--- title: "What Is Overdrive?" description: "Almost all modern vehicles have overdrive gears, but many drivers don’t know exactly what that means. Learn about how it works and when to use it." date: "2020-11-30" modified: "2021-03-19" authors: - name: "Tony Markovich" job_title: "Contributor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/tony-markovich" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/cars-101/37232/what-is-overdrive" categories: - "Cars 101" - "The Garage" tags: - "commerce" - "NoAds" --- # What Is Overdrive? ![]() *\www.thedrive.com\* Since the health of our planet became a major societal focus decades ago, automotive engineers have been on a [mission]() to find a balance between performance and efficiency. In the past, the two characteristics typically sat in opposition, but several technological advancements have blurred those lines. Transmissions, for example, have evolved to be more efficient, less clunky, and snappier than ever. When the automatic transmission debuted in the early ‘20s, the 1920s that is, the number of gears it had could be counted on one hand. Today, however, you’d need a friend to count the 11 gears in the [triple-clutch transmission]() that Honda is currently developing. Along that path of innovation, the concept of overdrive was introduced. Overdrive is a transmission gearing that lowers the engine’s revolutions per minute (RPM) at select times to bring on numerous beneficial effects. How this occurs and what it does requires expanded explanation, so grab your blue light glasses and spend some time with *The Drive*’s gregarious info team as we explore what’s happening with your car’s overdrive. ## What Is Overdrive? Overdrive is gearing in a car that lowers the engine’s RPM during high-speed highway or country road driving. The word overdrive refers to the gearing ratio being superfluous on top of the gearing that produces the peak amount of power. Therefore, it is *overdriven*. Although it was previously a manually activated feature on older transmissions, overdrive is essentially commonplace in all transmissions today. ## What Does Overdrive Do? The point of overdrive is fuel efficiency. If the car can move faster while relaxing the engine, the car’s efficiency improves. Additionally, with the engine’s reduction in workload, the car is consequently less noisy and ride comfort improves. Less stress on the engine, less stress on you, and it is also great for the car’s longevity and reliability. ## How Does an Overdrive System Work? In overdrive, the gearing makes it so that the input shaft is rotating slower than the output shaft and the car is overdriving beyond its peak power point. In a manual car, the vehicle is put into overdrive (top gear) using a clutch and a stick shifter. In an automatic transmission, the car automatically shifts itself into overdrive. ![The Honda Odyssey gear selector uses buttons for P,R,N,D/S.]() *The Honda Odyssey features a push-button gear selector., *Honda** ## Gearing of Modern Cars With Overdrive To better understand how gear ratios in modern vehicles work, we’ve laid out examples from a Honda Civic with a manual transmission and a Ford F-150 pickup with a 10-speed automatic transmission. ### 2020 Honda Civic Coupe Si, Manual Transmission 1st Gear: 3.643 (number of times the input shaft rotates to rotate the output shaft once) 2nd Gear: 2.080 3rd Gear: 1.361 4th Gear: 1.024 (nearly direct drive) 5th Gear: 0.830 6th Gear: 0.686 (overdrive) Reverse: 3.673 Final Drive: 4.35 ### 2021 Ford F-150, Automatic Transmission 1st Gear: 4.696 2nd Gear: 2.985 3rd Gear: 2.146 4th Gear: 1.769 5th Gear: 1.520 6th Gear: 1.275 7th Gear: 1.000 (direct drive) 8th Gear: 0.854 9th Gear: 0.689 10th Gear: 0.636 Reverse: 4.866 ![The interior of a Honda Civic Coupe Si features a stick shift and red and black seats.]() *The 2020 Honda Civic Coupe Si offers a manual transmission., *Honda** ## FAQs About Overdrive You have the questions, *The Drive* has the answers. ## Let’s Talk, Comment Below To Talk With The Drive’s Editors! We’re here to be expert guides in everything How-To related. Use us, compliment us, yell at us. Comment below and let’s talk! You can also shout at us on Twitter or Instagram, here are our profiles. Jonathon Klein: Twitter ([@jonathon.klein]()), Instagram ([@jonathon\_klein]()) Tony Markovich: Twitter ([@T\_Marko]()), Instagram ([@t\_marko]()) Chris Teague: Twitter ([@TeagueDrives]()), Instagram ([@TeagueDrives]()) https://youtube.com/embed/z-OZLkuGtyA ## Featured Products [Castrol TransMax Dex/Merc Automatic Transmission Fluid]() [OTC 2,200-Pound Low-Lift Transmission Jack]() [Big Red ½-Ton Torin Hydraulic Transmission Floor Jack]() *Got a question? Got a pro tip? Send us a note:* [*guidesandgear@thedrive.com*]() ## Author Tony Markovich is a former Senior Editor at The Drive, departing in 2022. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [Twitter]()