After around 22,000 miles (the pandemic has meant I drove quite a lot less than usual for the past 2 years) I am averaging 30mpg.

Oh yes, I understand the economics behind it, it was just more a philosophical complaint on why do I have to get worse fuel economy if I want to choose the manual.

It certainly wouldn’t be fast but there probably was a lever between the seats to help with hills and whatnot hehehe 😜

It is unfortunate that you didn’t receive EDM-spec cars as Ford has continuously improved then and they are fine cars.

4. You prefer a hardtop rather than a softop.

Try doing that with NEDC ratings. It’s nigh on impossible.

At (European) motorway speeds the auto makes mince meat of the manual when it comes to fuel economy.

I drive an M140iA and I wouldn’t get anywhere near the same fuel economy in a manual (which wasn’t available at the I bought it anyway).

Improved efficiency of modern autos and more / taller gears. That is why they get better fuel economy.

For one efficiency differences between autos and manuals have been much reduced. And the auto has much taller 7th and 8th gears which benefit high speed fuel economy.

Demagogy much?

Km/h @ 1000rpm for each ratio for both the auto and the manual.

I hadn’t thought about trackdays, which could have something to do with it.

In Spain (and I guess most of other European countries will be the same) you are not permitted by law to drive under half of the speed limit of a motorway. And even if you are not driving under this limit if you drive abnormally slowly the police will probably stop you.

I am all for more manual options, but does it have to have such a short top gear? Give me the first 4-5 ratios closely together but also a longer top gear to esse cruising noise and fuel economy. The torquey six can easily handle it.

G6/G6R.

They still are.

Harsh but fair.

This comment should be at the top.

Which anyway shares it with a number of other cars.