Quote:
Originally Posted by greasemonkee
The end result - more negative work applied to the reciprocating assembly, more wasted work than driving higher rpm. This is a general rule with 1000's of variables, but there is a window where your loading/rpm relationship yields the lowest bsfc. Finding that window is the hard part.
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My experience: I've yet to find a car where (in real world circumstances) the best cruising fuel economy isn't in the highest gear possible without lugging. I don't think the "best" engine RPM/load window is hard to find.
At cruise, the rule of thumb is: upshift, unless it lugs.