I'm driving a 5MT Ford Focus and I took it for a drive along some rather long really steep hills in SW Portland area. This car is fine for average driving conditions, but when it comes to really steep hills I really wished there was a gear between 1st and 2nd.
The hills(Portland OR, hills on the west of I-405 right off of 12th Ave exit) are rather long and they're very steep. The streets have a 25mph limit and for now, let's assume the goal is to cruise along at exactly 25mph. This question is about gearing if the car is to be kept at 25mph, please don't suggest "go 35".
Uphill:
1st gear: engine screams at over 5,000RPM
2nd gear: engine runs just around 2,500RPM and it would clutter
I would use first gear if it was just going up the drive way, but the stretch of hilly road is pretty long and I'm not sure which is the worse for the engine between the slight cluttering or sustaining over 5,000RPM (redline is 6,700RPM)
Downhill:
1st gear: car maintains the right gear unassisted, ocassionally very little gas is needed, engine RPM in excess of 5,000RPM
2st gear: quieter, lower RPM, but will gain speed over 25mph and needs repeated brake application
The hills(Portland OR, hills on the west of I-405 right off of 12th Ave exit) are rather long and they're very steep. The streets have a 25mph limit and for now, let's assume the goal is to cruise along at exactly 25mph. This question is about gearing if the car is to be kept at 25mph, please don't suggest "go 35".
Uphill:
1st gear: engine screams at over 5,000RPM
2nd gear: engine runs just around 2,500RPM and it would clutter
I would use first gear if it was just going up the drive way, but the stretch of hilly road is pretty long and I'm not sure which is the worse for the engine between the slight cluttering or sustaining over 5,000RPM (redline is 6,700RPM)
Downhill:
1st gear: car maintains the right gear unassisted, ocassionally very little gas is needed, engine RPM in excess of 5,000RPM
2st gear: quieter, lower RPM, but will gain speed over 25mph and needs repeated brake application
I'd rather have the rpms a little low than revving up near redline any day of the week.
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