Re:Fewer than 3% of cars sold in the U.S. have manual transm...
by blub on Thursday November 17, 2016 @05:31AM
(#12976172)
When would skipping a gear be more "eco"?
I find the shift indicator annoying. Depending on the car (e.g. my diesel 1.6L), it will probably be unreliable. One example is suggesting to shift up when driving on a light ramp when going over 2000rpm - this might be more eco, but it will put strain on the engine and also decrease your reaction time if you need to accelerate.
The only useful thing that the indicator does convey is to keep it between ~1200 - 2000rpm and don't go over 130km/h if you want to save fuel.
Interestingly my car model has the best fuel efficiency available only on manual, the same engine automatic uses slightly more fuel.
But an automatic is generally safer (instant reaction time) and less troublesome (can't choke the engine).
I don't think one has any chance of doing things like controlled drifts with an automatic.
I find the shift indicator annoying. Depending on the car (e.g. my diesel 1.6L), it will probably be unreliable. One example is suggesting to shift up when driving on a light ramp when going over 2000rpm - this might be more eco, but it will put strain on the engine and also decrease your reaction time if you need to accelerate.
The only useful thing that the indicator does convey is to keep it between ~1200 - 2000rpm and don't go over 130km/h if you want to save fuel.
Interestingly my car model has the best fuel efficiency available only on manual, the same engine automatic uses slightly more fuel. But an automatic is generally safer (instant reaction time) and less troublesome (can't choke the engine). I don't think one has any chance of doing things like controlled drifts with an automatic.