to drivability and vibration. Operating the engine at very low rpm leads to conditions known as
“lugging” that causes a very jerky ride. Current industry trends, however, are to maximize
smoothness, so that it is difficult to envision a strategy similar to the one advocated by Ross and
DeCicco being introduced without incentives strong enough to override performance and comfort
considerations.
PricesPrices for a five-speed automatic transmission over a four-speed automatic are $100 to $125,
as obtained from actual data for transmission applications. Prices for commercial CVTs are
expected to be virtually identical to prices for four-speed automatics, according to Van Doorne.