Quote:
Originally Posted by 1337
I'm a huge fan of manual transmissions because they're (usually) more efficient, easier to fix, and cheaper to replace.
Even so, the EPA highway rating for the automatic Fit is 35 MPG, while the manual is 33. The manual must be geared very low, and the Fit might be one of the few cars that is _more_ efficient with the automatic.
I know it's hypermiling is often easier and more effective with a manual, but if you do sustained highway speeds, the automatic might deserve a look too.
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Yeah, I have read that the manual fit is geared real low to make it more sporty/fun to drive, at the sacrifice of gas mileage. However, I was doing some reading on fitfreak.net and it looks like even with this low gearing people are getting higher MPG with the manual.
I don't drive on the highway often, and my area is very hilly, so I've decided on the manual. I wish 5th was geared higher, but even with that downfall the fit wins hands-down over the competition in my mind, and for what I want.
Also, I was reading on fitfreak.net that the fit has a sweet spot at 2000-2500rpm where it gets its best FE. People with scangauges reported that MPG improved downshifting from 5th to 4th in order to get the RPM to that range. So it sounds like the low gearing isn't a real problem until you hit the highway.... I'm not sure what speed I'd be going at 2000-25000rpm in 5th though, hopefully it is close to highway speeds.