to change, these are smooth. On a gentle foot, you won’t feel any change in the shifts if it is a stepped CVT.

Here are 8 Reasons To Buy A Car With CVT Automatic

Our bet, if you are a new driver, you can go with either of the transmissions. But if we had to choose, we say,
1# CVT
2# AMT
3# Torque Converter
4# DCT

Hope it helped; let us know in the comment section if you have any questions regarding anything automotive.

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