Success or not? Only time will tell... (got a Versa Note 5spd to replace Ford F250)

[Fat Charlie]

Great job! I'd have gotten a Versa instead of a Fit, but I wanted a couple more power features than Nissan let the manual have. Like you, I stopped looking at used real early because there isn't enough room for a significant price drop in an already cheap car.

Enjoy the good numbers!

[bentring]

Thanks Fat Charlie!

Originally Posted by dirtydave

how many RPM's at 60MPH?

I made a point to check this morning and at 60 MPH the top edge of the rpm needle was a hair away from the 3000 RPM mark. I can't get more accurate than that, unless I take a pic, until I get a OBDII reader.

[MetroMPG]

So it sounds basically like the same gearing as the Canadian Micra in the graph posted above. Maybe slightly shorter?

[bentring]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Hey, congrats!

I like the Note's styling. And it's got a ridiculous amount of legroom in the back seat, eh?

Also, congrats on getting the manual! You'll be able to blow the EPA ratings out of the water with only basic eco-driving techniques.

I'm almost certain the Note has the same gearing:


Like many (most?) modern manuals, it revs way higher than it needs to in top gear (in this eco-driver's opinion).

Remind us again what your typical drive is like. (If you have one.)

Thanks, I'm quite happy with it. I'm at the point where style isn't much concern to me, but I'm glad I didn't have to settle on a hideous car. I agree on the interior space being surprisingly roomy. I'm 6 feet tall and I can get out of the drivers seat and sit behind it with lots of room to spare before my knees touch the front seat.

I read what you had written about the Micra before the purchase and from what I could find online, I agree that the drivetrains of the two vehicles are most likely the same, but the chart you posted feels a bit optimistic by two or three hundred RPM to me. Maybe once the engine gets a bit more broke in it will close the gap.

As for my typical drive, being in construction, my route is wherever the job happens to be. I'd say on average I'm probably about 40% city driving/60 highway. I'm generally not in too much stop and go traffic, but damn if they don't love 4 way intersections. Rural highways here are 55MPH, but I also hit many 65/70 MPH stretches to skip the spotted towns if I'm not going one or two towns over.

[bentring]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

So it sounds basically like the same gearing as the Canadian Micra in the graph posted above. Maybe slightly shorter?

According to what I could find they are the same. It's weird having to hunt down technical information rather than the manufacturers listing everything like they used to.

Here's a screenshot of the tech specs I found on many dealer websites.

[dirtydave]

What about the "low hanging fruit" on that model?
does it have a semi blocked grill? under body panels? tire spats?

[dirtydave]

My car has similar gearing.

pulse and glide all day everyday!

[Xusn96]

Crosses 2000 rpm in 5th at 45mph? that should be no higher than 1750 in my feeble brain... 2500rpm at 55 that sounds crazy to me. but I do currently live in a V6 world

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by bentring

The truck this replaces was a 1993 F250 7.3 liter diesel I had owned for about 11 years, and I hated to see it go. But after running the numbers, just fuel was averaging me about a quarter a mile, and prices won't stay this low forever.

I'm assuming that truck had an IDI engine instead of the PowerStroke, so it would be a nice platform for experiences with veggie oils as an alternative fuel.

Parts for that trucks are super cheap compared to newer ones, but stuff like the diesel tax and 10 quarts of oil per change also add up pretty quickly

Diesel tax? That sounds so commie. If there were more light-duty Diesels in America, the dependence on foreign oil would be lower by a far margin, and it would be also possible to develop the usage of algae and fish liver oils as a feedstock for biodiesel. BTW the Euro-spec version of the Note is available with a 1.5L turbodiesel...

[bentring]

Originally Posted by dirtydave

What about the "low hanging fruit" on that model?
does it have a semi blocked grill? under body panels? tire spats?

I'm not too interested with making any changes for now. I suspect as time goes on (and warranty runs out) I will try some mods, but for now I'm happy as it is.