Well, I just got hosed by an Elantra during that infamous race that involves two lanes that merges into one and the i'm-not-letting-you-in-front-of-me-because-you-have-an-inferior-car mentality.

I was cruising in top gear (60-65mph) and my nose was up to his front left tire. He decided to gun it and I did too (I didn't downshift). I didn't end up getting ahead of him and I even felt the "stopper" that's under the gas pedal, meaning I had the gas floored! Worse, I had to be behind this dam Elantra for 5 miles. His laughter still haunts me as I type this...

Is our 5th gear that bad at that speed? Or should I have downshifted? What the hell's the deal?

 

What we have here is a slow driver, Not a Slow car. You needed to downshift. Anyone can loose to any car if you are not in the right gear..

 

Auto would have shifted for you, hehe. I simple drop to 3rd and the elantra would have been dinner, you could have even patted the throttle a couple of times and taunted his Korean POS

 

Buddy...losses like this one are best kept to yourself

 

Sell your car IMEDIATELY and buy an autoMAGIC! You MUST learn how to drive. J/K

This is exactly why people say it's not necessarily the faster car that wins, since it is dependent on the drivers' skill.

You should have downshifted to 3rd which tops out around 110-115mph. You couldn't have shifted to 2nd, since it tops out at around 62-63mph. 5th gear and 4th for that matter or WORTHLESS until you top 115mph and even then they are VERY weak.

I've been there done that though. Sometimes even though I know I would have lost anyways, I just wish I didn't blunder a downshift.

If you think you had a rude awakening, just wait till that guy trys another Max(Auto or Manual).

 

The fact you lost it to an Elantra on open hard top...is just rude

 

Maybe it was really an Altima with a Elantra cover over it. That would explain it.

 

Ooops, did I forget to say that I was up all night, haven't had my morning coffee and um....I wasn't really paying attention? Yeah, I think I was looking for a CD on the floor and I couldn't downshift b/c I was on the fone . You know how it is, one hand on the fone, one hand on the steering wheel...heheh.

 

 

3rd gear tops out around 96-98 mph.

 

Are you sure? Do you have 16" or 17" wheels?

I'm not 100% positive, but with my 17" wheels I think it's close to 110mph.

 

I have a GXE with 225/60/15's. I know for sure I can't pull more than 100 in 3rd.

I will try it on the way home just in case!!!

Actually, my wife will have a heart attack if I do that, I will just tach it up to 3250 rpms in 3rd and then double my speed to see what it will be. It should be pretty close, not counting drag or anything.

Try it with your car and post the results.

--Ray

 

Geez, 60-65 mph in your overdrive gear is certain death if you try to floor it. You are 2 gears too high.

 

Don't kill yourself on my part! J/K

Sure will next time I go out of town. No way I can do it around here.

 

Try it only going 3250 rpms and doubling your speed.

--Ray

 

3rd gear, 6k rpm = 90mph, approximately.

I always thought 3rd hit redline at 90 but I was wrong, tried it today. 100 seems attainable but 110-115 is unlikely.

 

Well not to me, I'm too much of a hard a$$ when people do crap like that.

It's cool, just eat a few for a snack, and never let it happen again. Or, THEY will come after you.

peace