6MT owners, at what are your typically used engine speed for steady speed driving? Assuming you're not on the highway in 6th gear.

The following table shows the relationship between engine speed, gear and vehicle speed with 45mph highlighted as there are many suitable gear options (4th through 6th). So, what gears do you use for steady speed driving at 30, 40 & 45? Or at what speed do you stick it in 6th?

I find myself in 4th (30), 5th (40) & 6th (45), with 45 mph the lowest speed I'll use 6th. At 45 mph in 6th, I will downshift for any real acceleration.


I didn't really search this, or know how, but am still curious how others drive.

 

It depends on terrain mostly. On a completely flat surface I'll cruise as low as 1500-1600 rpms in the corresponding gear. Around here, it tends to be pretty hilly and I will normally cruise in a higher gear, around 2000 rpms.

That puts me around 4th gear at 35, 5th gear at 45, and 6th gear around 58+

 

If I'm going above ~40mph and I know that the surface is flat and I wont have to stop for a while, I'll put it in 6th, otherwise, I stay in 5th from like 40 to 50.

I try not to ever let the engine go below 1500 rpm because anything lower than that and you run the risk of prematurely wearing the engine due to lower oil pressure.

 

For me, it's mostly what Sparks says here. In fact, it's actually possible to drive the 6MT and hardly ever tip over 2000 RPM. That's some serious Extreme Mileage driving! You go through all 6 gears before you hit 50 mph. Do that on a tankful, and you'll easily get over 30 mpg. (I did that once for a week, as kind of a silly experiment. Um, joyless, too.)

But back to your post... I'll chime in with a related observation. Ever since I had the spacers installed, it feels like my usable RPM floor for 4-5-6 has gone up a few hundred. In other words, I can't comfortably run the upper gears in as low a rolling RPM as I used to... if that makes sense to anyone.

I know that's a pretty subjective statement, but there it is anyway.

 

this is true for older engines but not for ours. VQ's make good enough oil pressure at idle to not be a problem

 

I try to keep it at around 2000 rpms when cruising. It allows me to still be close enough to the powerband for passing power if needed. Any lower, and I feel that I need to downshift.

 

Can anyone chip in more on this info?

My cruising engine speed is between 1000 rpm to 2000 rpm.

 

5th gear all the time at anything below 55 then it's 6th...

 

if just cruising I tend to be keeping it around 1500 rpm or so. but I have only had it a day

 

I keep mine right around 2,500 rpms. Here at almost 7,000' in Colorado, engine power is way down (as in almost 20% less than at sea level) from what you flatlanders are able to enjoy. I rev mine quite a bit to keep it moving. Still, I usually get around 21-22 in the city even with all the hills.

 

35-50mph-4th gear 51-60mph-5th gear after 60 i just throw it in 6th. When i'm babying her of course. I like to keep it around 2000-2500rpm for best gas mileage. I think in the manual somewhere it says 2500rpm for best gas mileage.

 

Usually around 1500rpm. I even take off in 2nd because Im to lazy to have to shift all the gears sometime.lol My next car will be an auto, I'm over manuals unless its a weekend car.

 

I'll keep the RPM really low when just cruising and it's flat. I'll shift from 1st to 3rd to 6th at about 45 MPH. It seems to drive fine in 6th even under 1500 RPM.

I do have the 6th gen tranny with the slightly lower final drive ratio. I'm also in Florida where it's very flat and we're right at sea level. The 17 degree timing advance also seems to help with the lower RPM/part throttle driving.