re: manual transmission
Ed Oscuro wrote:, but for most people I don't think there's any gas mileage benefits
I drive Geo Metros.
My first was a 5-speed 3-cylinder hatchback which averaged 48-50 mpg.
The next one I got was the best ever, a 5-spd sedan, which I drove around the perimeter of the US - that sucker averaged 38-42 mpg.
Next I go the exact same Geo Metro sedan, but this one was an automatic, all other specifications were the same as the previous manual car. The automatic averaged 28-32 mpg
Exact same driving habits. Exact same car, only difference was the transmission.
I drive roughly 20,0000 miles a year. At $4/gallon of gas the difference in yearly fuel expense is roughly $670 more for driving an automatic.
Currently I have a 5 speed '99 Chevy Metro, and a 5 speed '91 Geo Metro convertible. These are my 4th and 5th metros.
It is simply criminal that US automakers were producing a car with 50 mpg back in 1989, yet here we are in 2013 and 40 mpg is somehow a big deal among the current offerings from the industry.
