Just picked up my '03 P5 today, and while browsing through the boards earlier I could have sworn people have stated that their P5 stuck at 3500 RPM at 120Kph?? My shiftronic auto was a smigen over 3000 RPM at 120Kph! In my book that's ok as the '88 Prelude I own too does right about the same (it's auto too).

Now did I read wrong earlier or are the RPM's right?

 

I drive a 5-speed Protege 5 (2003). While cruising at 70 MPH, i am around 3250 RPM's. I think the auto is a little lower than that due to different final drive gear ratios.

From my conversion calculations if I were driving 120kph I would be around 3454 RPM's with a 5-speed and the auto could be 450 RPM's lower. You might have been a little off in your reading, too.

I think you are fine.

Don't worry about it that much and enjoy driving your P5. Nice car.......

-R

 

I may have read wrong... but the part that confuses me more now is the fact that the "manuals" should have better gas mileage on the hi-way thatn "auto's", but if they're at a higher RPM would they not have worse gas mileage because of the added RPMs???


I'm not complaining, I'm just perplexed! Oh and my 2000 SiR I had (Si in the the states) was near 4000 RPM at 120Kph.....boy am I ever happy I sold that car for more than I paid for it

 

I think the manual gets better milage to do the engine being kept in the power-band easier than the auto due to the gear ranges being closer than the auto? It requires less the engine to use less gas to get to the speed the user wants. Also, when on the highway cruising, the engine has an easier time pulling the load at a higher RPM than a lower RPM. The engine is spinning less but you are giving it more throttle to keep the speed or accelerate? It is getting late here.....i'll think about it over night. Our engines love to REV and they are meant to run up there.....

-R