YACT: Engine Speed vs Vehicle Speed in top gear

Jan 31, 2002
40,819
2
0
2005 Civic 5MT.
3000rpm in 5th gear = 72mph.

Can I get some vehicle speeds @ 3K, or engine speeds @ 70mph, along with respective make and model? Every car rag seems to be saying that I should be doing 62mph at those speeds - thus why they bitch and moan about the Civic being "buzzy at highway speeds" because they're doing around 3400rpm.

- M4H
 

overst33r

Diamond Member
Oct 3, 2004
5,761
12
81
Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
2005 Civic 5MT.
3000rpm in 5th gear = 72mph.

Can I get some vehicle speeds @ 3K, or engine speeds @ 70mph, along with respective make and model? Every car rag seems to be saying that I should be doing 62mph at those speeds - thus why they bitch and moan about the Civic being "buzzy at highway speeds" because they're doing around 3400rpm.

- M4H

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. I don't have a tach, but my Corolla does about that at 70 in 5th gear.
 

melchoir

Senior member
Nov 3, 2002
761
1
0
70mph in 4th in my car is around 2000RPM.

I don't have any info about your civic, unfortunately.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Sounds normal for a 4 banger.

3K gives me 90-95 Mph. TL, 6 speed.

Next question - done anything to the wheels/tires?
 

overst33r

Diamond Member
Oct 3, 2004
5,761
12
81
Originally posted by: spidey07
Sounds normal for a 4 banger.

3K gives me 90-95 Mph. TL, 6 speed.

Next question - done anything to the wheels/tires?

Wow, that's some tall gearing for a Japanese model.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: mariok2006
Originally posted by: spidey07
Sounds normal for a 4 banger.

3K gives me 90-95 Mph. TL, 6 speed.

Next question - done anything to the wheels/tires?

Wow, that's some tall gearing for a Japanese model.

Got torque?

Mercenary - that seems about right, what you are seeing.
 

sonoma1993

Diamond Member
May 31, 2004
3,414
21
81
my 99 gmc sonoma 4.3L V6 4 speed automatic, 3.42 rear end, at 70mph, it around 2200rpms, around 2600rpms im at about 80mph.
 

andy04

Golden Member
Dec 14, 2006
1,000
0
76
My 95 Altima (I4) used to run at 80 Mph at 3000 rpm.
My 04 Maxima(V6) runs at 80 Mph at around 2800 rpm
 

Thorny

Golden Member
May 8, 2005
1,122
0
0
My Z28 is around 1600RPM at 70MPH in 6th gear.

3000RPM would be ballpark 130MPH.
 

mithrandir2001

Diamond Member
May 1, 2001
6,545
1
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Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
2005 Civic 5MT.
3000rpm in 5th gear = 72mph.

Actually that seems fairly low RPM for that speed. This is a 1.7L I-4 we are talking about here.

I'm going from memory but my 2003 Subaru Outback wagon MT does less than 65mph at 3000rpm in 5th gear. If I'm doing 80 on the highway the engine is turning over at nearly 4000rpm. Gearing is pretty steep.


 

amicold

Platinum Member
Feb 7, 2005
2,656
1
81
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: mariok2006
Originally posted by: spidey07
Sounds normal for a 4 banger.

3K gives me 90-95 Mph. TL, 6 speed.

Next question - done anything to the wheels/tires?

Wow, that's some tall gearing for a Japanese model.

Got torque?

Mercenary - that seems about right, what you are seeing.

You don't have that much torque.
 

3chordcharlie

Diamond Member
Mar 30, 2004
9,859
1
81
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: mariok2006
Originally posted by: spidey07
Sounds normal for a 4 banger.

3K gives me 90-95 Mph. TL, 6 speed.

Next question - done anything to the wheels/tires?

Wow, that's some tall gearing for a Japanese model.

Got torque?

Mercenary - that seems about right, what you are seeing.
No offense, I'm driving the same car (but I think a couple of years older than the one you have), and no, it does not 'got torque', though it's certainly capable of generating speeding tickets.

3k @70mph sounds a little off to me for a civic, but not much (like 62-65mph would sound about right). It could be a calibration thing, or wheels and tires, or we could both be crazy.

My ex-gf's civic was more like 3000@60mph in 5th, but it was the older 1.6L.
 

jimmyj68

Senior member
Mar 18, 2004
573
0
0
Never thought much about it till mentioned here, but my Highlander 4WD v6 indicates 75 at about 3200 rpm, auto transmission in fifth gear on the freeway. Much bigger vehicle than what you guys mentioned so I don't know if those numbers are good or bad.
 

Tommouse

Senior member
Feb 29, 2004
986
0
0
My 02 Passat 5spd does almost exactly that. Being 70mph at 3k. I wish it was geared taller though, but it makes for good passing power. :)

It seems that most 4 bangers with manuals are in the 3k ballpark for 50mph, and 4bangers with auto are about 500 rpms lower. At least thats what I have observed in the Passat forums
 

thomsbrain

Lifer
Dec 4, 2001
18,148
1
0
Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
2005 Civic 5MT.
3000rpm in 5th gear = 72mph.

Can I get some vehicle speeds @ 3K, or engine speeds @ 70mph, along with respective make and model? Every car rag seems to be saying that I should be doing 62mph at those speeds - thus why they bitch and moan about the Civic being "buzzy at highway speeds" because they're doing around 3400rpm.

- M4H

your 5-speed manual almost definitely has a taller top ratio than the 4-speed auto they had in that generation. however, 3K@72 MPH would still be considered pretty buzzy, considering that even the accord's 4-banger has a taller top ratio. the V6 is dawdling along at about 2K at that speed.