Automatic Advantage

Why buy Automatic?

Automatic variants of cars are becoming really popular in India. The industry leaders have responded to this by selling almost all their cars with an automatic variant. Even the cheapest car in the market, the Tata Nano, has an automatic variant! Let us look at why and why not to buying automatic is an automatic choice.

Source:Volkswagen-UP-ASG-Gearbox-Semi-Automatic.jpg

Ah-tomatic

1. Convenience: 2 pedals instead of 3! This is why most people buy an automatic. Because you don't have to bother about gears. You can leave your left leg in an sauna for all its worth! One less thing to do!
2. Speed: It does not matter if you are the Flash. You simply cannot change gears as fast as a PDK. The best transmissions make shifts within a fraction of a millisecond.
3. City slicker: You don't have to shift gears, dump the cluch, press the brake and then get going again. You simply stop and then go!

Oh-tomatic

1. Price: most automatics cost approximately a 1 lakh premium over its manual counterparts. Not always the case, because AMT technologies are pretty cheap.
2. Driver involvement: This applies to only the most ardent petrolhead who wants to be part of the experience.
3. Indecision: Some transmissions are a bit laggy and tend to cause "hiccups" while operating.

The Best Automatics under 10 lakhs

VW Polo GT TSI

Price: 10.36 lakhs

The Polo GT TSI is a fun, compact, pocket rocket that is more than willing to visit the wrong side of the speed limit. What is interesting is that the car is also equally suited to the daily grind, largely due to its state of the art DSG transmission which is one of the best in the business.

Hyundai Grand i10

Price: 6.8 lakhs (magna AT), 8.08 Lakhs (sportz (o) AT)

With its 1.2 kappa VTVT and 4 speed auto, the grand i10 is best enjoyed in the city. The grand i10 provides tremendous bang for your buck, with every feature that you can cram into a sub 7 lakh rupee car. 

Nissan Micra CVT

Price: 6.76 lakhs (XL), 7.85 Lakhs (XV)

The ultimate city slicker!. The Micra CVT is a favourite among women who love its cherubic face and long list of features. It is also reasonably safe and the CVT transmission is perfectly tuned for the city. What is surprising is that this car can hold its own even at 120 km/hr in the highway.

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10

Price: 4.85 lakhs

This is a fun car! A jem of a motor, tight handling and a transmission that responds to your foot. Maruti suzuki know haow to bring fun to the masses!

Types of Automatics

AMT (automated manual transmission)

 This is a cheap, realtively simple take on automatic transmissions. It is basically a computer changing gears for you. It is as fuel efficient as a manaul transmission.  It is a perfect starting point for new drivers who haven't really got the hang of using a manual transmission and those who want to give your left leg a rest. Remember, the cost advantage over the others becomes most apparent when starting from a slope, where thre is plenty of lag between shifts...

Seen in: Maruti Celerio, Alto K10, Swift, Kwid, Abarth 595 competizone, Lamborghini Aventador

Torque converter (AT)

This is the most commonly seen type of Automatic Transmission, with multiple shafts that give multiple gear ratios. It is known to be smooth and responsive to throttle inputs and is thus called a "slush box". This comes at a price of reduced fuel efficiency. But if quick and smooth shifts is what you are looking for the AT is your best bet.

Seen in: Maruti Ciaz, Grand i10, almost every BMW

Dual Clutch Transmission

The most expensive, but most technologically advanced, the DCT is extremely quick, because, as the name suggests, it has 2 clutches and a gear change is acheived by changing from one clutch to another, thus reducing time taken for each shift. Quick, efficient but might get caught out sometimes in the city drive. This is meant for cars that have performance in mind...

Seen in: GT TSI, Almost every Audi, Ford Ecosport...

Continously Varying Transmission

This transmission is known for being the most fuel efficient, and the least fun for the petrolhead. It has 2 spindle shaped gears that are connected via a band. the band moved up and down the spindles giving this transmission infinite gear ratios. As you go into higher revs, there is something called the rubber band effect, that means that the revs keep increasing without a subsequent increase in speed. But for those who want a good city car, the CVT's smooth, and responsive character at low revs make the CVT a no brainer.

Seen in: Micra CVT, Honda City, Baleno CVT, every single scooter