2018 GT 10 Speed AUTO Owners Review

[DickR]

Thanks, Dick. Hard to imagine they'd insist on using every gear in sequence under those conditions when the gear spacing would probably involve barely a 20% drop in revs in many cases.


Norm

You are welcome!

Ratio spread:
-0.36
-0.28
-0.18
-0.14
-0.16
-0.21
-0.15
-0.20
-0.07

Speed in gears at 7300 rpm on oem tires with 3.55 rear ratio

35.3
55.1
76.8
93.3
108.1
129.4
164.3
193.3
241.6
260.8




One thing Carl mentioned is that the trans will shift down "many" gears based on "torque demand" (i.e. how far you push the throttle pedal). This assumes the transmission isn't in "manual mode" according to the owner manual.

There will be some "hero" drivers who go sideways when they floor the throttle with the nannies off and the trans drops to 2nd or 3rd at full throttle. I'm sure some will blame the tires.

I'm planning on careful practice with nannies and warm tires!

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[CVCashmere]

See you in South Jersey sometime!

CVCashmere

 

[Norm Peterson]

You are welcome!

Ratio spread:
-0.36
-0.28
-0.18
-0.14
-0.16
-0.21
-0.15
-0.20
-0.07

Thanks again, D.R.

That spacing is very close to what the ZL1 is using, only a hundredth or two difference (negligible). Subjectively, all those teen numbers "feel" a bit too close if it was MT gear spacing for HPDE.

ZL1 ratio spread
-0.36
-0.28
-0.16
-0.16
-0.16
-0.22
-0.15
-0.19
-0.07


ZL1 gearings
4.70
2.99
2.15
1.80
1.52
1.28
1.00
0.85
0.69
0.64

One thing Carl mentioned is that the trans will shift down "many" gears based on "torque demand" (i.e. how far you push the throttle pedal). This assumes the transmission isn't in "manual mode" according to the owner manual.

Makes sense. A single one-gear downshift in the days of 3A, 4A, maybe even 5A now takes two gears. And I think even a 3A could be made to drop down two if you tried hard enough at a low enough speed.


Norm

 

[Norm Peterson]

See you in South Jersey sometime!

CVCashmere

NJMP has opened up a track day on 16 December for a non-paced run group that I'm going to try to make (Thunderbolt course). There's even an introductory paced group that might not have a roll bar requirement for soft-tops.

https://www.motorsportreg.com/event...2358e26cff5a96437dffa66f87a41e0b3f73bfdfaca0c


Norm

 

[16 GT MM/Auto]

Tune fixes all this.

To a certain degree, perhaps.

But under no circumstance will I tune my Stang while it is still under warranty.

 

[Norm Peterson]

How many gears do you guys typically use in your canyon runs or road courses? Certainly not all 6. Probably 3 or maybe 4.

At my level, I'm seeing a little less than a 3:1 range of speeds on either of NJMP's courses, from a little over 45 in the slowest corner to 125 or so on the longest straight. That would be 4 at most, and only if they were all suitably spaced (in the 3650 not all of them are) and the tire size and axle gearing was correct for 135-ish in the highest one (they aren't, quite).


Norm

 

[DickR]

FYI I reread my post about going down "many" gears at once and it isn't clear.

The 10A is designed to skip directly from high gears to whichever lower gear the computer decides is appropriate based on throttle position. Such as 7 directly to 3 with no stepping through the gears in between. Apparently this isn't what happens with the Ford 6A. Obviously if you use the paddles you will step through the gears.

 

[Endokendal]

Thanks again, D.R.

That spacing is very close to what the ZL1 is using, only a hundredth or two difference (negligible). Subjectively, all those teen numbers "feel" a bit too close if it was MT gear spacing for HPDE.

ZL1 ratio spread
-0.36
-0.28
-0.16
-0.16
-0.16
-0.22
-0.15
-0.19
-0.07


ZL1 gearings
4.70
2.99
2.15
1.80
1.52
1.28
1.00
0.85
0.69
0.64



Makes sense. A single one-gear downshift in the days of 3A, 4A, maybe even 5A now takes two gears. And I think even a 3A could be made to drop down two if you tried hard enough at a low enough speed.


Norm

I test drove an automatic '18 the other day... punching it on the freeway it dropped from gear 10 to 4. It was quite a jolt!
I personally found the transmission "searching" for the right gear several times and the effect was it sounded like a CVT. I did not like that. It may be faster and better on gas mileage, but personally I came away preferring the A6 in my '15. I'm leaning toward getting an '18, but I'm thinking I'd rather go stick this time.

 

[HISSMAN]

It is annoying enough with the 8 speed in my Durango R/T starts searching. I'll be cruising in a slight uphill grade...very slight.. Then look down and see that it is in 6th gear, for no reason. I will manually kick it up to 8th, and it still pulls and maintains speed just fine. It's so frustrating on a long trip when I want nothing more than to get good fuel mileage.

 

[DickR]

It will be "interesting" to see what the 10A does on Interstates in cruise control. I'm assuming the trans shift points are calibrated for best fuel mileage (if the relevant constant speeds are part of the test). At least with cruise control any shifts won't be the result of even very small amounts of "driver foot movement". Certainly the Mustang GT won't be as susceptible to grade or wind changes as an SUV or truck, especially when those are towing.

 

[marks]

. Such as 7 directly to 3 with no stepping through the gears in between. .

Ground breaking stuff!

 

[Timeless]

It is annoying enough with the 8 speed in my Durango R/T starts searching. I'll be cruising in a slight uphill grade...very slight.. Then look down and see that it is in 6th gear, for no reason. I will manually kick it up to 8th, and it still pulls and maintains speed just fine. It's so frustrating on a long trip when I want nothing more than to get good fuel mileage.

My somewhat limited test drive found that NORMAL stayed in the gears without much searching at all. I'm to understand snow/wet mode might be even more so but did not test it.

Sport+/Track/Drag modes definitely were super sensitive to any throttle change.

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