[Lucky13]

Since I purchased my car I have found that driving in town I never use fifth or sixth gear. I find sixth is utterly useless unless you are at speed in clear traffic for miles. Fifth gear is also useless in traffic for passing. I find on the interstate I travel in fourth gear since it allows me to maintain speed and pass in traffic. My RPM are around 3600 at 75 MPH. I still get around 17mpg around town. I would have a hard time ever buying an eight speed manual if they ever make one.

 

[Dodgeguy]

I rarely get out of 4th in city driving, I try to shift to the next gear at 2,000 rpm. On the freeway I use 5th or 6th depending on traffic.

 

[KeysB5Blue]

4th is sufficient for a lot of driving around here. So much so that I often forget about 5th and 6th until I look down. But then again the speed limit here is 45 or lower on 90 percent of the roads. Downshifting to 4th is a must for decent acceleration for passing. On the mainland (turnpike) the speed limit it 70 in most places, so I spend most of that in 6th.

 

[Lucky13]

Call it a four speed and call it a day. Most of the manual cars back in the day were either 3 or four speed. In fourth you can hit up to 110 or so Ive heard. I have travelled in fifth maybe 5% out of 30k and sixth maybe 2%.

 

[thuffman03]

1 though 4 in and around town. When I get onto a highway then I will use 5 and 6. 6th gear at 2000 rpm is about 90mph.

 

[Dodgeguy]

In 6th on the interstate I have gotten close to 29 mpg, not bad.

 

[TikiMan]

The higher gear you drive in the better gas mileage you will obtain.

 

[Back2BackRTs]

When I had my 6-speed I used 5th for open freeway in and around town but did shift into 4th for quick passing. I only used 6th on cross country drives and usually only above 65mph. 6th increased the mpg a noticeable amount on the cross country drives.

 

[cdahl383]

I use 4th around town, use 5th when I'm going 50mph or more, and I use 6th gear when I'm going 65mph or more.

When I need to pass on the highway I just downshift from 6th to 4th, hit the gas a little before I let the clutch out to rev match a little, then hit the gas and pass the slow movers.

Cruising on the highway at 3600 RPM in 4th gear is just wasting a lot of gas. You'd probably save quite a bit of gas by cruising most of the time in 6th and then downshifting when you need to pass. Would be a little easier on your engine too turning lower RPM's, etc.

If I could change anything on the trans I would opt for a less steep 1st gear, somewhere between 1st and 2nd, then move 2nd up a little, so the drop from 3rd to 4th wasn't as great. 1st gear on these cars is really short.

But that's a minor complaint, I love shifting gears everyday, sure beats driving some stupid bland econobox like everyone else on the road!

 

[bad8nti]

I find 4th gear in towns around here. I use 5th when merging unto the interstate in rural areas, 4th if warranted due to traffic. My driving style and pass planning on the interstate around here means I very seldom have to come out of 6th.

 

[Lucky13]

So here is a breakdown of speed and gear for me.

0-20 = 1st
20-30 =2nd
30-45= 3rd
45-80= 4th

5th or 6th requires open road which is rare in Jacksonville. I keep my RPM between 3000-3800 in every gear. I know that I suffer maybe 2-3mpg but anything less and I feel the car is a pig. As much traffic as we have in my town and interstates, which are bumper to bumper, anything other than 3000RPM will get you passed or cut in front of all the time.

 

[Trimec T56]

Misunderstood, I thought this was about aggressively holding out the lower gears...disregard

 

[WXman]

Yes the original cars had 3 and 4 speeds in them. But, they also got miserable gas mileage and fuel was only .50 cents. Heard a guy last week say that his old 340c.i. car would get about 9 miles to the gallon. Ouch.

Today we've got 5 and 6 speeds and much better fuel efficiency so if I had a manual transmission still I would keep using the upper gears on the highway. Turning over 3,000RPM is a big no-no for me personally. I'd either upshift or slow down.

 

[Black425]

Call it a four speed and call it a day. Most of the manual cars back in the day were either 3 or four speed. In fourth you can hit up to 110 or so Ive heard. I have travelled in fifth maybe 5% out of 30k and sixth maybe 2%.

My 3rd gear tops out at 90. 4th gear tops at 144-145.

 

[Mrchen]

I do putt around at 50 mph in 5th when I can, I have a lot of suburban 45 mph roads

 

[the greek mopar man]

Since my car is a cop magnet i usually keep it in 5th on the highway, 6th if i remember it has a 6th gear!

 

[Shanes13]

Pretty much the same as everyone... 4th is the money gear... 5th sees some action and 6th is pretty much a highway only affair...

My 4th gear has taken me to 116mph and was still pulling - I was close to redline though...

 

[Renaikan]

Depends on the speed limit. Highway where speed limit is generally at 65, I go to 6th. Speed limit at 55 on county or town roads, I generally get to 5th gear. 45 I stay at 4th. 30 I stay in 3rd.

Just FYI, going in 6th gear at 65, our cars, with a Hemi, have so much torque, you can easily accelerate to pass another car in that gear.

 

[Renaikan]

I use 4th around town, use 5th when I'm going 50mph or more, and I use 6th gear when I'm going 65mph or more.

When I need to pass on the highway I just downshift from 6th to 4th, hit the gas a little before I let the clutch out to rev match a little, then hit the gas and pass the slow movers.

Cruising on the highway at 3600 RPM in 4th gear is just wasting a lot of gas. You'd probably save quite a bit of gas by cruising most of the time in 6th and then downshifting when you need to pass. Would be a little easier on your engine too turning lower RPM's, etc.

If I could change anything on the trans I would opt for a less steep 1st gear, somewhere between 1st and 2nd, then move 2nd up a little, so the drop from 3rd to 4th wasn't as great. 1st gear on these cars is really short.

But that's a minor complaint, I love shifting gears everyday, sure beats driving some stupid bland econobox like everyone else on the road!

Quoted for truth.

 

[stig]

I use 4th or 5th around town. You can practically idle at 30mph or so in 5th. I think 1st is too short as had been mentioned earlier, I only use it from a dead stop. 6th is for the highway. 3rd is for the end of the on ramp to the highway so I can pick my spot with authority. There's more than enough torque to pass in 6th above 60mph, if you need to be a little quicker 5th is good, if you want a little Hemi sound and a very brisk pass 4th is fun, but if you want to suck the headlights out of the car you're passing 3rd is awesome!