3:73 vs 4:10
- Thread starter RsStanG1987
- Start date
Michael Yount
Mustang Master
If you're careful guys - you can have good performance and reasonable gas mileage from an efi V-8. Only to those with limited thinking does it have to be an either/or situation.
Michael Yount
Mustang Master
And that's just one example; I'm sure there are many newer Mustangs out there that get reasonable mileage. I remain amazed that the 3000 lb. 'aero-brick' I drive has great performance, and consistantly knocks down 19 mpg around town, and 24-26 on the road. Every now and then even a blind squirrel finds an acorn...
Michael Yount said:
I remember that last quote...must be your favorite
Yeah there have been a few cases where the 99+ Gt got 29-30mpg out of the 5spd (327 gear ratio)...and the ls1 that I mentioned above has 342's thru a T-56...
I think it all has to do with relativity. A v8 puts out more torque then a 4 banger period. So in turn these things can do more work with less of a load on the engine and do it in a more efficient manner by not having to turn such a high rpm to get a respectable amount of power on the pavement. When my mustang was completely stock I did 90% highway driving and got roughly 25 mpg - yet I got grief on how that shouldn't be so from a few friends that had 4 cylinder trucks and others with v6 cars because I either barely beat them or matched them overall. However it also relates back to those numbers for rpms while cruising. Many were humming along at the 3000-3500 rpm range on the highway while I was churning a mere 1400. I gaurantee you however though if I had to buzz along at the same 3000-3500 range (that is to compare in a fair way) that I most definitely would be getting some considerably worse gas mileage - 18 to be exact when I actually did it with no o/d one tank full.
The lessons are there for everything and this is like all the others, but rest assured your gas mileage will always suffer to some extent when the final drive ratio is raised.
The lessons are there for everything and this is like all the others, but rest assured your gas mileage will always suffer to some extent when the final drive ratio is raised.
Michael Yount
Mustang Master
Just returned on a 700 mile round trip to-from Augusta in my wife's 4-cylinder powered car. We ran in the 70-80 mph speed range, where the car revs in the 3400-3800 rpm range - and we averaged 37.7 mpg for the trip. The 4 banger can make the required power more efficiently even at the higher revs - and the car's better aero/lighter weight don't hurt either.
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