9 speed auto transmission ?
 

Just saw a commercial for a Chrysler 200 that has a 9 speed auto transmission ? Wow I remember when 5 speed auto's were the rage ! How time flies. So how complex are these when you get that many gears ? I assume more clutch packs/servos to go wrong ?

Often they are less complex as they are engaging the same ratios in two or three combos to make one 'gear'. Ford and GM have co-developed ten speed transmissions that will be out next year. At some point there is a diminishing return, but a wider spread (lower first, taller top gear) really helps both performance and fuel economy.

Why not just build a CVT? 8,9,10 speeds seems silly to me.... As in from a stop light the vehicle will shift thru 7 gears before I hit the other side of the intersection. Seems like that would get really annoying?

The only problem I can see is it is made by Chrysler.

Chrysler's 9 speed automatic is manufactured by ZF.... same as BMW and Porsche

What Nick said. What, exactly, is the practical difference between something like this and a CVT?

Pump losses in a CVT are giant. Typically quite fuel efficient at low speeds, and much less efficient at freeway speeds. Also, CVTs aren't anywhere near as strong, so they're not good for towing or high performance applications.

Many applications will choose shift algorithms to skip gears when possible. They may start in second and shift right to fourth under part throttle normal driving.

I was in a Chevy showroom recently and did a double-take when I saw the 7-speed manual in the new Corvette Sting Ray.

A car with this much torque, and it needs a 7-speed? I know it is probably a way for the car to meet fuel economy standards, but still...

Exactly.

As many people already know, the design is in pursuit of fuel economy, but instead of saving a dime by simply using shorter gear ratios, they go ahead and build a transmission with more gears. I don't really get it either.

If transmissions continue to evolve this way, soon we'll have cars that have more gears than a semi truck :p

I believe the new C7 will get approximately 30 MPG on the highway, so it's not a gimmic.

Yep, in the interest of fuel ratings, always in too high of a gear. Many have no way for a driver to override the gear selection to punch it and wind it out.........

The big three:
Form follows marketing

My bmw 3-series daily driver has a 8 speed auto. It is really very very good.

Nothing wrong with it but I sure with the 4 speed in my truck was a 5 or 6 speed. Towing or hauling a load it hunts on hills more than I like, an extra gear or 2 would be nice.

In my limited experience in recent trucks this has been the case. Smooth shifts and its seemed to work great, always seemed to a gear for the load/speed.

That's my only complaint, many modern automatics are designed to lug the car in the highest gear possible to maximize MPG and are hesitant to downshift. Those that have a sport mode are typically better. On my 2012 F150 I have a 5Star performance tune that makes the automatic hold gears longer and downshift quicker, particularly when in tow/haul mode. It makes the truck much more pleasant to drive, and it spends less time hunting when I tow.

Our 2012 A4 has an 8 speed auto, but it has a sport mode. I'm amazed at how what must be a pretty heavy car (I think 3600 pounds) can accelerate with a 2.0 turbo.