What’s the Difference Between 5-Speed & 6-Speed Transmission?

Nowadays, many of the latest car models are being made with 6 gears (known as 6-speed transmission) as opposed to 5 (5-speed transmission). But what does this mean and how will it impact your driving?

Read our guide to learn the difference between 5-speed and 6-speed transmissions.

Underdrive to Overdrive

First of all, let us briefly explain how gearboxes work. The gearbox passes drive power to the wheels of your car, allowing it to move efficiently in all driving conditions depending on your speed. The higher the gear you are in, the more power is inputted and the faster the rotation of the physical gear in the gearbox, meaning the more drive being passed on to your wheels.

So, what is each gear best for? To understand how gear numbers work, it is important to understand what is meant by gear ratio. This is the ratio between the input gears (engine power) and the output gears (rotation that drives the wheels). The lower the ratio, the better the acceleration, the higher the ratio, the higher the top speed.

Gears 1-3 in a car have a low gear ratio, which is known as underdrive. This means they provide the best acceleration and traction. Gear 4 usually operates in a 1:1 ratio, having equal acceleration and speed capability. Gears 5 and 6, then, have a high gear ratio, also known as overdrive. This means they can achieve a higher top speed with lower revs per minute (RPM).

Adding an Extra Gear

Now that we’ve explored how gears and gear ratios work, how does this mean gears 5 and 6 differ? Essentially, there’s not a huge difference in when you would use either of them, since they are both overdrive gears, but having a car with 6 speeds will offer some improvement on your driving performance and fuel economy.

Because higher gears mean you can travel at faster speeds with a lower RPM, having a 6th speed allows your car to run at a high speed with an even lower RPM than that of the 5th gear. This will offer better cruise-driving whilst saving your fuel, making the car both more efficient and boosting its fuel economy - especially if you often travel on motorways or routes where the national speed limit is in place.

This also allows you to have a more comfortable drive, since the car is using less power to reach the same speed and higher in 6th gear compared to 5th gear and the engine is not having to work as hard the faster that you go, resulting in smoother and quieter cruising, as well as reducing the rate of engine wear.

Ultimately, it isn’t a particularly compromising factor if your new car uses 5-speed transmission instead of 6-speed transmission. But, if you are lucky enough to have upgraded to 6 gears, then know that your drive will be that bit more comfortable and economical than before.

Gearbox Specialists

If you have noticed that your gears aren’t changing as easily or your driving doesn’t feel as smooth as it should be, then your gearbox may need to be looked at by an expert.

Here at Gearbox Specialist, our motor technicians are able to carry out automatic and manual transmission repairs for all makes and models of vehicle. Can’t afford a brand new gearbox? Not to worry! We offer to supply and fit reconditioned units should you require a cheaper alternative.

Contact us today for more information on what we can do for you.