JCTarheel82

^ Those are good numbers if you want to conserve gas and, like BunnyGirl said, it won't bog the engine. Keeping the revs under 2K definitely bogs the engine and really defeats the purpose of such a free-revving engine.

CodingParadox

Also, keep this in mind - at low RPMs, the air velocities are very low, and fuel atomization is not very good. At low air velocities, the car ends up dumping more fuel into the engine for a given amount of air just to acheive the same burn mixtures, because the fuel doesn't properly atomize.

It's just like why an engine dumps tons of fuel in when it's cold cranking - cold air mixed with low air velocities means horrible burn mixtures, so it dumps in tons of fuel just to try to get some combustion.

All I'm really trying to say here is that low RPMs are not more fuel efficient solely based on there being lower RPMs. You'll probably get your best fuel efficiency around 3k in this car. I'm betting 2k is actually detrimental.

swerver

if you're shifting at 2k, why don't you just walk or take a bus..............sorrry, just my 2 cents

Butch Brown

I consistantly get 21-23 mpg driving country roads 35 miles one way to and from work. I shift at about 5-6000 rpms usually about 1/3 throttle and wait for a tapering off of accelaeration in 1st and 2nd by that time I am at cruising speed and then use 5th and 6th gear sometimes 4th on the steep hills since I go over 2 small 1200ft mountains. I put the clutch in and coast when descending small hills and use 3rd and 4th rather than breaks descending the mountains.

Butch Brown

Shifting under 5000 rpm's is foolish while accelerating, this engine is just beginning to have power at 3500 rpm's and you don't need to use more than 1/3rd throttle to reach 5-6000 rpm's. After you reach cruising speed you can run lower rpm's. If you are going uphill keep it at 3500 or more. That's what I do and i GET 21 - 23 MPG.

9291150

This is only about saving gas?

Performance...how many shift at the beep (85rpms) vs. the redline (90rpms)? Makes a big diff. when you dip into the low/mid 60rpms; a noticeable drop in power. Really the engine is at its best over 70rpms, where you gotta shift just sort of fuel cut-off (95rpms) to stay there at the next shift. Mucho fun.

Many small displacement (600cc) sportbikers use their overrev capability to stay within the meat of the powerband, manufacturers actually sell on this feature. Anyone here do this with the renesis?

rx-8_or_?

I usually find myself shifting at 5/6k rpm when driving normally. If I'm in a hurry a few 8k+ shifts and beeps are the norm.

CarAndDriver

I shift from around 3K to 3.8K. I try to avoid the secondary injectors to save fuel. This is just doing city driving and errands.

Chakara

I'd be curious to hear from one of you folks that has 70k+ miles on thier 8 and how you drive it.

Stavesacre21

Shifting below 2K RPM's sounds almost asinine.

Heck, when shifting at the points listed in the manual, the next gear is even almost already above 2K. I've heard endless times that low RPM's are a lot worse on the 8 then high. In the case of 2K, i'd have to say that MORE THAN applies.

Your robbing yourself of tons of fun, as well as possible engine life. Not saying redline it every day (which some recommend), but at LEAST get up to 3-4K before shifting. The renesis just simply isn't designed to work down that low, denoted by it's unusually low torque it creates.

yiksing

Its more fuel efficient if you use cruise control and long trips. E.g 50 miles of a long trip uses less gas than 50 miles of short trips.