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Gas Mileage. Manual vs Auto

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Old 09-17-2008, 08:13 PM
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Gas Mileage. Manual vs Auto

keeping the rpms low and actually watching your gas mileage, what sort of difference would you see between the gas mileage?
Old 09-17-2008, 08:17 PM
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here's an example.. on the 04 civic i had.. it was a sedan EX 5 speed.. and got 35+mpg on the highway.. the autotragic for the same single cam vtech motor was a 4speed.. and got barely 30.. at the same speed and was WAYY slower like a full second at the strip.. obiviously the 5 speed was at a lower RPM on the highway cause it had one more gear.. it's kinda like the lingenfelter corvette..has 800hp but can still get 30+mpg on the freeway at 65 in 6th.. cause it's at like 1100 RPM no turbo boost...
Old 09-17-2008, 09:00 PM
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so with an 09 balt, could i see 30 city 40+ highway with maybe an intake?
Old 09-17-2008, 09:04 PM
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i have got 40+ on the highway with my lt but then again i was following a truck
Old 09-17-2008, 09:04 PM
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Originally Posted by wildkyle90
so with an 09 balt, could i see 30 city 40+ highway with maybe an intake?
26-35
around there
city to highway
Old 09-17-2008, 09:09 PM
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Originally Posted by 07cobalt4life
i have got 40+ on the highway with my lt but then again i was following a truck
Following the truck did nothing for you. What was your speed, 60 MPH?

I've seen as high as 27.5mpg city with my SS/TC but nothing on the highway yet...
Old 09-17-2008, 09:14 PM
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how did following the truck did nothing for me? it is called drafting which reduce the air flow on ur car. and max speed was 70ish
Old 09-17-2008, 09:25 PM
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Originally Posted by 07cobalt4life
i have got 40+ on the highway with my lt but then again i was following a truck
Following a truck is good for less air resistance but bad for rocks kicking up on your car lol.
Old 09-17-2008, 09:28 PM
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hahaha yea it is even worse when its your dads truck
Old 09-18-2008, 09:35 AM
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yes drafting does work. they did a segment about it on mythbusters. they found following a big rig that you can get around 30% better fuel effeciency depending on how close you follow.
Old 09-18-2008, 11:05 AM
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Originally Posted by wildkyle90
yes drafting does work. they did a segment about it on mythbusters. they found following a big rig that you can get around 30% better fuel effeciency depending on how close you follow.
Dangerously close...

So you mean to tell me you safely drafted about 10 feet behind a semi...
Old 09-18-2008, 11:07 AM
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really all depends on how good of a driver u are. a decent driver, driving a standard that is trying to save gas will defiantly save more than an auto.

but a casual driver that is not really paying attention to there rmps much might not.
Old 09-18-2008, 11:10 AM
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They got like 10% at 100 feet which is more than possible on a highway with a semi-truck.

Manual cobalt gets a lot better than automatic. Somewhere in the 10 to 15% better range
Old 09-18-2008, 11:12 AM
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we just need to go find semi's and follow them lol.
Old 09-18-2008, 11:14 AM
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i once hit 40 highway when i was following my dad at about 55 hes a highway noob but on me way to frantically get to school i can hit around 33ish or so including climbing a mountain on the highway
Old 09-18-2008, 11:14 AM
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sitting on 30mpg in city...
usually get around 38mpg when i cruise up to VA

93 octane
'08 2.4L 5-speed
Old 09-18-2008, 11:51 AM
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During a good week, I do mostly city driving in my SS/SC using 93 or 94 Octane I get 26+ mpg's...

Don't do enough highway driving to really know but, it's an average of like 28-30+
Old 09-18-2008, 12:00 PM
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Drafting works..but be safe..even if ur not getting maximum efficency out of drafting ur still getting some..anyware u dont need to use power (if ur car is manual) put it in nutral and let it coast down or up hills...coming to stop lights just put it in nutral stuff like that..ull get good gas mileage lol..but if ur looking for a realll like estimate..ur balt will tell you..lol..hit the HUD button and flip to ur MPG..lol

i get like 24.7 mpg..i have a lead foot..and i have an 07 SS/S/C and put in nothing but 93 octane..if i could i would put 94 but..lol
Old 09-18-2008, 12:13 PM
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Originally Posted by StageII07
Drafting works..but be safe..even if ur not getting maximum efficency out of drafting ur still getting some..anyware u dont need to use power (if ur car is manual) put it in nutral and let it coast down or up hills...coming to stop lights just put it in nutral stuff like that..ull get good gas mileage lol..but if ur looking for a realll like estimate..ur balt will tell you..lol..hit the HUD button and flip to ur MPG..lol

i get like 24.7 mpg..i have a lead foot..and i have an 07 SS/S/C and put in nothing but 93 octane..if i could i would put 94 but..lol
damn it, neutral coasting is worse than leaving it in gear.
Old 10-05-2008, 06:42 PM
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i get
42 @ 55mph
39ish @ 60
34 @ 70
42 miles each way about 6 miles city rest hiway
Old 10-20-2008, 10:30 AM
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Originally Posted by MapOfTaziFoSho
Dangerously close...

So you mean to tell me you safely drafted about 10 feet behind a semi...
I vaugly remember this episode, but I thought the best economy was when they had just lost sight of the trucks mirrors, which was about 30ish feet back, which is still dangerous as you want the driver to see you.
Old 10-20-2008, 12:56 PM
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Originally Posted by rockin_cj
I vaugly remember this episode, but I thought the best economy was when they had just lost sight of the trucks mirrors, which was about 30ish feet back, which is still dangerous as you want the driver to see you.
Even a nice safe 2 seconds back will give a bit of a boost to the mileage. Not as much as being tucked up close but I would rather not test the structural integrity of the front end of my Cobalt against the rear end of a semi trailer....
Old 10-21-2008, 05:21 AM
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Before I got the 2.4 manifold, I was seeing a constant of 44 mpg hwy. After, I can only achieve 37 tops going 60. Technically this sounds backwards, but that's just how it happened.

I don't know why it dropped like that, but it did. I'm auto btw.

I can drive around all day mashing the gas and still be right at 30 mpg in city/hwy.

Originally Posted by umrdyldo
damn it, neutral coasting is worse than leaving it in gear.
In all honesty, it's damn near the same thing. Although I will agree that neutral coasting does no better than coasting in gear, but either way, it keeps your foot off the gas. And, that's the general idea anyways.
Old 10-21-2008, 05:53 PM
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I once got 46.8 MPG on the highway. It was about a 45 mile drive, but a lot of it was downhill, and I stayed around 65-70 most of the way. At one point I sort of raced a WRX cuz he kept coming up next to me, so I just took off on him for about half a mile, so I'm sure that didnt help my mileage.
Old 10-21-2008, 06:03 PM
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Originally Posted by wildkyle90
so with an 09 balt, could i see 30 city 40+ highway with maybe an intake?
I manage 26 city and 38 at 65 MPH, and mines an auto... after I got my intake and exhaust.

Got around 25 and 36 before.


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