Are cars really different?

[HowAboutThis]

I keep reading more and more "they use the same transmission or engine or etc etc etc" in regard to different brands. For instance, the VW thread where people say VW and Toyota and BMW use the same transmission. I know it's true, but what makes cars different any more?

A loaded question, but looking for discussion ;-)

 

[fdcg27]

Drive a Toyota, a VW and a BMW and you'll understand that the differences have nothing to do with the tranny.
For that matter, the software has everything to do with how any automatic drives and feels and that's proprietary.

 

[gregk24]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Drive a Toyota, a VW and a BMW and you'll understand that the differences have nothing to do with the tranny.
For that matter, the software has everything to do with how any automatic drives and feels and that's proprietary.


This. Automakers don't make all their parts in house, that same transmission will have very different characteristics based on how each automaker tunes it. Honda is one of the few mainstream automakers that still build most of their transmissions in house (with a few exceptions, ZF being one - and thankfully being phased out).

 

[wemay]

Like gregk24 said... Honda, i believe Mazda and for sure Hyundai/KIA make in-house transmissions.

 

[Jonzobot]

In the styling department, cars look really similar nowadays. A couple of days ago there were three white SUV's parked in a row on the street, all from different manufacturers - looked identical from a distance.

 

[Oildudeny]

Honda and Mazda always had sweet manual gearboxes. Haven't drove a recent Hyundai stick but in 2003 I drove a 6 spd Tiburon it was meh. I'm sure there's been much improvement Hyundai and Kia put out great vehicles.

 

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted By: gregk24
Honda is one of the few mainstream automakers that still build most of their transmissions in house (with a few exceptions, ZF being one - and thankfully being phased out).


General Motors/Hydramatic, Ford, Mercedes Benz, Toyota/Aisin, Mazda, Nissan, Kia/Hyundai.

Honda is the one company that had it's own ideology about automatic transmission design as they DO NOT use Planetary gear sets. Their design is akin to a manual/automatic hybrid which took them years to perfect & even then.....Toyota/Aisin units are far superior in EVERY way!

 

[Nick1994]

It’s usually not the powertrains on certain cars that are the issues. Sure the engine and transmission on the VW or Mercedes might be bulletproof, it’s everything else that bolts to the block and to the rest of the car around it that is, well, I won’t say it. People on here will be mad!

 

[camrydriver111]

They might use some common parts, but the overall package makes them different.

 

[javacontour]

I suspect that is more about the linkage than it is the gearbox. I believe Mazda avoids the cables used by many FWD manual gearboxes, preferring a rod. At least that's what my Protege5 had. Not sure about my 2012 Mazda3, but it does shift nicely....

Originally Posted By: Oildudeny
Honda and Mazda always had sweet manual gearboxes. Haven't drove a recent Hyundai stick but in 2003 I drove a 6 spd Tiburon it was meh. I'm sure there's been much improvement Hyundai and Kia put out great vehicles.

 

[Ducked]

Yeh. At my end of the market, quite a lot of them are broken, which can make a difference.

 

[Carmudgeon]

Two different cooks can use the same ingredients, and even follow the same recipe, yet produce different results.