Quote:
Originally Posted by lemon
yea mc gerbil please post vehicles that get better mpg w/auto
I'll wait.
(jk no I won't)
|
Pretty much every current model 'mainstream' Asian car? Many are switching to CVTs, but where an auto (or CVT) and manual option are both available, you'll generally find the differences are pretty small, but still usually going
against the stick. Go look some up, take your pick.
That goes for you too, Arak.
Along with the civic there, Subarus CVTs in their XV and Imprezza outperform the manuals, pretty sure Lancers and Camrys do similarly. Mazda is still using traditional autos, but their 'skyactiv' 3, 5 and 6 models all still do better than their manuals. Hyundai Elantra, and whatever the Kia equivalent is are there too.
No doubt the US makers are still lagging behind. Euros are pushing dual-clutch setups (autos, no fluid torque converter, and again - more economical than stick).
Bear in mind as well, that the test figures are certainly better than you're likely to achieve in both cases, but when testing they're generally driving to some very strict guidelines to maximise efficiency. Guidelines the average driver is almost certainly not going to be following. Manually selecting when to change gear for optimum efficiency is one more variable that people will generally get all over the place. Autos, and even better CVTs, are much more reliably 'in the right spot' more of the time.