Ford would be much better off developing a good dual clutch tranny instead of wasting time with a CVT. That would give them the driveline losses equal to a manual but the automatic shifting that people want.

 

Ford has a Getrag dual clutch in the Focus, Fiesta, and CMax - and it's not very good.

 

It's a dry clutch, and that's the reason it has a bad rap. Something in the F150 range would need to be a wet clutch, negating much of the fuel economy advantage.

Today's autos typically get as good, if not better, fuel economy than manuals.

 

GM is also working on an 8 speed. Not been an easy launch either.

 

I agree with MGD, a ten speed is pointless. It adds unnecessary complexity and weight to a truck that does not need it. If the 10 speed use the skip shift feature and only uses 5 or 6 speeds, then why not stay with the 6R80. Adding more gears only reduces the spread between gears and is only beneficial to small displacement low torque narrow powerband engines. Maybe Ford has plans of pushing 4 cyl ecoboost engines into the 150's, if that's true, you better buy now before the 3.5 eco and the 5.0 coyote disappear forever.

 

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! The sky is falling!!!

 

I could foresee ford phasing out the bigger more powerful engines if they push 4 cylinder eco's into the 150's

 

Part of it is overkill, especially on the EB where the torque curve is more like a straight line than a curve. The GM, Mopar and 5.0, 3.5 Ford engines will benefit somewhat from the extra gears since there's a few more combinations to keep them spinning in the sweet spot.

The other issue is the sales brochure. If Ram claims 8 gears, GM claims 10 and the jap junk claims something similar Ford has to up the count to appear competitive. The real benefit can be argued but in a lot of minds more gears = better.

 

The general public is about as dumb as cattle, they'll believe just about any marketing BS you feed them.

If I didn't just buy a 13 about 15 months ago I would be getting a 15 or 16 with the 6R80 before they cram an unneeded trans down our throats. Kinda like the sync crap, buy anything above a stripped out STX and you are basically forced to take stync whether you want it or not. In my experience it's useless and takes longer to use than just hitting the buttons on the radio.

 

I would think the torque curve on the 4 banger Eco is just as flat as the one on the V-6.

 

True, but I would think the smaller displacement would give you a narrower powerband, right up the 10 speeds alley.

 

A turbo can change things quite a bit. Most OEMs choose smaller turbos so they spool very quickly and hold their power through must of the RPM range. They have pretty flat power bands. A NA 4 banger does have a very peaky power band.

 

I'm hearing that the ten will have one lower gear, and three higher gears than the six. I'm all for having something to drop my revs to 1500 at 75 mph, while still giving me more load moving lunge off the line. As for working more in the day to day, how many times are you going to be speeding up and slowing down above 60mph?

Remember the government continues to require greater fuel economy, so manufacturers have to do something. I have operated under the impression that the CVT is inherently not strong enough to handle the type of weight one might hitch to an F150. Most have been in small, lightweight cars.

 

I believe it will not get into the higher gears much except for cruising MT down a 4 lane Expressway.

 

I think most of you missed what a 10 speed brings to the table... it keeps the ecoboost working at its most efficient speed - under 2k rpm. Most people on this sight have the misconception that a turbo isn't doing anything if it isn't making boost. WRONG! The turbo is able to feed the engine with minimal flow restriction at low rpm. When the turbo is making boost, flow is being restricted causing pressure. If driven reasonably, a 10 speed will provide fuel economy benefits by keeping the engine always operating at the most efficient rpm range. City and highway benefits will be significant. Bring us 10 gears and an ecoboost!