I have an automatic 2006 civic, and drive my friends manual and I must say their is a noticeable difference* on the highway (5th vs 5th) ( when coasting )*

He endured me they were the same trannies and I was "wrong" but I searched and found this on the honda website:

5-Speed Manual Transmission
Gear Ratios:
1st: 3.143
2nd: 1.870
3rd: 1.235
4th: 0.949
5th: 0.727

VS

Compact 5-Speed Automatic Transmission
Gear Ratios:
1st: 2.666,
2nd: 1.534,
4rd: 1.022,
4th: 0.721,
5th: 0.525,

Automatic has much lower higway gear...so will get WAY better MPG...if the manual had the same low gear it would get INSANE gas mileage...

Any ideas?!?

Thanks!!!!

 

manual has higher ratio on the last gear to keep it nearer the power band to allow for easier acceleration if needed. The Si's also have a huge jump on the 6th gear. The RPMs drop 1K between 5th and 6th when shifting whereas between any other gear the RPMs drop about 500 or so. 3K RPMs in my FA5 in 6th gear is about 63MPH/100KMH.
Automatic trannys are not direct drive trannys and don't need to rely on RPM as much at cruise speeds.

 

Good thought...

But that does not make a great deal if sense to me...if you want power then you downshift... I would much rather have a low high gear and have to shift then to loose MPG'S

And the SI is a but better (due to 6 speed)

But I'm still disappointed...

Close-Ratio 6-Speed Manual Transmission

Gear Ratios:
1st: 3.267,
2nd: 2.130,
3rd: 1.517,
4th: 1.147,
5th: 0.921,

I kinda think its a conspiracy to make people buy autos (more $$) and to not make cars to efficient... But IDK...

 

Sorry missed 6th gear!!!!


6th: 0.659

And here is site link
http://www.honda.com/newsandviews/ar...=2005082958648

 

And to debunk your calim 97emsedan...

Here is the 2006 Toyota corolla transmission gears...

5-Speed Manual Transmission

1st: 3.166
2nd: 1.904
3rd: 1.310
4th: 0.885
5th: 0.725

4-Speed Automatic Transmission
1st: 3.643
2nd: 2.008
3rd: 1.296
4th: 0.892


Almost identical...(1-4)... The manual equipped corolla would get better MPG's and its safe to say a 5 speed automatic would look the same (similar gears)...

Any explanations?!?

Maybe it is a conspiracy ....

 

I call shenanigan's!!!

 

That word, I don't think it means what you think it does. Assured is the word you're after

The automatic has a much higher 5th gear. There's a lot more to this than what you're looking at. You also need to compare the final drive ratios, also a torque converter is only about 70% efficient other than when it's locked up (happens at around 40 - 45MPH) A clutch is more or less 100% efficient when your foot is off the pedal. Also higher RPM does not equal worse fuel mileage directly. It has more to do with throttle position. If you have a car that runs along in 5th at 3500RPM at 60MPH but needing very little throttle to maintain that speed you'll get better mileage than the same car with a 5th gear that runs at 1500RPM at 60MPH that requires half throttle to keep the car moving at the same speed.

The Si is sort of hard to compare being that they use a completely different engine. Also it revs significantly higher in 6th than a base model does in 5th despite having an extra gear. This is where you need to figure in that final drive I was talking about earlier.