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From the AAA magazine:

A Honda DX sedan with a manual transmission has EPA mpg ratings of 30 city/38 highway, while the same car with an automatic is rated at 30 city/40 highway. Once upon a time, manual gearboxes were the most miserly with fuel. But with 6- and 7-speed automatics, continuously variable transmissions, and advances such as lock-up torque converters and computerized entine-management systems, some of today's automatic transmissions have surpassed the efficiency of manual transmissions.

 
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Even with a lock-up, I would check out the differential gear ratio difference between the manual and the automatic. I'll bet you find the auto has a lower ratio. (i.e. fewer engine turns per wheel turn - less torque, more economy). But I might be wrong. Anyone know for sure?

 
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LOL! I guess you have to be an under-the-hood type car person to understand what you just said. Is what you said that you disagree with what the AAA magazine published?

 
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I just filled my tank for the first time today. 2006 LX Coupe manual - I used 7.0 gal on 223 miles (I top heavier than the dealer, I'm sure). This was 32 mpg for a mix of city, highway - about what I expect for a new engine that should increase significantly as it exceeds 1000 miles.

I don't disagree with the AAA analysis. There is no magic here. Gear ratios convert RPM to torque - that is the whole purpose of a transmission - no other (except reverse through an idler gear). The spiffier transmissions of the Civic compensate for its short stroke (read low torque - high RPM). You can optimize the performance in the "shifting range" so that the computer can beat the driver in one realm only. In this case, it is economy. That is why you can get better performance with a stick (like on hills). But you will pay for it, for sure. Usually in economy . Be ready for the trade off - anytime you touch that lever. In high gear, on the interstate, you have no control. I haven't really looked, but I would guess that a stick is probably turning about 100 rpm higher than an auto, due solely to gears. It will be more responsive - though even good for a Civic is sluggish at highway speeds. Like I say, you don't get 38-40 mpg for nothing.

 
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Very rarely do any types of tests that have to do with gas mileage actually take into account real world driving conditions and situations.

Have them drive on long island for a day, that will show em some real driving conditions.

I used to love driving but not anymore. Anytime of the day it's packed on the roads, some much for EPA ratings in conditions like this.

Just my 2!

 
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This really made me chuckle. It reminds me of an editorial Andy Rooney did years ago about car commercials. He asks why the ads always show a vehicle on a perfectly paved winding road through the most beautiful land on Earth. Then he cuts to a Long Island traffic jam - and asks why they don't feature their cars like THIS, since it represents how the customers will really experience the vehicle.

I have been fortunate only a few times in my life to be alone on a well paved curvy, hilly road that was heavenly. (No one closed the road for me - just luck.) It is a terrific, unforgettable time when it does happen.

BTW, Andy picks Long Island because that's where he lives - LA, SF or many other places can be quite similar.

 
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Well I live on LI and driving just about sux ***** these days. To many people, not enough road.

The LIE was voted the worlds largest parking lot (Long Island Expressway) and believe me I have been on it more than enough times during the commute home to know it's true.

The only time I experience pleasant driving is when I pass the Tappan Zee Bridge on the way upstate to go camping. Once past that, driving is nice and open and driving becomes fun, especially when I hit the mountains

 
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Been there, done that...during heavy traffic conditions on the Long Island Express way I would usually pick the fanciest car I could spot and jump onto the highway in front of it...figuring they had more to lose than I did, and would slow down for me...though one day cming back from West Point on Bear Mountain Road, I lost my steering...that was up there with the best of thrill rides...good times...miss those days...

 
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I drive city mostly so I know I eat a lotta mileage on that score. But when I need freeway it goes gogd. Problem is in South Cal you can't always go as slow as you'd like, 55 is like asking to get killed sometimes. So i giess i plan a quarter tank for an hour freeway and that's the damage.

 
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So I assume Bear Mountain Road is near Bear Mountain as I camp near there sometimes when the wife comes.

Beaver Pond Campgrounds in Stony Point, not very far from Bear Mountain. When she does not come, it's upper catskills

 
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i live in a small (kind of an understatement.. more like tiny) town outside of a fairly small city... the city (temple) is big enough, but not huge by any standards... i'm a delivery driver so i drive around temple a lot but there's really not much trafic there... it kills me whenever i go home to the dallas area and i'm sittin' there tryin' to hold in my stiff clutch every 2 seconds to go from 0-4mph back to 0 again...

 
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This is why I stopped driving a stick. I couldn't stand the traffic between Los Angeles, Riverside, and Orange Counties anymore. Traffic in the Dallas area is bad, but no where near as bad.

 
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i agree... but here where i am, it's even way less traffic than dallas... i can get up to about 120 on my street....

 
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I'd love that. I'm a little rural out here, certainly as rural as I'm willing to get, but I'm still in Dallas County. I wish more people would drive faster on the country roads and not so fast down the residential streets. I swear they drive faster in the neighborhoods where kids play than out where there's nothing.

 
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You would be shocked to see how fast cars go down residential streets here on LI. Kids, dogs and anything don't stand a chance.

I have to be honest in saying people at least go 45 down steets that people should be doing 25 in residential areas.

Even worse, i see people around here doing at least 30+ in parking lots, imagine that for scary.

Life is just very fast paced these days and people don't realize they have to slow down.

On the highway though, when it's actually not congested, people do 80 reg including myself.

 
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So true.. people drive really dangerously where i live too.
They speed double the limit up streets where theres kids and dogs running around near the road, its crazy and stupid.

 
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What's the optimum speed for gas mileage in the AT 06 Civic? I know my old 93 Escort would chew through the gas at anymore more than 55 or so.

 
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Is there such thing as optimum speed?
It would depend on so much - the condition and tuning of your car, the gear you're in etc etc