Regular driving habits?

skarab

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Liquid Platinum 2007 Mazdaspeed 6 Sport
I was just wondering what the general rpm range that everyone runs at normal everyday driving? Is it better for the engine to run around the 2k mark or do you guys run about 3k? Also where do you normally shift at for everyday conditions?
 
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what about your shifting? about where do you normally shift for optimal smoothness......or as smooth as this car shifts which I think is very tough to achieve
 
so far i've found that the car does the least work in 2500-2900rpm, 71mph is the most efficient mph/mpg to drive at as well since i started tallying my highway driving. get close to 30mpg with cruise.
 
what about your shifting? about where do you normally shift for optimal smoothness......or as smooth as this car shifts which I think is very tough to achieve

I usually shift around 4500-5500 with a healthy amount of right foot to get there, and a little clutch feathering if you want it smooth. This transmission is kind of jerky, so it's hard to get a smooth engagement without feathering.
 
During normal driving I shift between 2200-2400. Highway driving I usually sustain 78mph (2900 revs). I get 25.5mpg city and 33.7mpg highway. Before any mods I only got 27mpg highway for the same long trip.
 
i just try not to let it go lower than 2k. the motor seems to "lug" (for lack of a better term) to much, and just seems hard on the engine.

this is a heavy car, and doesnt make much torque till 3k or so.

i agree with the highway cruise at 70. that seems to return the best gas mileage and still a decent traveling pace.
 
I try to shift around 3K during normal driving, since that seems to be where boost kicks in and gas mileage drops. I try to run her about 2500 when I'm cruise-controlled.
 
Wow, ya'll baby your cars.

I don't pay for gasoline so that may be why I don't mind running her out. I'm not trying to acheive any MPG improvements.
 
Wow, ya'll baby your cars.

I don't pay for gasoline so that may be why I don't mind running her out. I'm not trying to acheive any MPG improvements.

me neither, thats just how i drive when i'm not romping on it. cuz ya cant do that every where all the time. these cars can cover a pretty good distance i a very short period of time. as if your almost leaping down the road. i love it, but it can be downright dangerous on public roads.
 
I usually keep mine around 2500-3000, but I'll get on it and take it up to 4000-4500, especially with the AP installed. I average about 25-26 mpg in my driving cycle, but have gotten better cruising at 70-75.

I found 5th gear @ 45mph helps a lot too, I used to drive with it in 6th at that speed. Our cars don't like to be at the lowest rpm possible.
 
I pretty much only use 6th over 50+. Pretty much everyone has said everything. Normal city or traffic driving I shift around 3k before the boost kicks in. "Spirited" I keep it between 3500-4500 for power, and WOT I shift it around 5500.
 
I usually keep mine around 2500-3000, but I'll get on it and take it up to 4000-4500, especially with the AP installed. I average about 25-26 mpg in my driving cycle, but have gotten better cruising at 70-75.

I found 5th gear @ 45mph helps a lot too, I used to drive with it in 6th at that speed. Our cars don't like to be at the lowest rpm possible.

I've found that in city driving keeping the car between 1900-2400 is really the sweet spot (for my particular car). Lower than 1900 and you can start feeling the car lug a bit. Higher than that and I start to get into the turbo spooling up. I use to do the same thing as Steve with sixth but have also found that keeping it in fifth unless I'm surpassing the 55 mph threshold nets better driveability.
 
for WOT with my mods 6k rpm shifts are giving me real good feedback from the clutch, all it needs is an inch of depression and you get a super shift. was afraid to take it that high before the BOV but now its holding boost all the way with lots of flow. mine is probably turned a little harder than most.
 
Most times I shift around 3k, and downshift if I get back to 2k and need any kind of acceleration. I don't like stepping on the gas below 2k, it just feels wrong to me, the car is anemic and slow and I feel like I'm doing something wrong.
 
2500 and 5500 for me.
i dont think there really is a smooth point. it may be in your head. but for my car it seems that shifting about 3200 lets the revs drop as fast as i leasurely shift to the next gear, so its smooth for me.
 
like most others I usually shift normally around 3k/3200 if I am on a ramp or in a hurry about 5500.
 
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