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Midsize Sedans 2.0

13334 messages,  Last post on Dec 04, 2009 at 4:59 PM

You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens

What is this discussion about? Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Volkswagen Passat, Mazda MAZDA6, Ford Fusion, Chevrolet Malibu, Saturn Aura, Car Comparisons, Sedan


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#10466 of 13334
Re: for those looking [thegraduate] by aviboy97
Aug 11, 2008 (12:04 pm)
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Replying to: thegraduate (Aug 11, 2008 12:00 pm)

I'll agree with that about Mazda's high gearing. My 4 cyl Mazda6 is turning 3,200 rpm's at 70 mph.
#10467 of 13334
Re: for those looking [aviboy97] by thegraduate
Aug 11, 2008 (12:07 pm)
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Replying to: aviboy97 (Aug 11, 2008 12:04 pm)

My 4 cyl Mazda6 is turning 3,200 rpm's at 70 mph.
 
Is that a manual trans?
#10468 of 13334
Re: for those looking [aviboy97] by mz6greyghost
Aug 11, 2008 (12:14 pm)
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Replying to: aviboy97 (Aug 11, 2008 12:04 pm)

My 4 cyl Mazda6 is turning 3,200 rpm's at 70 mph.
 
Not much different with the 6 V6 and manual. 3,300 rpm at 75 MPH. The automatic is slightly lower, but not by much.
 
I've always found Mazdas to rev higher at highway speeds, but the trade-off for me is that I usually don't have to downshift out of top gear to pass on the highway. It can't be affecting gas mileage too badly, since I get 28-29 MPG on highway trips, and can break 30 if I really tried.
 
I've heard the '09 6 with the V6 keeps the revs below 2500 RPM at 65 MPH, and I hope to confirm this for myself soon...
#10469 of 13334
Re: for those looking [mz6greyghost] by jeffyscott
Aug 11, 2008 (12:36 pm)
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Replying to: mz6greyghost (Aug 11, 2008 12:14 pm)

No, the auto in the Mazda6 runs significantly lower rpms as of the 2006 model year, when they went to the 5 speed. The auto in top gear is about 25% lower than the manual...which would mean about 2400 at 70 mph.
 
Grad - I do rev above 3K frequently and my pedal hits the floor fairly regularly. I keep meaning to try a tank where I keep rpms down and see if mpg changes, but have not done it yet. I tried that once in our windstar, mostly stayed under 2500 rpm and did not detect a difference, so went back to my leadfooted ways. I do save on the deceleration side though, often cars pass me on the way to a red light...I guess so that they can stop sooner.
#10470 of 13334
Re: for those looking [jeffyscott] by thegraduate
Aug 11, 2008 (12:50 pm)
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Replying to: jeffyscott (Aug 11, 2008 12:36 pm)

I gotcha... my foot probably hits the floor twice a week. And thanks for the info about the RPMs in the auto. When accelerating, I've noticed my car shifts about every 13 MPH when on a 50 MPH road, maybe that gives you an idea of how I leave a stoplight.
#10471 of 13334
Re: for those looking [thegraduate] by aviboy97
Aug 11, 2008 (2:00 pm)
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Replying to: thegraduate (Aug 11, 2008 12:07 pm)

yeah, the 5-speed manual. Mine is a 2005.
#10472 of 13334
Re: for those looking [elkein] by tedebear
Aug 11, 2008 (2:17 pm)
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Replying to: elkein (Aug 10, 2008 10:45 am)

It can be reset at any time for an effectively instant reading, or by the tank.
 
Until I started reading this thread I used to only reset mine right after I filled up at the pump. The last few days I've been experimenting with the instantaneous reading where I reset it while cruising down the highway at a set speed.
 
On the 6-mile stretch of hilly interstate between work and home I discovered that 70 mph shows a 1.0 mpg lower average than 65 mph. That result may not be accurate to what the difference actually is, since I've determined with a calculator that my overall mpg is 1.5-2 mpg higher than what the computer says it is. However, it is relative and I'm using the same measuring method each time.
 
Various other cruising speed tests to follow.
 
Cool - another toy to play with.
#10473 of 13334
Re: for those looking [thegraduate] by madpistol
Aug 11, 2008 (2:20 pm)
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Replying to: thegraduate (Aug 11, 2008 12:00 pm)

That sounds about right. The Altima is also only turning about 2,400 RPM 70ish. I haven't really paid attention to this detail though. I do know that it's well under 3000 RPM 80-85 MPH. You have to dip close to 90 MPH (possibly above) to get the revs above 3000 RPM.
 
Cruise Control is where the '07-'08 Altima has the advantage here (sorry graduate). It's quite uncanny with the CVT. I've gotten to the point that I don't even look the tach anymore, because the car doesn't "downshift" when trying to maintain speed on a hill. It simply revs up and maintains speed. Then when the terrain levels out, the revs just die down, and you're back to cruising. There's no drama at all. I don't know if that idea was in the original conception of Nissan's CVT, but you just can't beat it at highway speeds.
 
I'll do some research on my car and post back what the actual MPH per 1000 RPM is, but if I had to guess, I'd say its right around 30 mph per 1000 RPM. However, the CVT acts dynamically based on power needs. I've noticed that when cruising 30mph the engine stays around 1200-1500 RPM to maintain power, but when you get closer to 60 mph, its right around 2000 RPM. It's quite interesting to watch actually. It's not like any automatic I've ever driven.
#10474 of 13334
Re: Altima MPG [thegraduate] by plekto
Aug 11, 2008 (6:05 pm)
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Replying to: thegraduate (Aug 11, 2008 11:45 am)


A base Altima 6MT weighs 3,112 according to Nissan's own website.

 
2002-2004 3049Lbs
2005 3075Lbs
2006 3090Lbs
2007 3055Lbs
2008 3112Lbs(!)(sedan)/3052(coupe)
 
60lbs in one year...
 
But at 3055Lbs for a 2007 - less if you swap in some alloy wheels... It's awfully close to 3000 lbs. (I get ~3020 with alloys - about 10lbs per tire saved)
 
2009 Buick LaCrosse - 3495Lbs
2008 IS250 - 3455Lbs
2008 CTS - 3861 Lbs(where my 800lbs figure came from). Sure, it as a V6 instead of a 4 cylinder car, but it's about the same size.
 
2001 Buick Park Avenue - 3778
Yes, that's no typo - the CTS is 75lbsheavier, and almost 150lbs with the automatic! And my dad's Park Ave is a behemoth rolling down the road.
 
Something is badly wrong with the way they make cars lately. Way way way too much bloat and power. I'd gladly have them de-tune the 250+HP in most cars to a more reasonable 160 or so, drop 500lbs or more in weight, and give us back 10mpg.
 
2008 Civic DX - 2586 Lbs. This is why it gets 40mpg highway.
#10475 of 13334
Re: Altima MPG [plekto] by thegraduate
Aug 11, 2008 (8:05 pm)
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Replying to: plekto (Aug 11, 2008 6:05 pm)

Considering the car in your personal comparison was a mainstream midsizer, and your actual comparison car was a base Altima, I don't think using a Cadillac Sports Sedan available with only a 3.6L V6 and an Automatic is anywhere close to an actual comparison. You should use cars of similar equipment, especially when trying to make a statement about how much better the Altima is than its competition.
 
Also, saying car A only weighs X when you use aftermarket equipment isn't a fair comparison either, when you don't let the other vehicles in your comparison have the same advantage. Picking and choosing model years doesn't fly for a fair comparison either.
 
All that being said, I do get your point; cars today weigh a LOT compared to those of 10 or so years ago. My '96 Accord has a 2.2L engine with 130 hp, and weighs approximately 2,855 lbs. BUT, it shares the about the same interior space as a new Civic (which is similar in weight).
 
If you care to look at it differently, my 2006 Accord in comparison with my 1996 Accord has several inches more usable interior space, 5-star safety with ABS, 6 Airbags, EBD, is 2 seconds quicker to 60 miles per hour, is much more insulated from noise, and gets noticeably BETTER fuel mileage. To top it off, it doesn't cost any more than the old 1996 model.
 
It's not that the cars are getting too heavy for their size; their size is simply growing.
The 2008 Accord crossed the line into "too-big" for me.

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