Quote:
Originally Posted by Mista Bone
You will likely find out that your mileage is LOWER from lugging the car in too tall of a gear, keeping the engine out of the range it is most efficient in.
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Not true. I just described to you the experience I have had. My point about testing was to make it plain as day. But I have watched the difference more times than I can count because all it takes for me to see the MPG numbers go up is a gear shift from 4th to 5th while observing my instant mpg gauge on the dash. These lower rpm ranges are not "lugging" in the negative way you seem to understand it, they are actually closer to the most fuel efficient BSFC ranges. Ask yourself why all the automakers always gear for taller gearing in their more efficient models? And ask yourself why, for example, the 2012 Civic LX manual with shorter gearing gets 36 mpg in the highway EPA test while its taller geared auto trans sister LX gets 39 mpg highway? The two cars are indentical except for the gearing.
TESTED: just did some quick-n-dirty testing to show you what I see... posted results: check my modding thread linked in my signature file below.