How high do you rev your engine?

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I'm sort of taking an informal survey of driver's habits.

Under different conditions, what are your shift points for engine speed when you are driving? i.e.: Normal stop and go traffic, accelerating onto a highway, max throttle acceleration, etc.

What max engine speed do you consider comfortable when you're cruising down the highway?

What kind of rpm wouldn't you mind hearing on an all-day drive?

What engine speed do you consider to be "lugging", and will downshift to get out of it?
 
In my Silverado, if floored it shifts at about 5k rpm. I normally drive around 2.3k rpm shifts or a little less. I don't like to go over 4000 rpm in any situation or the on ramps.

70MPH is 2000 RPM exactly for my truck. That's a nice calm cruising rpm.
 
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With my 505 CI V10, I will idle in 6th down to 600 rpm at 30 mph. I regularly wind it out to 6300 rpm when power shifting or just getting on it.
 
1200 with very light throttle is as low as I'll go, but normally I'll rev to around 3.5k in each gear. 5-6k if I'm fooling around.
 
If it is warmed up I will sometimes take my S-10 up to around 4.5k to 5k (I don't have a tach) before I will shift. Cruising on the highway at 70 mph I'm turning somewhere around 2800 rpm.
 
My Nissan (3.0 TD), is 1,500 to 3,000 typically. Will wind it out to 3,500 through the gears if I need to be a little speedy, and 4,100 occasionally when conditions are that I can hold load/revs within reasonable speed limit. Cruising is around 2,700 RPM at 100km/h

Caprice, the 4L60E does all the thinking, and won't go over 4,500 RPM. Cruising is 1700-1800 RPM.

Old E30 used to see 6,000 most times it was started
 
in the 323 V6, I'll gladly take off from a legit 500rpm in second- it's that smooth, even have it on video. will go off the limiter any chance i can. it's geared too short IMO, and plan to install a 0.680 overdrive gearset up from the 0.795 currently installed.

in the pontiac 3.5l, it's auto, and as with every inept autobox that offers limited control, i will induce upshifts with accelerator pedal movements for daily driving. otherwise if you press and hold the gas at a certain, moderate position, it revs way too high before upshifing for my tastes (3200-3500) which is so needless for an engine with that kind of available torque that redlines at 6k. also, the thing will not downshift to 2nd on the highway when you mat the pedal, despite there being useable rpm left. you literally have to pull the gear level all the way down to L to force a downshift, otherwise it just hangs up in third at the 60-65mph range and leaves you helpless. what a pos.

in the old 97 camry 4cyl auto, i had installed a torque converter lockup switch. it wouldn't lock in 1st (boo) but any gear above that and the tc lockup hydraulic channel was free to operate. i used to lug the heck out of it- well actually nurse very minute accelerator movements to prevent violent and unsable combustion- getting at low as around the 11-1200rpm range - that engine was not a smooth low-rpm operator, but i did like cutting the fuel consumption as much as possible by limiting rpm and extracting as much out of the power stroke as possible, during those commutes to work at 2230h in the night.
 
In my manual transmission Corvette, it is usually 2500-3000 rpms. I have only redlined (6500 rpms) it a handful of times. Being a six speed with 6th a .5 ratio, it cruises at about 1100 rpms at 60 mph. Huge torque, great aerodynamics, and low weight make it an economy car on the highway, best mileage for 160 mile trip (flat land) was 36.5 mpg.
 
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
Under different conditions, what are your shift points for engine speed when you are driving? i.e.: Normal stop and go traffic, accelerating onto a highway, max throttle acceleration, etc.

This would be greatly influenced by the type of engine. In my 530i, I'll shift at around 2500-3000 rpm if I'm in no rush. Accelerating onto a highway - around 4000 rpm. Max throttle - I'll take it up to red line.

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What max engine speed do you consider comfortable when you're cruising down the highway?

Highly depends on how that engine sounds. Assuming it doesn't sound like a POS, I'll have no problem with 4K rpm.

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What kind of rpm wouldn't you mind hearing on an all-day drive?

Depends on a car/engine.

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What engine speed do you consider to be "lugging", and will downshift to get out of it?

1600 rpm and below.
 
My 4.0 cherokee I'll do my best to keep the auto trans shifting below 3000. Don't really need to since the 4.0 makes all of it's power below 3000 RPM.

My Focus I try to keep between 1800 and 4000. It "lugs" below 1500.
 
Originally Posted By: A_Harman

Under different conditions, what are your shift points for engine speed when you are driving? i.e.: Normal stop and go traffic,


3-4K

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accelerating onto a highway,


5,500-6,000

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max throttle acceleration, etc.


6,800-7K (limiter)

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What max engine speed do you consider comfortable when you're cruising down the highway?


Between 2 and 3K

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What kind of rpm wouldn't you mind hearing on an all-day drive?


Between 2 and 3K

Quote:
What engine speed do you consider to be "lugging", and will downshift to get out of it?


1,500 or below. Usually I keep it around 2K.
 
Keep in mind people's cars are geared differently and some have much lower or higher redlines. My rev limiter is somewhere around 8,500RPM and I tickle it sometimes a few times a day, sometimes not at all in a day.

In normal driving, I am probably around 2.5-3K shifts. Merging onto a highway I typically either just rev around 4K while accelerating, or right to redline if I want to have some fun.

I like to keep it under 3,500 if possible on the highway, not because I care about the revs, it's a gas mileage issue.

With my car, lugging is honestly around 2K and under.. It is a free revving engine, and it really wants to be revved to make power, there is not much torque.
 
Depends on the car.

My son's Mazda RX8 makes amazing power from 5000 rpm to 8500 rpm.

It's better not to lug that engine at all.

But 5500 rpm is a good, economical shift point.

I keep my BMW M6 in M1 (automatic) mode and that keeps the revs up for maximum performance.

I have to admit I can't manually paddle shift the 7 speed transmission quicker than the superb BMW automatic programming logic.
 
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