[Splicer]

Old thread revival time!!

I pretty much agree with the info posted above. Just to re-phrase a bit, engine revs kill fuel mileage. With a manual, you are more likely to hold it in any gear longer before upshifting, and the increased RPMs burn more fuel. Of course, if you short-shift (at low RPM), there won't be much difference -- but not many people actually do that. Part of the fun of a manual is running it up through the gears. With a relatively light throttle foot, the auto trans shifts early, which saves fuel.

As far as highway cruising, yes, the overall final gearing of the auto is higher (numerically lower) than the manual. Fewer revs = less fuel burned.