To the 5 Speed Owners: Shifting and MPG Talk

[SubCompactor]

On my new touring 5 speed, I have almost 200 miles now. The computer is indicating that I am getting 30.9 mpg and let me tell you that I am babying it shifting below 3,000 rpm. I am adhering to 2 strict rules this first tankful to see what MAXIMUM mileage would be like. 1.) All city (no highway driving) stop and go traffic. 2.) No use of A/C.

Now then, here are my concerns being an owner of many manual transmission cars. There is what I describe as a lull between 1st and 2nd gear that I have never experienced in any other stick shift car. What I mean is that it is a bit sluggish when put in 2nd gear during this break in period. I guess due to the little engine and shifting just shy of 3,000 rpm. If I wound out the gears, I would think that the car would be more responsive but then the gas mileage would suffer too.

So then, I must ask; Is the city rating of 29mpg for the manual transmission pretty spot on? Will having more fun in the car compromise my fuel savings? Significantly?

The VAST majority of my driving is going to be in the City with occasional tollway use here and there.

Please share with me your driving habits and what kind of mileage results from it. Especially the City usage. Thanks in advance!

 

[genericmoniker]

Your mileage is still going to get better, don't sweat it.

2nd gear is insanely tall, especially in comparison to first, which would explain what you are feeling.

I can't really comment on how your MPG is going to be affected, but I'm averaging close to 35 MPG (6.6L/100km according to the car, 7.5 ish according to my calculator) with about 80% city driving.

 

[JOE MAMA]

Your mileage is still going to get better, don't sweat it.

2nd gear is insanely tall, especially in comparison to first, which would explain what you are feeling.

I can't really comment on how your MPG is going to be affected, but I'm averaging close to 35 MPG (6.6L/100km according to the car, 7.5 ish according to my calculator) with about 80% city driving.

Yup, agreed. The higher the RPM, the better 2nd gear feels. I experienced the same thing because I was shifting at low RPM for the break-in period. Now that its over, I let the RPM climb between 3500-4000RPM before I shift and the problem has been solved!

 

[SubCompactor]

Yup, agreed. The higher the RPM, the better 2nd gear feels. I experienced the same thing because I was shifting at low RPM for the break-in period. Now that its over, I let the RPM climb between 3500-4000RPM before I shift and the problem has been solved!

thanks.....I felt also after the break-in period that would remedy the "Lull" going to second but how wonder how that impacts the MPG's...

Getting a LOT of views on this. Hope we get more people with 5 speeds offer up their experience.

 

[Joker2]

Post # 2

What he said.

I say you should allow the RPM to come up higher. It will not hurt fuel economy. I have no idea where that line of thinking comes from. Maximum Engine Efficiency is almost never at low RPM unless you are talking about certain electric motor designs (diesel locomotives).

 

[Replica]

I don't put any thought into MPG minded driving and my last tank was around 36 mixed. I just don't care lol.

This may sound a bit unlikely, but after I installed the Racing Beat muffler, I noticed a little increase in torque and it's not as gutless at low RPM's. I know this sounds like BS, and I would never believe anyone else if they posted it. To make sure it wasn't just a placebo effect, I made sure to drive as I normally do and turn my stereo up so the louder engine noise didn't distract me. It has helped a little bit with just a touch more low end grunt. I can't say it has completely overcome the gearing issues the car has, but it does feel a bit smoother.

 

[SubCompactor]

Post # 2

What he said.

I say you should allow the RPM to come up higher. It will not hurt fuel economy. I have no idea where that line of thinking comes from.

Maybe it comes from looking at the computer. As the acceleration increases (in first gear) the mpg's on the computer decrease.

 

[MacAttack7]

I spent some time trying to get max mpg by shifting early & getting into 5th as soon as possible.
My average over 9,000 miles is 38.61. That's mostly a mix of my commute to work which is half heavy traffic & half almost normal highway driving about 30 miles round trip, and weekend trips.

Now I don't try for mpg's anymore. I just drive it normal. Been taking 1st gear up between 3000 & 4000 rpm's usually, same with 2nd. Got 35, 36, 37 the last 3 tanks, but that's with colder weather & from what I hear they change the blend of gas for winter to a higher ethanol blend which gets 2-3 less mpg's than the summer blend.

 

[XCLR8TN]

So then, I must ask; Is the city rating of 29mpg for the manual transmission pretty spot on? Will having more fun in the car compromise my fuel savings? Significantly?
Please share with me your driving habits and what kind of mileage results from it. Especially the City usage. Thanks in advance!

I recently switched jobs and am doing less highway and slightly more "country"/city driving now. Before I was doing 70/30 highway/city and getting 28mpg. Mind you, I have NO mpg tactics whatsoever and all highway was 80-100. I don't shift low. I don't give it small throttle inputs. With the new commute and just driving for fun on random nights I get around 29mpg. I didn't get the car for mpg so I could care less!
Absolute worst mpg I have gotten was on the last track day, 14mpg.

I don't put any thought into MPG minded driving and my last tank was around 36 mixed. I just don't care lol.

This may sound a bit unlikely, but after I installed the Racing Beat muffler, I noticed a little increase in torque and it's not as gutless at low RPM's. I know this sounds like BS, and I would never believe anyone else if they posted it. To make sure it wasn't just a placebo effect, I made sure to drive as I normally do and turn my stereo up so the louder engine noise didn't distract me. It has helped a little bit with just a touch more low end grunt. I can't say it has completely overcome the gearing issues the car has, but it does feel a bit smoother.

your thoughts are more than likely correct. I dynoed my 2 with just a muffler and picked up 2.7hp and ft lbs over my friends stock 2. Not to mention it showed more low end power! (dyno chart is in a thread here somewhere). Also good to note, my air fuel ratio compared to his was a full point lower. These little cars run pig rich at WOT!

Edit: here's the thread..

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123766233-Mazda-2-Demio-Performance-charts/page2

 

[dsgrey]

My round trip commute is 120 miles. Shift points don't make much difference for me. Less time on brakes and lower speed does the trick. 60-65mph and I can pull 42mpg or better. 70+mph and I'll get 39mpg at best. Playing around, I can see getting 50mpg+ if you drive 50mph or less. But you'll be shot!! 60-65mph is tough without impending traffic. At 10k miles in less than 6 months I have a overall 39.8mpg.

 

[SubCompactor]

awesome dsgrey on your highway driving! That's really encouraging to know when I take a trip.

Please feel free to chime in on "City" figures since that is where I will be doing most all my driving. Thanks!

 

[GianL]

When accelerating I try to keep rpm in the torque peak zone: I've noticed that early shifting (I mean before 2k rpm) do not help savings, sometimes it even worsen mpg. this implies that when coasting and then needing to regain speed I often do a downshift just for lower mpg purposes.
At constant speed, if this is > 60kmh I use 5th gear.
My average is 7.4 lt/100km (= 31.7 mpg) but a lot of crowded city trips.

 

[PGTBrow]

I drive the crap out of my 5spd with a nice mix of both highway and backroad and still avg 33.6mpg.

 

[dsgrey]

awesome dsgrey on your highway driving! That's really encouraging to know when I take a trip.

Please feel free to chime in on "City" figures since that is where I will be doing most all my driving. Thanks!

I have no idea on city numbers. I commute from a rural area to downtown Dallas. I do hit some rush hour traffic in the afternoons which doesn't seem to change my numbers as long as I'm moving. So I consider my mix to be 10% city. One reason I bought the M2 stick is due to the highway numbers being close to 40mpg on many fuel tracking sites.

Car manufacturers are odd with their numbers. We had a M3 that couldn't get the highway numbers and most tracking sites showed the same thing. I get above the listed numbers on my Miata and I drive it very aggressive. Personally, I think the M2 sales numbers suffer since the stick is listed at around 35mpg but can get much higher without extreme hypermiling.

 

[MazdaTwo]

Personally, I think the M2 sales numbers suffer since the stick is listed at around 35mpg but can get much higher without extreme hypermiling.

But lets be realistic... the vast majority of people just might consider doing 60-65 on the highway "extreme hypermiling." (lol2)

 

[Replica]

I don't quite understand all the talk about how "bad" the MPG is on the Mazda2 for its class. Is 35 MPG not good enough for a small car? What other car in its class is doing significantly better? Which one does enough to offset the increased purchase price? Let's do some math. Let's say that you have a 10 gallon tank and gas is $3.80 a gallon and you "only" get 32 MPG.

10 x 3.80 = $38 dollars to fill up and you're going 320 miles on a tank.

Let's say you get one of those "amazing" economy cars that can get, 35 MPG.

10 x 3.80 = $38 and you get 350 miles on a tank.

Congratulations, you've saved yourself a trivial amount of money per fill-up. If that extra $3 or so is breaking the bank, you have MUCH bigger problems in your personal finances than the MPG your car gets. More amusing are the people that just randomly starting thinking that the MPG of their cars even matter due to excessive marketing about it. They probably don't even know what their current car even gets, but they KNOW they need MORE of it.

 

[Racebrewer]

I found more smiles per gallon shifting at 6,000 RPM.

John

 

[manualist]

Mazda's mpg are better than other mpg, even when it's a bit lower
I think how deep you're pushing that throttle pedal has more to do with mpg than the shifting RPM.

 

[Replica]

My 03 Miata got terrible gas mileage and took premium. 24-26 MPG. My 2008 Mustang GT did that on 87 octane.

 

[samsavell]

I found more smiles per gallon shifting at 6,000 RPM.

John