If you considered buying a new car with an automatic transmission ten years ago, you would have been told that you could never expect to get anything back from the automatic transmission surcharge when trading in. This has changed a lot. Demand for automatic transmission cars has increased - not least on the second-hand market.

There are the following 3 main types of automatic transmission. All automatically shift for you, but still behave quite differently:

• Conventional automatic transmission (hydraulics with torque converter)
• Continuously variable transmissions (CVT)
• Robotic gear change

Conventional automatic transmissions shift when the engine speed increases. The transmission between the engine and the transmission is via hydraulic oil and not directly connected as in a manual transmission. The result is increased comfort because fewer movements are transmitted from the transmission and axles into the passenger compartment. The disadvantage is that the solution steals power from the engine on its way to the wheels. This means that you have to expect higher fuel consumption compared to other solutions. CO2 emissions also increase, - and with it the one-time tax and your purchase price. Conventional automatic transmissions are an expensive solution in Norway.

Continuously variable transmissions (CVT) transmit power between the engine and drive shafts via a metal belt that adjusts the gear ratio steplessly. This means that there is no jerking when changing gears and that the engine can be kept in its most optimal speed range at all times. There is almost no energy loss with this transmission solution. It can be a bit unusual to drive a car with a completely continuously variable gear ratio. Although the technology is different, the CVT solution works in principle in the same way as gearless scooters and chainsaws! Most CVT gearboxes have the option of shifting gears manually. In this case, preset, fixed ratios are selected along the belt path.

Robotized gear shifting is the solution that has seen the greatest growth in recent years. The solution is based on a robot that clutches and shifts gears for you based on electronic analysis of the engine, the car's inclination and the driver's pedal use, etc. When the gear is engaged, the transmission between the engine and drive shafts works just like a manual gearbox. The disadvantage of this solution is that the robot shifts too slowly, but major improvements have been made here, including a so-called double clutch solution that can prepare the next gear shift before you need it. The advantage is that the electronics can calculate optimal gear shifts and thus reduce both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to manual transmission.

Hill start, snow and queuing

Conventional automatic transmission holds the car so that it does not roll backwards at all when starting on a hill. An inexperienced driver need not fear that the car will roll backwards. Other automatic transmission solutions are combined with a "hillholder" function to ensure problem-free hill starts. The cars I've driven with robotic gear changes keep the car on the ground for about 3 seconds. This is enough time to move your right leg from the brake pedal to the gas pedal. "Hill holder" is supplied as standard/additional equipment on many cars today, so that this handy function is also available on manual cars.

You should be aware that some of the most primitive robotic gearshift solutions lack the ability to lock the gearbox to a single gear, which can cause problems when driving in extremely difficult conditions with ice and snow.

You are going up a steep hill full of snow. You drive with a primitive robotic gearbox. You accelerate so that the car shifts up into first, second... oops! … third! At the steepest point, the cash register must downshift to second gear. The time this takes means you lose speed and grip in the snow.

In traffic jams with frequent start-stops, automatic transmissions have major advantages over manual cars. Instead of "filing" the clutch, you hold the car with the brake. On manual cars, a lot of driving in traffic jams causes a lot of wear on the clutch. Please note that robotic transmission solutions use the clutch almost as much as if you had driven with a manual transmission. It is admittedly easier and more comfortable to drive in a queue, but the wear on the clutch is therefore almost the same. I say "almost" because such solutions often have many gears (7-8) and it also often includes one or two gears that are lower than the first gear on a manual gearbox. This allows the car to drive at extremely low speeds without wearing out the clutch.

My choice

My choice falls on a robotic gear change from one of the major car manufacturers. It offers the most advantages and provides the best driving pleasure. Some car manufacturers supply both robotic gear changes and CVT solutions (e.g. Audi and Toyota). Then I would choose a drive unit with a robotic solution rather than a CVT. I am convinced that it will hold its best in the future. Incidentally, there are only two reasons for me to choose a conventional automatic transmission solution. Either because I have chosen an extremely powerful motor at the absolute top of the price scale, or because I am looking for something very cheap, - at the very bottom of the price scale.

Here are some of the solutions today: