For those who have a 2001 maxima se and stick:
how many rpm's are you revving at when goin 70 mph?

In which gear? 3rd, 4th, or 5th? If you mean 5th, I think its about 2800... With the others, I can find out later...

thanx. i meant 5th gear. i was just wondering becuz i always thought that manual trannies saved on more gas, so if my manual revs at 2800 @70 and my friend's is at ~2400 then his gas mileage is better, no?

Ok. Normally 5th gear is for saving gas... However, in the Maxima it seems to be geared to go, especially in the 5sp - an auto runs lower RPMs in overdrive than a 5sp in 5th.

As for fuel mileage -- I guess technically his mileage could be better? I imagine it has to do with the type/make of the gear and the gear ratios in the transmission. However, if his is auto I think he gets worse mileage?

manual transmissions get better gas milage then auto transmissions. When i drive 80 in my auto 2001 i get about 2700-2800 rpm

when i go 80 in my manual, i'm at about 3100 rpm's. so wouldn't that mean that if we were goin for a stretch, then i would have to get gas sooner than u would?

i think the 5sp is more economical in the city rathre then the highway, but to tell you the truth i dont understand this either, 5sp are suppose to be more economical

Probably due to less drivetrain loss.

That is correct. Take a look at your estimated gas mileage figures. The figures for city driving are higher for an auto than a manual while the figures for highway driving are higher for a manual than an automatic. And you've already alluded to the reason. The reason is gearing.

5spd = direct drive. Automagic = torque converter. More efficient to be in direct drive. That means that an automagic with the same gear ratio as a 5spd will output less speed at the wheel because of looses at the torque converter (until it reaches lockup).