Quote:
Originally Posted by M_a_t_t
From my knowledge usually the more gears the better fuel economy, because of being able to keep the engine in more optimal rpm range.
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For NA engines at least, skip shifting (1,3,5) is a thing. It gives you a higher average engine load which works well for oversize engines or low geared cars. I recorded my best ever tank when I started skip shifting my Renault Kangoo (1.6 NA, low geared). Some v8's have shift interlocks that force you to shift 1,4,5,6 for economy reasons.
More gears are more relevant to small turbos (petrol or diesel) where keeping load lighter than 80% is advantageous to avoiding excessive fueling. More gears also means more drive train friction in every gear (even if it's slight).