4-speed automatics in 2015?

"BrownMiataDieselWagon" (opporamblings) 11/03/2014 at 19:47 • Filed to: None

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I just noticed that the new Toyota Yaris and Corolla still have 4-speed automatic transmissions. This transmission seems pretty outdated considering other economy/compact cars in the price range either have 5+ speed automatics or CVTs. What other new cars have 4-speeds? What do you think Oppo, if manual wasn't an option, would you rather drive something with a 4-speed auto or a CVT? Pick your poison.

EL_ULY > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/03/2014 at 19:48

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Rear drum brakes on new Jetta and no USB on 2014 Audi. Also poison

WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/03/2014 at 19:49

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They still use 4-speeds? That's pretty pathetic. It's a shame because their looks are better than they've ever been. (Not saying much in that regard though). I think I'd honestly have to go for the CVT, as that, at least, is relatively modern. 4-speeds date WAY back. Also, I think the Dodge Avenger still uses a 4-speed.

mazda616 > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/03/2014 at 19:49

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Probably a four-speed auto over a CVT. I have yet to drive a CVT that I liked. My car is going on seven-years-old and has a five-speed-auto, so it's pretty funny that some cars in 2014 still have four-speeds.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/03/2014 at 19:51

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4 spd over CVT anyday. At least it's still a damn gearbox and not the soul sucking hell that is a CVT...

Nibby > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/03/2014 at 19:53

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The 4 speed is only available on the base model IIRC

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > EL_ULY 11/03/2014 at 19:53

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Hey! My 13 Civic has rear drums too!!!

Wait.. I shouldnt be proud of that!

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe 11/03/2014 at 19:54

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Except they don't make the Avenger anymore. It's been replaced by the Dart.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/03/2014 at 19:54

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It's cheap and reliable. That is the point of it.

BrownMiataDieselWagon > EL_ULY 11/03/2014 at 19:55

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Drum brakes understandable, no USB on a new Audi is LOL.

Also, new Jettas just got IRS. Also LOL-worthy

sony1492 > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/03/2014 at 19:56

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4 speed .With luck it allows you to select gear. ie: 1,2,D3,D4.

EL_ULY > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/03/2014 at 19:56

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there are a buuunch of cars from all over with a those things you scratch your head and say "really?..still?"

CAR_IS_MI > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/03/2014 at 19:58

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they use these massively outdated transmissions so that they can still turn large profit margins on low priced cars to steal a segment from the used car market. The ignorant consumers will buy them and be happy becasue they have a new car rather than some crappy used car.

WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. 11/03/2014 at 19:58

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That's true, they don't make it, but still, most of the trims, up to the end did have a 4-speed. Some of the higher trims did have a 6-speed auto though, but still, kinda sad that it was mainly 4.

bob and john > EL_ULY 11/03/2014 at 20:03

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to be fair, they do have an aux in...(or at least my dads A3 does...it would be REAL sad if they lost that too)

BrownMiataDieselWagon > CAR_IS_MI 11/03/2014 at 20:06

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What you said is completely true and sad. An automatic base-model Corolla costs the same as an automatic base-model Mazda 3. I have sat inside both and can tell you that the Mazda 3 is a far superior car. Toyota shouldn't be able to prey on ignorant consumers and charge the prices that they do.

Textured Soy Protein > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/03/2014 at 20:13

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The 2014 Mazda 2 still has a 4-speed automatic.

Pretty sure the new one will have a more modern transmission though.

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 11/03/2014 at 20:15

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I see nothing wrong with a slushbox 4 speed. It's durable, cheap to fix, and in a tiny econobox with mostly low-end torque, it does just fine. The '62 corvette (up to 360hp, performance oriented) did fine with a 2 speed, the crazy fast and expensive 90s XJRS used a 3 speed, and the SLR used just one more gear than a new corolla.

BrownMiataDieselWagon > Textured Soy Protein 11/03/2014 at 20:18

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That's progress.

JGrabowMSt > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/03/2014 at 20:29

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You know, its funny that theres still 4 speed automatics, but most importantly, if the gearing is right, the car is an econobox.

1) it doesnt need gearing to go much over 85mph

2) if the shift points are programmed well enough, then it doesnt matter how many speeds it has

3) if its a CVT and not a true 4 speed, it could be marketed as having a million speeds, but you wouldnt know much difference until very low "gears."

Tonight I have a 2010 Insight,and it has a 7 speed auto with paddle shift. Beautiful thing! But realistically, if the gearing was right, 3 speeds is enough. Give it an overdrive for the highway and youre good. I dont think it entirely matters, plenty of manuals are still only 5 speed, and thats far more concerning to me.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/03/2014 at 20:36

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Road tested a Yaris last week. I can attest to the utter crappiness of that transmission. Suddenly it's 1996!

carcrasher88 > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/03/2014 at 20:43

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Almost all of the cars that still have 4-speed automatics are Toyotas.

Corolla, Yaris, Scion xB and xD, Tacoma

Then, there's the Mazda2 and Dodge Avenger.

Of course, the Mazda2 is being redesigned and the Avenger is gonna be dead soon, so that'll bring it down to 5, at least until the Tacoma gets a redesign, which it will likely need to compete with the new Colorado/Canyon, and the xB and xD get the axe.

The Yaris and Corolla will likely be the last ones offered here with a 4-speed, until Toyota wises up and dumps the 4-speed altogether.

dogisbadob > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/03/2014 at 20:45

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CVT's will be awesome once all the issues are ironed out (poor reliability and can't handle too much torque), but for now I'd stick with the 4-speed.

The car I have now has a 4-speed automatic, and manual wasn't an option (but neither was CVT haha).

How many speeds do you need? Any automatic with more than 6 gears is just silly to me because the time and resources spent on adding all those gears would be better used to improve CVT's, the infinity-speed automatic. And the modern more-than-5-speed autos keep hunting all the time, too crazy about seeking top gear at 20 mph! WTF? Not to mention diminishing returns on 8, 9, 10, 12-speed autos. I mean, going from 3 to 4 speeds actually made a noticeable and significant increase, and going from 4 to 5 wasn't useless, either. But going from 6 to 9 just jumps the shark for me.

Fun fact: Toyota still used 3-speed autos through 2002 on the Corolla (and Prizm), even though the Echo only came with a 4-speed auto since its launch in 2000.

And why the fuck can't you add annotations? Oh man I wish we could get the Yaris with a sunroof!

BrownMiataDieselWagon > carcrasher88 11/03/2014 at 20:47

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Wow, I honestly thought Dodge killed the Avenger in 2012. Who, besides rental companies, would actually buy a new one?

BrownMiataDieselWagon > dogisbadob 11/03/2014 at 20:56

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I agree. Eventually, after 6 gears, it just becomes a numbers game pissing-contest between the manufacturers.

The Jeep Wrangler also had 3-speed automatics until 2003. But that's Jeep. They pride themselves on being behind technologically.

carcrasher88 > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/03/2014 at 20:58

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True. I mean, there's really no reason to buy a 4 cylinder Avenger, and why would you buy a V6 one when you can just get a V6 Charger for likely not much more.

dubgasm > EL_ULY 11/03/2014 at 21:04

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Is usb a feature a lot of people use? I don't think I've used that or flash sd once

Milky > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 11/03/2014 at 21:11

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And I used to get to town on my horse just fine dammit!

Milky > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/03/2014 at 21:12

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Fucking Toyota, thats all I have to say.

EL_ULY > dubgasm 11/03/2014 at 21:20

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USB is THE charge port of everything.

JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 > Milky 11/03/2014 at 21:26

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Lol. A 6 speed automatic in a yaris or corolla is just not a good use of resources for Toyota when a 4 speed or CVT will please buyers. Just because something isn't cutting edge doesn't mean it's inherently bad or without purpose.

dubgasm > EL_ULY 11/03/2014 at 21:31

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Let me be the first to say: derp.

Milky > JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7 11/03/2014 at 22:26

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I don't think you're using "cutting edge" right. Considering everything in its class has moved on. Also I was curious so I looked at its platform on wiki. Seems like everything it shares a chassis with has a 6spd now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_MC…

wafflesnfalafel > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/03/2014 at 22:46

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CVT no question - If I have to drive an econobox Yaris I don't want it to get worse mileage than a Camry.

Axial > BrownMiataDieselWagon 11/04/2014 at 02:51

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And here I thought Chrysler was pathetic for still using a 5-speed on the V8-equipped Charger/Challenger..

Sweet Trav > Textured Soy Protein 11/04/2014 at 08:03

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I thought The Mazda has that god awful ford dry clutch thing like the fiesta?

Textured Soy Protein > Sweet Trav 11/04/2014 at 11:27

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From the specs page ... (click on Engine & Mechanical to expand this section)

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Sweet Trav > Textured Soy Protein 11/04/2014 at 11:47

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I'd rather have a 4 speed than that dry clutch abomination.

Textured Soy Protein > Sweet Trav 11/04/2014 at 12:18

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Ok, that's fine.

On their newer cars, Mazda doesn't use the same transmissions as Ford.

Ford has their PowerShift dual-clutch transmission, which in the Fiesta and Focus has dry clutches.

Mazda has their SKYACTIV-Drive automatic transmission on the 3, 6 and CX-5, which has a torque converter with lockup clutch. The clutch is there to take some slop out of the torque converter's engagement.

The SKYACTIV-Drive transmission will most likely also be on the new 2.