What is your minimum cruising RPM?

[WPOZZZ]

If I am cruising, I like to keep revs at a 2k minimum when I am driving stick. Auto? I just leave it in gear. lol In a more sporty mood, I keep revs at 3k minimum.

Back in the day when I joined PCA, I went on a cruise and a friend was lugging her engine. I asked her why she was doing that, and she said one of the guys told her to keep revs under 2k.

[pwd72s]

depends on the car and the torque curve. Mustang 4.6 (6500 redline) seems happy at 2300 or so. In 5th, that's around 80.

[KFC911]

Around 3K or a bit over. My Carrera "can" get 27 mpg on the Interstate cruising in 5th at around 80... those taller gears are for modern cars and gas mileage only . If I'm going 55 on a posted 45 city street... I'll be in 3rd gear too.

Not a Prius

[stevej37]

3K with my SC.
SSI's with 2 in/2 out make for drone below 3K

Hate the drone.

[GH85Carrera]

For my El Camino, the torque band starts at 1,400 RPM and peters out at 4,000 RPM from restrictive heads. The highway cruise at 75 (legal limit) is 2,700 RPM.

For my 85 911 with the 3.2 engine, 2,200 RPM is my minimum on level ground. I changed out the 5th gear to the tallest 5th made for a 915 transmission, and I will have to look up the numbers. At 80 I am turning 3,500 RPM and my rear tires are 255/40 17s. The bad news with the tall 5th is below 55 to 60 MPH, 4th is required as 5th gear is below 2,200 RPM. I do regular long road trips. I have driven my 911 to 41 states and Canada and plan to visit all the lower 48 states in my 911. From northern Maine, Key West, and California three times. I love the taller 5th gear.

In our Cessna 182T, redline, emergency power we might die with less is 2,500 RPM. Normal cruise is 2350 but it is a 540 cubic inch, flat 6 with 240 HP.

[gduke2010]

2800 RPM cruising on flat roads. Good fuel economy and doesn’t burn oil. I kept the revs down for a half a summer just to see the effects of driving at lower RPM’s. Results were 29 mpg and no oil usage after 1200 miles vs 1/2 quart spirited driving.

Now I only drive in 5th on long drive and spirited drives on curvy roads.

[Rtrorkt]

It’s happy at 3600-4000. A nice tight 3.2

[pavulon]

1600 at 60mph in 6th...usually stay in 5th until 65. 80mph is 2000 RPM. It's a legitimate 200+ mph capable car but lots can go really wrong over 120.

[speeder]

Depends on the vehicle...in my diesel 3/4 ton PU truck, under 2k rpm @ 70 mph. In my old MB diesel, 3500 rpm at the same speed, (more or less). In my Jetta TDi, maybe 1200 rpm in 6th gear on the freeway? Can't remember that one, I'll report back when I drive it.

I used to know a guy with a 911, (mid-year car), who drove around in second gear at 5k rpm. I asked him wtf was he doing and he said that he had been told to "keep the revs up." He did not know why, of course. I explained to him that he was not driving a 1957 4-cam Carrera or similar old sports car where fouled plugs were an issue from primitive bad fuel mixture systems and that the thing between the seats was a gear shift and that he should give it more use. He was screaming around town, wasting fuel with absolutely zero performance benefit...he was way out of the torque band even if he was on a track.

[flatbutt]

In 6th gear the Taco is happy at 2200-2500 rpm.

[A930Rocket]

In the BMW 330, I cruise around town probably at about 3000. On the highway at 80 mph in sixth gear, I run 3000.

After rowing the 4 gears in the 930 for so long, I have a tendency to use four out of the six gears in the 330. 🤪

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

In the BMW 330, I cruise around town probably at about 3000. On the highway at 80 mph in sixth gear, I run 3000.

After rowing the 4 gears in the 930 for so long, I have a tendency to use four out of the six gears in the 330. ��

I never use 5th in the 328. I think 6th is pretty low at 2K+ish

The Cayenne is always around 3K+ on the highway at 80+ speeds.

'84 is too but only because it's got a '75 915 with a 7:31 in it.

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

I never use 5th in the 328. I think 6th is pretty low at 2K+ish

The Cayenne is always around 3K+ on the highway at 80+ speeds.

'84 is too but only because it's got a '75 915 with a 7:31 in it.

I’ve got a 3.46 diff, so that changes things. Fifth and sixth are for the highway. The car feels much quicker now. And when I drive, I go with the windows down so I can hear the exhaust note. I don’t lug it and I don’t make it scream (except at the track). I have headers with a spec E46 exhaust, which only has a small rear muffler. It gets kind of loud.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

^^^

It must sound great!

Just looked while driving, Cayenne is 2700 at 85.