Tim and I were talking about this again today: how does the Fiesta get a much better highway rating than the manual Mirage -- 45 vs. 42 mpg US. Consider that the Fiesta is less aerodynamic and significantly heavier (yes, I know that has a smaller impact on steady-state cruising, but the EPA tests change speeds a lot).
It must come down to much taller gearing in the Ford (or fudging the numbers again).
So I did a bit of searching. I didn't find any actual specs for gear ratios, but I did find two separate reviews of the US car which described the gearing as unusually tall:
Quote:
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Ford [equipped the Fiesta with] a tall fifth gear (taller than the Euro Fiesta) for ... improved EPA numbers but the decisions take a toll on performance and driveability. ... The tall top gear means frequent downshifts on moderate inclines.
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Source:
Review: 2014 Ford Fiesta Hatchback (With Video) | The Truth About Cars
(Then the reviewer goes on to complain about the gearing, and says he prefers the automatic.
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An American car with taller than Euro gearing! Shocking! Blasphemy even!
The Euro Mirage gets a taller final drive in the manual, following the typical pattern.