More gears

[gillyallan]

I find myself quite often going to change up gear, only to realise I was already in 6th. Oops!!

Makes me wonder if it needs another.

Just wondering if anyone else does this?

 

I'm not sure if it's cause it goes up the gears quite quickly so when get to 55 or so I'm thinking I'm due to change up again, due to previous cars. Ie my last fiesta 1.0 5 speed didn't really like 5th til 50.

[isetta]

If you are in top gear at 1500rpm what is the speed?

[gillyallan]

44mph

[south_bound]

On 4/25/2019 at 8:28 AM, gillyallan said:

44mph

Really?  My old Mk2 5 speed hits 1500rpm at just under 50mph in 5th.  It seems that the newer 6 speed gearboxes just reduce difference between gears rather than extend the range and I often thought it would be nice to have a higher gear just for motorway cruising, a bit like overdrive on really old cars. 

[gillyallan]

Yeah was my thoughts when I first got it too. Only seems to be about 7-8 mph between gears at 1500 approx.
It's a nice gearbox don't get me wrong. I prefer it over the 5 in my fiesta but just kinda feel it would be nice to drop into some overdrive if on a long straight stretch at 65-70. Not sure it would handle hills with such a gear though.

[isetta]

My 2015 5 speed 1.5tdci Fiesta econetic is 50mph at 1500rpm but I do not know if speedo is accurate. and it is pretty good at maintaining speed in top gear when you get to a long motorway hill.

I had a few cars years ago with overdrive on. In a way it was better than a fifth gear because you just flicked a switch to trun it on and off (effectively changing between 4th and 5th gear without touching the clutch).  Many younger people will not know what the overdrive is. Looking back it does seem to be a bit of complicated engineering to achieve a fifth gear. Surely it would have been easier to make a five speed gearbox.

I know British Leyland were ridiculed for much of their stuff and poor reliability but you have to admit they were years ahead of other makes with their  five speed gearboxes - standard on Austin Maxi and on the larger engined versions of Allegro. At least 10 years earlier than Ford

[gillyallan]

I guess when they do R & D on new cars they work out what's best for it and this was their conclusion.