Manual transmission for freeway driving?

[Troytroy40]

Good morning.

I was hoping to get some advice from someone with real world experience. I recently took the 2017 mirage for a test drive and loved everything about the car. I currently need something for my 150km round trip commute into Ottawa every day.

My one concern with the mirage is at 110km/h I was over 3000rpm. The car seemed to handle it well but I am concern about the longevity of running the engine that hard. Especially with when I will be putting almost 30,000 freeway km on it each year.

I know the cvt runs at a lower rpm but I just greatly preferred the manual transmission.

Also in addition to that I have been told that parts are impossible to find for the vehicle. I was not going to do anything crazy but if shocks or ball joints need to be replaced it looks like auto parts stores just do not carry the parts. Even rockauto that has their own spot on this forum does not seem to have the parts.

Thank you for your help and advice.

[MightyMirageMpg]

The gas mileage will probably be better with the automatic at anything freeway speed unless you try hard with the stick (coast often) and the engine life i would presume would be longer, spinning at 2/3rd pace.

Go for the auto in my opinion. Only downside is 8 years and 240k from now when you sell it to the pimply kid for $300 he cant show off as hard

[Cobrajet]

The gas mileage will probably be better with the automatic at anything freeway speed unless you try hard with the stick (coast often) and the engine life i would presume would be longer, spinning at 2/3rd pace.

Go for the auto in my opinion. Only downside is 8 years and 240k from now when you sell it to the pimply kid for $300 he cant show off as hard

Agree. The manual Mirage really shines as a stop-and-go, in-town, delivery type car. But if I were picking a freeway commuter I'd go with the CVT.

[Troytroy40]

Thank you for the reply.

That is generally what I was thinking I just prefers the ride in the manual compared to the cvt but if it is not going to last as long then maby I should consider the cvt and hope that those transmissions are good enough to last the 200,000 I plan to put on the car.

[DottandDolores]

Troy-troy we have 2 2017 models one cvt and one manual hatch es.
The CVT shines at 65-70 mph running around 2000 rpm the manual at the same speed 3000 to 3100 rpm.
Personally I like the manual over the CVT but if you spend most of your time on the highway the cvt will be better. We do 48-50 mpg on the highway with the CVT. The manual does 44-46mpg. Another thing I noticed with the CVT you barely keep your foot on the pedal once up to speed.

[MysticMirage]

I've put over 50k miles on mine over the past year and a half, with most of it being freeway/long road trips. No issues with reliability. I drive around 100 miles a day in it due to work. Have only had to do the normal maintenance of oil changes thus far. Still getting 50mpg, even in the manual. Highway speeds here are 60-75 and I'm not even light on the pedal. The car just handles its business well. No regrets with getting the manual.

[Top_Fuel]

The CVT will definitely provide you with more comfortable, lower cruising RPMs on the freeway. The engine will be turning around 2500 rpms at 75mph (120kmh). That speed would put you closer to 3800 rpms in a manual!

But I've read enough CVT reviews here that I'm pretty confident that the only time I would like a CVT is on the freeway. At all other times, the manual seems to be the choice for the overall driving experience and fuel mileage. So while I agree with most people telling you the CVT might be a better choice for you, be sure to think about it.

About half of my driving is on the freeway, but it's in relatively short trips of around 15 miles (25km). I'm not comfortable with sustained RPMs over 3,000 (which is completely without reason...it's just a mental thing with me)...so I generally don't drive faster than 60mph. I get passed a lot and I don't get anywhere in a hurry...but I do get great fuel mileage..lol. If I had a long daily freeway commute like yours, the manual might drive me over the edge if I tried to keep it at 60mph. But like MysticMirage said above, I'm happy I went with a manual transmission.

Either way...I would not be concerned about higher RPMs somehow shortening the life of the engine. It was designed to run at higher RPM ranges. It's not a 454 Chevy.

If you have the ability to rent a CVT Mirage, I would consider doing that and using it for a few days of typical driving. See how you like it under all conditions.

Here is a related thread you may want to check out: CVT and RPMs


Before I bought my Mirage, I made a picture of different speedometer images people have posted on this forum. These are manual transmission RPMs at various speeds...

[MetroMPG]

Welcome to the forum!

You're not going to find concensus here on this question.

I'd get the manual. I just prefer driving stick, and the Mirage's shifter & clutch are light and pleasant to use.

The CVT is definitely quieter with its lower RPM. But overall, it's just not as enjoyable to drive in my opinion. I like to be engaged. And in real world combined driving, the fuel economy difference will be in favour of the manual, if you're an efficient driver. (See our fuel economy log stats.)

Also, 3k RPM may be spinning quickly, but it's not at high load. There's a difference. The load on the engine in the CVT at 2k RPM is actually slightly higher.

And there's the cost - manual is cheaper to buy and maintain. And you'll probably never need a clutch in the car's lifetime in your usage, but you will need CVT fluid changes.

TL;DR - if you like driving stick, get the stick. If overall cost of ownership is critical, and you're an efficient driver, get the stick. If a quieter drive is preferred, and/or you want the no-fuss convenience of an automatic, get the CVT.

Darin

[MetroMPG]

PS: are you really at K0e1x0? I'm not far away - K6v.

[Troytroy40]

Thanks everyone for the reply.

My preference would be manual and I know everyone has their opinions on transmission. My biggest concern was getting something that has the ability to last. If people are having success with the manual at freeway speeds then I think that is what I will go with. The loss of a few cents in gas is worth the trade to get to have a stick shift.

And yes K0e1x0 is correct. I drive a blazer into work everyday which gets about 14l/100km so my savings in gas will probably pay for the car.