Automatic vs. Manual transmission
It's been well known a manual transmission obtains better fuel mileage than
an automatic. My sister is preparing to purchase a Ford Fiesta and wants a manual, mainly for the fuel savings. The sales guy indicated the new transmissions (more so the 6 speed auto in the Fiesta) are better and more fuel efficient than manuals. Anyone know if this is true? |
Automatic vs. Manual transmission
SBH wrote:
> It's been well known a manual transmission obtains better fuel mileage than > an automatic. My sister is preparing to purchase a Ford Fiesta and wants a > manual, mainly for the fuel savings. The sales guy indicated the new > transmissions (more so the 6 speed auto in the Fiesta) are better and more > fuel efficient than manuals. Anyone know if this is true? > > Yep, The computer know how to shift the trans for economy better than you do. The only reason that older autos were worse than a stick was due to the slippage of the converter and the lack of close gearing. New trans have lock up, better gearing, better overall gear ratios and the computer controls make them work much better than a stick. -- Steve W. |
Automatic vs. Manual transmission
On 04/11/2011 05:45 PM, SBH wrote:
> It's been well known a manual transmission obtains better fuel mileage than > an automatic. My sister is preparing to purchase a Ford Fiesta and wants a > manual, mainly for the fuel savings. The sales guy indicated the new > transmissions (more so the 6 speed auto in the Fiesta) are better and more > fuel efficient than manuals. Anyone know if this is true? lots of people know the answer to this. you could too if you could be bothered to look up the numbers on the manufacturer's website. you'd be better off asking the question "why" - if you don't want a "rtfm" answer. -- nomina rutrum rutrum |
Automatic vs. Manual transmission
On 2011-04-12, Steve W. > wrote:
> SBH wrote: >> It's been well known a manual transmission obtains better fuel mileage than >> an automatic. My sister is preparing to purchase a Ford Fiesta and wants a >> manual, mainly for the fuel savings. The sales guy indicated the new >> transmissions (more so the 6 speed auto in the Fiesta) are better and more >> fuel efficient than manuals. Anyone know if this is true? >> >> > > Yep, The computer know how to shift the trans for economy better than > you do. The only reason that older autos were worse than a stick was due > to the slippage of the converter and the lack of close gearing. New > trans have lock up, better gearing, better overall gear ratios and the > computer controls make them work much better than a stick. But for small cars with small engines an MT will probably still be more responsive than an AT programmed for fuel economy. |
Automatic vs. Manual transmission
"SBH" > wrote in message ... > It's been well known a manual transmission obtains better fuel mileage > than an automatic. My sister is preparing to purchase a Ford Fiesta and > wants a manual, mainly for the fuel savings. The sales guy indicated the > new transmissions (more so the 6 speed auto in the Fiesta) are better and > more fuel efficient than manuals. Anyone know if this is true? In many cases, the automatic is at least as economical as, or sometimes better than, the manual. The difference is not worth the worry. And dats the truff, babe ruff. |
Automatic vs. Manual transmission
On 04/11/2011 06:23 PM, Brent wrote:
> On 2011-04-12, Steve > wrote: >> SBH wrote: >>> It's been well known a manual transmission obtains better fuel mileage than >>> an automatic. My sister is preparing to purchase a Ford Fiesta and wants a >>> manual, mainly for the fuel savings. The sales guy indicated the new >>> transmissions (more so the 6 speed auto in the Fiesta) are better and more >>> fuel efficient than manuals. Anyone know if this is true? >>> >>> >> >> Yep, The computer know how to shift the trans for economy better than >> you do. The only reason that older autos were worse than a stick was due >> to the slippage of the converter and the lack of close gearing. New >> trans have lock up, better gearing, better overall gear ratios and the >> computer controls make them work much better than a stick. > > But for small cars with small engines an MT will probably still be more > responsive than an AT programmed for fuel economy. "probably"? -- nomina rutrum rutrum |
Automatic vs. Manual transmission
On 2011-04-12, jim beam > wrote:
> On 04/11/2011 06:23 PM, Brent wrote: >> On 2011-04-12, Steve > wrote: >>> SBH wrote: >>>> It's been well known a manual transmission obtains better fuel mileage than >>>> an automatic. My sister is preparing to purchase a Ford Fiesta and wants a >>>> manual, mainly for the fuel savings. The sales guy indicated the new >>>> transmissions (more so the 6 speed auto in the Fiesta) are better and more >>>> fuel efficient than manuals. Anyone know if this is true? >>>> >>>> >>> >>> Yep, The computer know how to shift the trans for economy better than >>> you do. The only reason that older autos were worse than a stick was due >>> to the slippage of the converter and the lack of close gearing. New >>> trans have lock up, better gearing, better overall gear ratios and the >>> computer controls make them work much better than a stick. >> >> But for small cars with small engines an MT will probably still be more >> responsive than an AT programmed for fuel economy. > > "probably"? What you don't have a smart ass response about some special drag racing automatic? |
Automatic vs. Manual transmission
"jim beam" > wrote in message t... > On 04/11/2011 05:45 PM, SBH wrote: >> It's been well known a manual transmission obtains better fuel mileage >> than >> an automatic. My sister is preparing to purchase a Ford Fiesta and wants >> a >> manual, mainly for the fuel savings. The sales guy indicated the new >> transmissions (more so the 6 speed auto in the Fiesta) are better and >> more >> fuel efficient than manuals. Anyone know if this is true? > > lots of people know the answer to this. you could too if you could be > bothered to look up the numbers on the manufacturer's website. > > you'd be better off asking the question "why" - if you don't want a "rtfm" > answer. > Silly me, why didn't I think of that....? Oh wait, I did, but that doesn't erase my skepticism about manufacture mileage posting. It's similar to the little guy enhancing the size of his johnson because it really isn't. Therefore, I thought I'd bother myself twice and ask in here as well. You know what they say about assumptions. |
Automatic vs. Manual transmission
On Mon, 11 Apr 2011 20:33:09 -0500, "hls" > wrote:
> >"SBH" > wrote in message .. . >> It's been well known a manual transmission obtains better fuel mileage >> than an automatic. My sister is preparing to purchase a Ford Fiesta and >> wants a manual, mainly for the fuel savings. The sales guy indicated the >> new transmissions (more so the 6 speed auto in the Fiesta) are better and >> more fuel efficient than manuals. Anyone know if this is true? > >In many cases, the automatic is at least as economical as, or sometimes >better than, the manual. The difference is not worth the worry. And >dats the truff, babe ruff. The new Ford 6 speed auto has no torque converter. It uses a computer applied clutch to start and shifts between two clutch driven gear trains that change the ratios- one for odd, one for even gears. I wonder how the clutch life will be. -- Mr.E |
Automatic vs. Manual transmission
According to www.fueleconomy.gov, the "regular" automatic Fiesta is rated 29
city / 38 highway. The "regular" manual Fiesta is rated 28 city, 37 highway. The SFE Fiesta, which has the automatic, is rated 29 city, 40 highway. Interestingly, both the regular Fiesta automatic and the SFE Fiesta automatic have a combined rating of 33. The regular manual Fiesta has a combined rating of 32. So, at leat in the government mandated tests, the automatic does get better fuel economy than the manual. The fueleconomy.gov website allows individuals to post fuel economy estimates. The individual estimates for the manual transmission model Fiestas are higher that for the regualr or SFE automatic versions (36.7 for the manual, 34.7 for the regualr automatic, 32.5 for the SFE automatic). These are "personal" estimates, so take them with a grain of salt. Consumer reports tested both manual and an automatic versions of the Fiesta. In the CR testing the overall mileage for the manual was 32 vs 33 for the automatic. The manual got 39 mpg on the CR 150 mile trip. The automatic got 41 on the 150 mile trip. For CR the manual averaged 23 city, 42 highway. The automatic averaged 22 city and 45 highway. Be aware that the Fiesta automatic is not a traditional automatic. It is a sort of computer shifted manual transmission. It is a dual clutch transmission and unlike traditional automatic transmissions, it does not have a torque converter. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_clutch_transmission. I have a 2011 Fiesta with an automatic. So far in my normal sort of driving I am averaging just short of 36 mpg. I don't get a lot better on a long trip (maybe 38 or so) but then I don't get much worse around town. I bought a regular automatic Fiesta (not the SFE). The SFE model costs about $600 more and although it has a higher highway rating (40 vs 38), the in town and combined ratings are the same as the regular Fiesta. According to the Ford salesman (not exactly an expert in my opinion) the SFE has additional areodynamic features that allow it to achieve the higher highway ratings. I doubt this (I didn't see any dramatic differences). I think it had more to do with the tires (the SFE has different tires) and possibly the transmission shift programming. I drove both and didn't really see much different in performance between the two. Ed "SBH" > wrote in message ... > It's been well known a manual transmission obtains better fuel mileage > than an automatic. My sister is preparing to purchase a Ford Fiesta and > wants a manual, mainly for the fuel savings. The sales guy indicated the > new transmissions (more so the 6 speed auto in the Fiesta) are better and > more fuel efficient than manuals. Anyone know if this is true? > |
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