Must-know: 10 Important things about Automatic Cars
With automatic cars becoming affordable, most of the new-age drivers are switching to automatic transmission-equipped cars. There are multiple AMT cars available under the price mark of Rs. 5 Lakh. The sheer ease of driving and hassle-free operation of an automatic is a major factor why people are switching from manual transmission cars. Here are 10 must-know things about AMT cars that very few people actually tell you:
1- There’s a difference between AMTs and Proper Automatic Transmission An AMT does not function like other automatic cars because of which it might feel like a downgrade considering the feel isn’t the same and to some, the driving experience might even feel sluggish. For people who are first-time owners of an AMT in the name of an automatic transmission vehicle, you’ll end up being pleased by how convenient these cars are.
2- There’s no clutch Unlike a Manual Transmission car where you’re supposed to manage the clutch regularly, in an AMT, the car takes care of the clutch for you. AMT per se stands for Automated Manual Transmission. The working of the transmission remains the same, it just takes away the hassle of the clutch and manually switching gears making it much easier for you to drive. It’s actually easier than riding a gear-less scooter.
3- Easy to buy, easy to maintain In the automatic segment of cars, AMTs are a more affordable option. What AMTs are basically cars with some automatic transmission functioning added to a manual gearbox. Considering the fact that it’s not such a complicated thing to add, AMT gearbox is available in a lot of budget hatchbacks. There’s no need for an all-new transmission, a couple of additional features are all that are required which helps keep the cost low. These additional features are actually what make AMTs more cost-effective in terms of maintenance as opposed to cars with manual gearboxes.
4- Good fuel efficiency Compared to conventional automatic transmissions, AMTs are more fuel-efficient. Considering AMTs are part manual, they don’t impact the fuel efficiency; giving out the same average as their manual counterparts.
5- Manual transmission traits There’s always another side to each coin and so is the case of AMTs. While AMT vehicles are easy to drive and deliver the same fuel efficiency as manual, they don’t offer features like parking mode, hill descent, and hill hold. So make sure that you develop a habit of using the handbrake if you have/are planning to buy a car equipped with AMT.
6- Control your car & shift gears Most of the AMT cars get the usual stick which you can use whenever you feel the need to control your vehicle manually. This take-things-in-your-hands option isn’t generally offered in many conventional automatic cars. There’s obviously an upside to having a car that offers you the option of upshifting and downshifting as per your will, which AMT equipped cars offer.
7- AMTs are getting better by the day Tech is developing at a tremendous speed in all walks of life, and cars are a big part of technological development. You can buy AMTs that offer features like hill hold (it’s available in cars like Tata Nexon & Renault Duster). Aside from adding to improving the driving experience, it also allows a driver to relax even as the car is parked on inclined surface/terrain.
8- Driving in traffic? No need to accelerate Having to drive in traffic is a driver’s nightmare however, the ATM cars sold in our country now come with a feature called ‘creep’. This ‘Creep’ feature allows your car to move slowly while in traffic without having to put your foot on the accelerator. Just imagine how easy heavy traffic situations look now. Your car won’t turn off in first gear, your car will move slowly on its own, you’ll just have to keep a hand on the steering and that’s that.
9- Driving downhill is a bit of a task Manual cars have engine braking system and a lot of people count on it while driving downhill or stopping the car over a shorter distance. Funny thing is, AMT cars don’t give you control of the clutch which means that you don’t get engine braking system. EBS keeps your car in lower gears while driving on slopes or plane surfaces which eventually reduces the vehicle speed. You can switch to the manual mode but different cars may behave differently so you need to understand your car and adjust accordingly.
10- Think before you overtake Some planning goes into overtaking when it comes to AMT cars. Even when you have the option to switch to manual mode, it’s still a bothersome task to overtake in an AMT considering the fact that they are a bit sluggish irrespective of how well advanced/developed they are. Even in manual mode, they can’t match the gear shifting speed of an actual manual car or other more advanced automatic transmission vehicles.
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