I hear you about the speed thing. Everyone I encountered on the road today seemed to be driving like idiots. With my AT, it won't go into 6th until 40/41 mph. On roads with a 45 mph speed limit, I constantly find people who just go along at 45 and then randomly decide to slow down. I don't know if they're distracted or what, but it never fails, they drop down to 40 and then by the time they realize it, they're down to 38. That means I'm out of 6th, and it then takes them a little time to get back up above 41 again to get back in 6th.

It'll do maybe 35 mpg at best rolling in 5th (but more likely high 20s if even a slight incline), but I can easily hit 50 in 6th and coast a little easier. And of course when I'm having to feather it some to get back to 41, that doesn't help.

People.

 

Not true. Every car is different in regards to the most efficient speed. My old S70 got its best mileage right at 55 mph when the torque converter could lock up in 4th gear - I could manage 38 out of a car highway rated at 25-28. At 45, it searched for a comfortable RPM. Our Toyota hits 6th around 50. Some cars are designed to hit their economical high right at 55 mph since its the most common highway speed limit in the US.

The Cruze - Eco even - has shorter gears than most trucks because of the small engine size. That taller gearing enables the trucks to hit their MPG stride at highway speeds.

I do agree about people not being able to maintain speeds - annoys the heck out of me. I just want to Cruze along at at the speed limit, yet there's morons scattered everywhere doing 10 under.


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Not true. Every car is different in regards to the most efficient speed. My old S70 got its best mileage right at 55 mph when the torque converter could lock up in 4th gear - I could manage 38 out of a car highway rated at 25-28. At 45, it searched for a comfortable RPM. Our Toyota hits 6th around 50. Some cars are designed to hit their economical high right at 55 mph since its the most common highway speed limit in the US.

Ah yes, you are correct. I agree that the most fuel efficient speed for the vast majority of cars is the slowest speed they can travel in their highest gear.

BUT, what you are pointing out is a problem with people in general. They choose automatics over manuals and are then slaves to the computer in the car, forced to take gear changes only as they are handed out. I will never buy an automatic simply because I want to be the one driving the car, and this situation is a perfect reason why:

At 55 MPH (88 km/h), one would be traveling at 28 km/h over the limit of 60 on this particular road, about 50% over, and risking a large speeding ticket. I would be tempted to drive that speed just to get better fuel economy, but the money saved on gas would never cover the speeding fines I would get! With a manual I can put it in high gear whenever I want and get great fuel economy... at 50 MPH (80 km/h) the engine in my Eco MT is only turning ~1500 RPM in sixth gear.

I do agree about people not being able to maintain speeds - annoys the heck out of me. I just want to Cruze along at at the speed limit, yet there's morons scattered everywhere doing 10 under.

YEP! I can't believe the number of people who pay so little attention to their driving that they can't even bother to maintain their speed. Unfortunately, these people are so completely removed from driving that they probably don't even know what cruise control is or how to use it. I feel a bit safe generalising here because I've driven with a lot of people who fit this description... I get stressed out just driving with them! I'm looking at people piling up behind us as the speedometer drops and drops, then someone will pass and the driver speeds back up. On occation I've told them that they are actually the driver I hate to be behind, and usually they just look at me with a blank stare and say something like "I'm not doing anything wrong.?...?".

 

One route I take is a 55mph US highway that has not been upgraded in 20 years. It has lots of higher priority roads that intersect it in that 20 mile route, unfortunately there is no turning lanes in either direction. That means every 5minutes you have to slow down for someone turning.

Everyone else drives as fast as they can go & ride the other cars bumpers & jams on there brakes when this happens. I found that if I do 45mph & get 300-600ft distance between me & the car in front, then get upto 55-60mph I usually never have to slow down below 35mph when cars have to turn.

at 45mph the 2012 automatic is at 1500RPM in 6th gear, that means if you hit any hills you need to shift to 5th to maintain speed(brings the RPM above 2,200RPM). The automatic will get 39mpg average in mixed driving if one sticks to mostly 45mph roads even when needing to downshift to 5th for hills.

 

Just joined this forum a few minutes ago and have yet to read an account to compare to my experience the day I brought my '11 Eco MT home a couple of weeks ago.

After picking up the car and filling up the tank, I got on the expressway to drive the 45-50 miles home. I figured out the MPG readout, zeroed it, and set the cruise control and sat on 70 MPH for the bulk of the way home with a few interruptions due to traffic, got off the expressway to drive the last 5-ish miles on two-lane roads and into my subdivision and into my driveway. The MPG readout displayed 51.6 MPG. I was flabbergasted.

Is this to be expected?

 

Yes. The DIC was also probably high by 5-10% so your actual pump to pump measured MPG was anywhere from 46-48 MPG.

Welcome to CruzeTalk. My ECO MT has spoiled me at the pump for just the reason you discovered.

 

It's getting very hard to find good cars in a manual transmission. People like their automatics and almost never bother to learn anything else.

I believe if I hadn't had an old truck or old car to learn on, my parents probably would never have taught me.

Fortunately there have been a number of "sporty" cars designed lately with a manual transmission as an option - but good luck finding one in a normal car. My Cruze was one of 3 LTs with a manual within 200 miles of me. Ford Fusions have to be special ordered with one, along with the Elantra. Even Honda, long known for having manual options on most cars, has excluded them from the top trim level cars.


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It's getting very hard to find good cars in a manual transmission. People like their automatics and almost never bother to learn anything else. http://www.autoguide.com/mobile

Including how to drive.

 

I really don't see what every ones deals is regarding people who drive a few MPH under the speed limit. Maybe not everyone is in a hurry, or maybe just maybe, there's still a few of us left out here who manage to leave their house on time, if not a few minutes early, to have a nice quiet drive to or fro.

What bugs the crap out of me, if for some A-hole to pass me up like he's going to a fire, when there's clearly cars coming in the other direction, then to be sitting at the stop sign when I pull up behind him/her. Really? Was that 10 second lead that important to you?

Anyhow, when I'm out on the road, I'm never in a hurry to get any where. Life is too short to always be stressing about being some where so fast.

 

If you're on a 2-lane road, drive the number on the sign and I won't have a problem with you. If you're going 10 under the number on the sign, yes, it bugs the crap out of me. If you're on the highway, do whatever you want, but stay the heck out of the left lane.

 

LOL...Well, I could careless if you had a problem with me on the road or not. You don't own it. The #s on the sign are to show you how fast you can go...it's not meant that you have to go that fast.

In my neck of the woods, hardly anyone drives the speed limit on the 2 lane roads. We've all seen enough deer/car wrecks to know better. To each their own I guess. I just prefer to keep my car in one piece.

 

This is what causes road rage!! Please pull over and let drivers who wish to do the speed limit pass before you kill someone!

 

40 years ago car speedometers weren't as accurate as they are now either, so it was easy to have your speedometer off by as much as 5 MPH. Now more than 1 MPH is unusual as long as you haven't changed the tire size on the car.

 

You have people that merge on the highway at 35 too?!? God I hate that. Not only can my Cruze not get from 35-65 that fast, if you would just get down the friggen ramp at a reasonable speed, I wouldn't have to floor it and fear for people rear ending me while trying to find a way around you! Grrrr.


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My "favorite" is stopping at the middle of the acceleration lane because they didn't bother to hang up their d*** phone and look to see what they're merging into.