O/T: Clever little website on fuel efficiency

http://www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/tools/compare/compare-search-one.cfm?attr=8

There are many variables - range between gears, axle ratios, types of driving, etc.

Two like vehicles - same weight, engines, wind resistance, etc. - doing the same speed with the engines at the same load and RPMs - will do basically the same regardless if auto or stick when the lock-up torque converter is locked. At lower speeds, in most cases the stick wins since there is less slippage and loss.

City or hill driving - it will depend a bit on what trans offers the best ranges to let the engine run at peak efficiency at various speeds.

I glanced at new EPA specs for many trucks and don't find any autos that beat stick if axles and engines are equal. Some autos are equal on highway but less for city driving.

Here are a few.

2008 F150 Ford 20 for stick, 19 for auto
2008 Ford Escape - 28 stick, 26 auto
2008 Ford Ranger PU - 26 stick, 24 auto
2008 Ford Ranger PU 4WD - 20 stick, 19 auto
2007 Chevy Silverado truck - 20 stick, 19 auto
2007 Chevy Silverado truck 4WD, 19 stick, 17 auto
2008 Jeep Liberty 3.7 4WD 22 stick, 21 auto
2008 Dodge truck - 3.7 both auto and stick get 19 highway, but stick beats auto for city
driving.

My son bought an Audi navigation system on eBay for a third of its cost, then he and a pal installed it on the corner of the dealer's lot, using their specialized tools. He had downloaded a 300 page manual from Audi on the nav system and had no difficulty with the job.

I think that qualifies as a shadetree project.

Way back in the 60s, then Prime Minister Lester Pearson, as he was putting the Canada Pension Plan before Parliment, "These pensions will be indexed to inflation forever". Well guess what, I know guys that were getting over $500. per month in 1975. If you compound the consumer price index since 1975, it has multiplied 4 times yet the maximum pension 2007 is $845, HARDLY FOUR TIMES THE 1975 LEVEL.

Back when ole Lester was making the anouncement in the mid 60s my dad and I were farming together. We had an accountant, big fan of Lester's, even tried to look like Lester. Together we watched Lester's speech on TV and my dad said, "This is good for me, however you young lads are going to be screwed on Canada Pension." Well, my dad, the accountant and Lester are all deceased now, leaving me with a Canada Pension roughly 40% of what it should be. I paid this money in and as Lester declared these were basically a sacred thrust to be invested wisely on our behalf.

Our government, best organized bunch of criminals I know of. I wouldn't put too much faith in their automatic transmission declaration. Certainly wouldn't buy, based on their recomendation.

Not a big gain but over the life of a car it matters. They will probably try to charge a lot for it though which is foolish since it doesn't use any expensive planetaries!