Quote:
Originally Posted by LittleBlackDuck
Even at cruise I doubt you will hold exactly the same speeed forever. Couple this with hills and a CVT can add to the overall efficiency. Adding in the extra speeds will always have a gain - it may be small but it will be there.
When not at cruise the gains will be bigger.
Simon
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It's not that simple of course.
Some GM V8's force you to shift 1-4-5-6 in an effort to improve economy - sixth is never used in official tests (at least the NEDC has never been updated to account for six speed manuals). In essence, a Corvette on the NEDC is a three speed.
Skip shifting is a valid Eco driving technique. I skip shifted (1-3-5) my Renault Kangoo in 100% city use (20mph average speed) and scored a best ever tank of 75% over NEDC. Skip shifting increases average engine load which beats 1-2% gains on official test cycles.