Is using 5th gear at 40mph messes up my engine?

[tomato]

The guys who know what they're talking about have already spoken, but I'll add my 2 c anyway, I think your friend is wrong. It was true of other cars like my old Honda (you could be in 3rd gear at 45 and the engine was still plenty confortable) but I don't think its true of the Yaris. On the Yaris, you have to shift gears much sooner and I found myself in 4th and 5th gear at relatively low speed, no problem, and that is the way the Yaris wants to be driven, I think.

Ultimately, I go by the sound of the engine. After a while, you get used to your car and you know exactly when to shift, even without a tach.

Hope that helps.

[gaffo]

Originally Posted by tomato

The guys who know what they're talking about have already spoken, but I'll add my 2 c anyway, I think your friend is wrong. It was true of other cars like my old Honda (you could be in 3rd gear at 45 and the engine was still plenty confortable) but I don't think its true of the Yaris. On the Yaris, you have to shift gears much sooner and I found myself in 4th and 5th gear at relatively low speed, no problem, and that is the way the Yaris wants to be driven, I think.

Ultimately, I go by the sound of the engine. After a while, you get used to your car and you know exactly when to shift, even without a tach.

Hope that helps.

with respect, you are incorrect in regard to the gearing of the Yaris. It has a very tall gearing. much more so tham most manual cars.

for example my old TR7 would cruise at 65 mpg in 5th with 3600 rpm. i'm pretty sure the Yaris in 5th at 65 will give a lower rpm (though thanks to Toyota' incompetence in not offering a tach on the american cars we will have to contact a European to verify).