Personally I beleive that if all manufaturers really rethink things properly, they could re equate the ratios on the AUTO transmissions, I found my Auto revs way too high, and in someways I am begging for another gear for final drive.

Before modifying things on my car...

I found that my overdrive gear would rev at or over 3000RPM even at 105-110kmph and the bitch is half way to 4000 by 115-120kmph

comparing that to my honda Civic my girlfriend has revs nicely at 2600RPM

I mean hell I think they should get off the specs that the average canadian goes 100kmph on the highway... Come on the average bastard on the road these days drives 120 average... they should bring the balance point up alittle more and harmonize things better.

I beleive Honda is one of the few companys to actually figure this out Anyone think so?

 

I agree that the auto tranny needs a higher 4th gear also for highway cruising, since many of us commute driving at speeds at 120km/h plus. I feel the engine has more than enough power to push the car at high speeds using a higher 4th gear.

I hardly experience it since I don't use the highway often due to my short commute.

The plus side to short gearing is that it revs quickly, and umm....you get alot of engine braking....which I think is bad..

 

I like the current gearing then again I have a 1.6l pro and need the exra power off the lower gears. If they were to space the stuff out any more I wouldnt move at all.

 

I don't know why Mazda picked such low top gear ratios for both trannys. The 2.0 is not comfortable at normal freeway speeds. New civics with less hp rev about 500 rpm less at 70 mph. I wish someone would sell a replacement for the 5th gearset. The other 4 speeds are fine.

 

(Edited to reflect and respect newly implemented site policy of language control)

It isn't just the auto transmission that's fornicated up in the Protege. Manual revs the engine at similar unnecessarily high RPM's in 5th gear. It makes for a noisy, less efficient, more stressed engine, and I've resented it from my first road trip in this car.

Some people don't mind it, but Protege revs higher than any other similar class vehicle out there. Sentra, Civic, Corolla-- They ALL rev at more efficient and comfortable RPM's at highway speed.

I'd like to flog whoever approved that transmission design over at Mazda, personally. That posterior orifice.

 

I can't speak for the older models, but the 00-03.5 proteges use a much higher final drive gear. I think it's about 4.21:1 this allows for a much stronger launch and more power for city driving. The 2.0L engines were not designed like honda engines (thank God). They were designed to be used in several models across the boards and it was decided that having more power available at lower rpms was better than winding out each gear to get up to cruising speed. I personally love my 03 P5, but I wish they added a 6th gear made only for cruising, somethig to negate the high final drive.


also, watch the language. this board isn't here for people to be stupid. We're good guys who talk cars.