GT 5spd @ 80 mph = 4K rpm; GTauto @80mph = 3.2K rpm . . . why??

[tlminh]

My Fiance has a 2000 GTauto ~ 32mpg
I have a 2001 GT 5 spd ~ 27mpg

We both drive similar distances, same fwy and everything, yet her gas mileage is much better than mine

why is that?

[btagoc]

My Fiance has a 2000 GTauto ~ 32mpg
I have a 2001 GT 5 spd ~ 27mpg

We both drive similar distances, same fwy and everything, yet her gas mileage is much better than mine

why is that?

is gear ratio too obvious an answer?

[2way]

is gear ratio too obvious an answer?
Nope... not at all too obvious...
Add to that, she probably has an entirely different driving style that favors fuel economy.

[Speck102]

My Fiance has a 2000 GTauto ~ 32mpg
I have a 2001 GT 5 spd ~ 27mpg

We both drive similar distances, same fwy and everything, yet her gas mileage is much better than mine

why is that?

is gear ratio too obvious an answer?


That and you need to learn how to drive more conservatively. When I was driving a 5-speed GT, I got 35-38MPG mostly city driving.

[tlminh]

i think all cars are made differently

I try to drive conservatively and the best I can get city is 27 or 28 mpg
Maybe I got the lower end of the spectrum for mine

[DopeCelicaGT]

Simple, an auto has taller gears allowing lower rpm's at higher speeds, manuals have lower gear ratios than autos thus having higher rpms at higher speeds than their automatic counterparts. However, even though this may be true on the interstate it is arguable that autos would get worse gas mileage than a manual simply because of the reason I stated above taller gears and power loss. The taller the gear related to the powerloss of the engine will require more gas to get moving to the same speed a manual would with less gas. I don't know if I am explaining that well enough for the not so autosavvy people but anyone with knowledge of cars will get it. You see a manual with its lower gears can accelerate faster with less use of gas to get there but they will turn higher rpms once they get to that higher speed causing a quicker burning of fuel. Autos on the other hand will generally conserve fuel more on top end because they are turning less rpm's but they require more gas to accelerate to that higher speed. Realistically, they both probably get about the same amount of gas mileage given they are both used in the best scenario for the car. An auto will generally get better gas mileage on the interstate and crappy gas mileage in the city, the manual is pretty much vice versa. Someone can probably explain this better than I can but you get teh general idea.