Has anyone in service ever driven a stick shift? I have seen plenty of people with stick shifts in my day, and believe me they drive like gas has a negative cost. First thing I have observed is that a good many pioneers will have the habit of leaving the car in second gear driving down a city block. They will be going in light traffic conditions on level ground, going about 35 MPH, in second gear for perhaps a quarter mile. And I am thinking "Are you going to shift this thing into third or even fourth gear?" I have also noticed some drivers that will be doing 45 MPH on a back street and not even think of getting into fourth gear, as well as people driving on the expressway doing close to 70 in fourth gear (these vehicles are five-speed, not four).
Does anyone still notice people doing this? Driving in too low a gear is like buying power when you don't need it. There are times when you should delay shifting. If you are towing a heavy load and accelerating, if you are accelerating to get onto a freeway or highway, or if you are on a steep grade, you may need this extra power and you should gear down accordingly. However, with the price of gas, it seems a waste to do this while in the city on streets that are flat and clear.
Most five-speed cars today can be upshifted long before these speeds are reached. For instance, you should be in third gear by the time you reach 20, fourth by the time you hit 30, and fifth by 40. Six-speeds with higher gear ratios should be in sixth gear before you hit 50 unless you are entering a freeway or attempting to pass. People that follow this general rule will save a lot of gas, and pollute less. Plus, it will save you money. Of course, there is an exception if the engine is running too hot: you want to run it in low gears to get the air moving on the engine block to cool it until you can find out what the problem is. Otherwise, people should run in the highest gear you can comfortably run. That way, you will help save gas.