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I think that adding extra gears to cars has done good things for overall performance and efficiency, but at some point it starts taking away from the driving experience. I think 7 different ratios is borderline "too much." --let alone some of the 8-speed boxes that are coming out.
Our other daily driver is a 2010 Audi S4 with a 7-speed DSG 'automatic'. All the car does is shift. It's in 5th gear by 30mph, and any slightly spirited depression of the gas pedal will cause it to grab the next lower gear.
Sport mode will holds gears a little longer, but when you floor it, it's like a little scene unfolds. The old, bearded wizard inside the transmission has to put on his glasses, set the box of gears down, and sort for the correct one. Once he finds it, you better hold on, but in those deciding moments, to be honest, it feels a little sloppy and delayed, and normal driving is almost tiring with the number of gear changes you feel.
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