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Banana Jack · 06-25-2012, 12:29 AM

okay so i've always wondered about this, and i figured this would be the best place to ask, so i finally joined.
My question is, how do you guys drive stick shifts? What i've been doing is pretty much shifting as soon as i can to get into as high of a gear as possible for best economy. but i can't figure out if i'm maybe straining the engine more by doing it that way, and in straining the engine, maybe i'm actually losing mpg?
another thing is that i think by shifting earlier i have to be a little bit heavier on the throttle to achieve the same amount of acceleration that i would've in a lower gear, so those two might just cancel each other out...
i don't have my own car, so i haven't done any calculations...
what do you guys think?
edit: by the way, this is essentially based on the idea that in order to get better gas mileage, rather than creep up to speed, you should use medium acceleration to get up to coasting gear faster. my theory is, why not drive a stick and just put it in coasting gear, even if you're only going 35, not 50?

06-25-2012, 12:29 AM	#1 (permalink)
Banana Jack EcoModding Lurker Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Kansas City Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	how to drive a stick? okay so i've always wondered about this, and i figured this would be the best place to ask, so i finally joined. My question is, how do you guys drive stick shifts? What i've been doing is pretty much shifting as soon as i can to get into as high of a gear as possible for best economy. but i can't figure out if i'm maybe straining the engine more by doing it that way, and in straining the engine, maybe i'm actually losing mpg? another thing is that i think by shifting earlier i have to be a little bit heavier on the throttle to achieve the same amount of acceleration that i would've in a lower gear, so those two might just cancel each other out... i don't have my own car, so i haven't done any calculations... what do you guys think? edit: by the way, this is essentially based on the idea that in order to get better gas mileage, rather than creep up to speed, you should use medium acceleration to get up to coasting gear faster. my theory is, why not drive a stick and just put it in coasting gear, even if you're only going 35, not 50? Last edited by Banana Jack; 06-25-2012 at 01:45 AM..