Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - some honda autos get better mileage than manuals?

PaleMelanesian · 05-17-2010, 02:29 PM

The automatic only wins because it has better gear ratios AND an extra 6th gear. A manual with matching gears and ratios could match or likely beat that 40 mpg rating.

Back to the original question re: Honda. It's again a manual with ridiculous gear ratios vs an automatic with reasonable ones.

I gave two examples above of cars with good gears on the manual, that match or beat the automatic. When some other outcome is displayed, I look for something fishy to explain. Poor manual gear ratios are nearly always to blame. It is possible, as you showed, for an automatic to have better mileage ratings. It's not because the auto is good, it's because the manual is poorly designed.

05-17-2010, 02:29 PM	#70 (permalink)
PaleMelanesian Hypermiler Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 2,321 PaleCivic (retired) - '96 Honda Civic DX Sedan 90 day: 69.2 mpg (US) PaleFit - '09 Honda Fit Sport Team Honda Wagons 90 day: 44.06 mpg (US) Thanks: 611 Thanked 434 Times in 284 Posts	The automatic only wins because it has better gear ratios AND an extra 6th gear. A manual with matching gears and ratios could match or likely beat that 40 mpg rating. Back to the original question re: Honda. It's again a manual with ridiculous gear ratios vs an automatic with reasonable ones. I gave two examples above of cars with good gears on the manual, that match or beat the automatic. When some other outcome is displayed, I look for something fishy to explain. Poor manual gear ratios are nearly always to blame. It is possible, as you showed, for an automatic to have better mileage ratings. It's not because the auto is good, it's because the manual is poorly designed. __________________ 11-mile commute: 100 mpg - - - Tank: 90.2 mpg / 1191 miles Last edited by PaleMelanesian; 05-17-2010 at 02:42 PM..