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Old 04-18-2010, 04:06 PM   #1
The Database
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Question Why does Subaru stick with the 4EAT?

Why does Subaru stick with the 4EAT? Everyone else is moving on to 6 and 7 spd gear boxes. It's like with the RX8's, get rid of the rotary. No other new cars have 4 gears now a day.
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Old 04-18-2010, 04:13 PM   #2
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Because its cheaper and most people buying base models don't know or care how many gears their auto transmission has? Looks like Subarus going the way of CVT now, though I'd love to see a dual clutch available in the WRX.
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Old 04-18-2010, 04:31 PM   #3
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Because Subaru is a low volume manufacturer and it costs a crapton of money to design, tool up for and build a new transmission.
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Old 04-18-2010, 04:35 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Database View Post
Why does Subaru stick with the 4EAT? Everyone else is moving on to 6 and 7 spd gear boxes. It's like with the RX8's, get rid of the rotary. No other new cars have 4 gears now a day.
Your 5 speed looks the same as a 5 speed from 1985. The automatic transmission has the same story. Why change it, it works?

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Originally Posted by 69subaru360 View Post
Because Subaru is a low volume manufacturer and it costs a crapton of money to design, tool up for and build a new transmission.
This too.
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Old 04-18-2010, 04:47 PM   #5
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They have a 5eat already but I'm sure it costs more than the 4eat. IMO most AT cars don't really need more than 4 gears, especially if they have a decent torque range like Subie engines do.
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Old 04-18-2010, 05:57 PM   #6
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>95% of buyers dont know/care if their cars have an extra A/T gear
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Old 04-18-2010, 06:14 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Database View Post
It's like with the RX8's, get rid of the rotary.
I think someone's missing the point of the Mazda RX family. You can't get rid of the rotary.

I agree on the transmissions though, especially since they have the 5EAT already. Then again, I don't work for Subaru, nor do I plan on buying a new car, nor do I buy automatics, so my opinion is moot.
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Old 04-18-2010, 06:41 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by i_c_the_light View Post
Your 5 speed looks the same as a 5 speed from 1985. The automatic transmission has the same story. Why change it, it works?
I'm pretty sure there has been a better designed transmission since 1985 haha.
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Old 04-18-2010, 08:08 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Database View Post
I'm pretty sure there has been a better designed transmission since 1985 haha.
there has, but none with a large enough improvement to justify the costs. Our 5mt has its roots in 1985 and earlier, but there HAVE been incremental upgrades throughout the years.


I wouldn't expect subaru to EVER develop a different auto trans, now that they have a proven CVT design.
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Old 04-18-2010, 08:19 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rkramer View Post
Our 5mt has its roots in 1985 and earlier, but there HAVE been incremental upgrades throughout the years.

exactly. Subaru donated many of their used 5speed to my automotive tranny class.

I got lots of experience opening them up and resembling them. Aside from the upgrades from time to time, it's basically still the same as the new ones.
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Old 04-18-2010, 10:44 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by imprezaowner27 View Post
>95% of buyers dont know/care if their cars have an extra A/T gear
this. so many of the people here are for the sport side of things, but when it comes down to it, most people just want something they can drive and not think about it. then that's it.

edit: that's why i'm in for the CVT's. i know people want to shift, cvt's in cars a relatively new, etc, blah blah blah. but in the end, most people just want to get in and drive. if a 4eat and cvt do it, that's all they need.
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Old 04-18-2010, 11:38 PM   #12
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So basically what everyone has said is that Subaru does this because it's easy and cheap???
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Old 04-18-2010, 11:59 PM   #13
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Id be interested in how a cvt behaves in a wrx... wonder how it would drive.
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Old 04-19-2010, 12:28 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Abismo View Post
Id be interested in how a cvt behaves in a wrx... wonder how it would drive.
it would be boring
for the same reason an na diesel is boring
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Old 04-19-2010, 12:47 AM   #15
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So basically what everyone has said is that Subaru does this because it's easy and cheap???
It's almost like they are a company that is in business to make money. Maximum profit, minimum effort. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Blahblahblah.
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Old 04-19-2010, 01:01 AM   #16
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Quote:
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Id be interested in how a cvt behaves in a wrx... wonder how it would drive.
Me too. Seeing as the CVT could "hold revs" at the meat of the powerband as the car accelerates, I imagine it might feel pretty awesome, but it would probably be aurally unimpressive.

I've driven a Nissan Sentra with a CVT, and based on how it works when you need to accelerate, it will basically "hold revs" at a certain spot on the rev range but the car will still begin to move faster. So what you get is this feeling of accelerating while hearing the same tone/pitch from the engine constantly until you adjust throttle input via the gas pedal.

So my guess then is you might get what would feel like a more consistent "feeling" of acceleration.
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Old 04-19-2010, 01:22 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Database View Post
I'm pretty sure there has been a better designed transmission since 1985 haha.
The biggest external difference between a S/R 5-speed fulltime AWD gearbox from 1985 and a S/R 5-speed fulltime AWD gearbox from 2008 is the location of the bolt holes on the bellhousing for mating to the engine.
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Old 04-19-2010, 01:33 AM   #18
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The RX-8 actually has different HP ratings for the tranmission it uses.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Wevrick View Post
most AT cars don't really need more than 4 gears, especially if they have a decent torque range like Subie engines do.
I don't fully agree with this.
The wrx had tall gears and it was just a dog stock. Especially if you had the 2.0L. The 5EAT in the legacy GT was worlds better for daily driving.

I'm curious what all subaru has done with the STI A-line transmission.
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Old 04-19-2010, 10:27 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Database View Post
Why does Subaru stick with the 4EAT? Everyone else is moving on to 6 and 7 spd gear boxes. It's like with the RX8's, get rid of the rotary. No other new cars have 4 gears now a day.
Because the bean-counters have the last say... A 6 speed auto and a dual clutch trany should have come out years ago...
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Old 04-19-2010, 11:01 AM   #20
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Isnt this what the STI A-LINE is? Dual clutch transmissions can be a lot of fun. A nice change.
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Old 04-19-2010, 11:05 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GDB FAN View Post
I don't fully agree with this.
The wrx had tall gears and it was just a dog stock. Especially if you had the 2.0L. The 5EAT in the legacy GT was worlds better for daily driving.
The 2.0L WRX should have never been made available with the 4EAT, IMO.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GDB FAN View Post
I'm curious what all subaru has done with the STI A-line transmission.
They probably just added a larger trans fluid cooler. They also use the 2.5L engine which produces less torque than the 2.0L twinscroll.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wrxdrvr View Post
Because the bean-counters have the last say... A 6 speed auto and a dual clutch trany should have come out years ago...
I wouldn't have bought my STI or the previous WRX if those were my options.
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Old 04-19-2010, 11:27 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Beaverboy View Post
The 2.0L WRX should have never been made available with the 4EAT, IMO.

I wouldn't have bought my STI or the previous WRX if those were my options.
Once I went stage 2 my '02 WRX 4EAT was a great car.
Just because a dual clutch comes out (hopefully) doesn't mean they would get rid of the 6 speed... People who want to row through the gears still could, as they try to keep up with the car ahead of them with the dual clutch trany...
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Old 04-19-2010, 12:40 PM   #23
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Interesting little fact.

A bone stock 02-05 WRX with a 4EAT, add a good performance TQ converter, will stomp a mudhole in most "stage 2" 5MT 02-05 WRXs at the drag strip.
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Old 04-19-2010, 05:12 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GDB FAN View Post
I don't fully agree with this.
The wrx had tall gears and it was just a dog stock. Especially if you had the 2.0L.
I think that's a rare exception because of the lack of low-end torque in that particular engine. I remember when the WRX first came out, I could only get test-drives in AT models. Absolutely awful; almost turned me off buying my car.
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Old 04-19-2010, 05:22 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Wevrick View Post
I think that's a rare exception because of the lack of low-end torque in that particular engine. I remember when the WRX first came out, I could only get test-drives in AT models. Absolutely awful; almost turned me off buying my car.
Also went and drove an auto at first. The auto tranny isn't that horrible, but certainly not as fun nor peppy as the manual.
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