Imagine you had a car with only a single low gear. Acceleration from a standing start would be exhilarating, but maximum engine speed would be reached very quickly, only to find you were not going very fast....every time. Imagine instead, you had a car with only a single high gear. After a stumbling start in that high gear, you would eventually achieve a comfortable smooth cruising speed, but the stumble at the start would happen every time. Now, consider someone provided your car with a six speed automatic transmission. The transformation would be miraculous. Without even having to think about it, you would enjoy exhilarating starts, smooth acceleration, and effortless cruising at maximum efficiency, always. more... See more text