The Elio Automatic Transmission

[Kuda]

Snipped: This situation would only be exacerbated if EM chose to use a more expensive transmission option.

Sister Mary Catherine said we shouldn't do that..............

 

[ThreeWheelBurnin]

I was looking at Edmonds.com yesterday, and happened to start looking at the 2015 Hyundai Sonata. I noticed that they have an Eco trim level that also uses an AMT, so I guess there are more AMTs showing up in today's cars than I thought. Their Eco trim level doesn't really make that much of a difference in the MPG estimates, though.

 

[BlioKart]

I was looking at Edmonds.com yesterday, and happened to start looking at the 2015 Hyundai Sonata. I noticed that they have an Eco trim level that also uses an AMT, so I guess there are more AMTs showing up in today's cars than I thought. Their Eco trim level doesn't really make that much of a difference in the MPG estimates, though.

Its a dual clutch not a single clutch

 

[interloper07]

After hearing that the Elio automatic tranny was an AMT, I decided to head down to my local M-B/Smart dealer for a test drive as the Smart is the only thing on the market (in the US) that I'm aware of with an AMT.

In summary, it was pretty herky-jerky. It felt as if a new manual transmission driver was at the wheel. Power cuts off abruptly as the clutch is disengaged and the gears shift. As the clutch reengages, power comes back on just as abruptly, but just smooth enough that it doesn't feel like its slamming into gear and the clutch is being dropped. The head-bob was borderline unacceptable. Some shift times (seat of the pants) were on the order of 1-2 seconds.

If you're a passenger in a car with an inexperienced manual trans driver, you can prepare yourself for the impending shift by watching the driver - you see the hand reach for the shifter and see the the left knee prime itself for depressing the clutch. Not so with the Smart AMT. The shift points were not when you'd expect them to be (power wise, but maybe not for efficiency), and from a psychological point of view, you can't see when the computer is going to decide to shift.

Having said that, I think it's something you could get used to as a driver, over time. How often will you really have a passenger? And for a car with $7000 base price that gets 80+ mpg, I think I could forgive a lot of sins. As others have noted, the AMT is a low-cost, highly efficient alternative to a DCT or a traditional torque converter equipped automatic.

 

[JEBar]

thanks for taking the time to check it out and to post your observations

Jim

 

[karl]

After hearing that the Elio automatic tranny was an AMT, I decided to head down to my local M-B/Smart dealer for a test drive as the Smart is the only thing on the market (in the US) that I'm aware of with an AMT.

In summary, it was pretty herky-jerky. It felt as if a new manual transmission driver was at the wheel. Power cuts off abruptly as the clutch is disengaged and the gears shift. As the clutch reengages, power comes back on just as abruptly, but just smooth enough that it doesn't feel like its slamming into gear and the clutch is being dropped. The head-bob was borderline unacceptable. Some shift times (seat of the pants) were on the order of 1-2 seconds.

If you're a passenger in a car with an inexperienced manual trans driver, you can prepare yourself for the impending shift by watching the driver - you see the hand reach for the shifter and see the the left knee prime itself for depressing the clutch. Not so with the Smart AMT. The shift points were not when you'd expect them to be (power wise, but maybe not for efficiency), and from a psychological point of view, you can't see when the computer is going to decide to shift.

Having said that, I think it's something you could get used to as a driver, over time. How often will you really have a passenger? And for a car with $7000 base price that gets 80+ mpg, I think I could forgive a lot of sins. As others have noted, the AMT is a low-cost, highly efficient alternative to a DCT or a traditional torque converter equipped automatic.

I have owned and driven a smart since 2008 and take exception to your remarks. Try a Dodge dart Aero http://www.dodge.com/hostc/bmo/CUD201519PFDM41A/2DV/options.do
or an Asto Martin or Maserati or http://www.autotrader.com/research/...definitions-automated-manual-transmission.jsp

 

[dgruis]

I have over 100K mi on my smart. I originally thought I would use the paddle shifters a lot, but I don't. I only use the paddle shifters when driving in traffic in Des Moines. Manually shifting allows the smart to accelerate much more quickly.

It gets better mpg's when I allow the computer to shift. Part of the herky-jerkiness is because the computer upshifts the smart much earlier than a person would upshift. I assume the smart get better mpg's by upshifting to a higher gear as early as possible. On the highway, some of us smart drivers shift down into 4th to pass a car in front of us. Shifting down allows the smart to acceleerate more quickly, and run the car to almost redline. When you shift to 5th, you easily sail by.

 

[JEBar]

I have owned and driven a smart since 2008

I have over 100K mi on my smart.

any comments about your experiences (negatives and positives) in learning to use an AMT would be appreciated

Jim

 

[dgruis]

NO learning curve in driving the smart fortwo AMT.

The above YouTube video explains it well. It does not show a smart fortwo, but it is basically the same system. More and more semi's utilizeautomatic manual transmissions.

 

[JEBar]

our Chevy Silverado has a 5-speed automatic that also has a manual setting .... its very smooth .... after all of the comments about jerky shifts of the AMT I couldn't help wondering

Jim