How many RPM's at 65 mph? Options

[blumontag]

Just wanting to compare...my 1994 ST manual transmission runs 3000 RPM at 65 mph. I've got the 1.8l 7AFE engine. Curious to hear what others' cars are like.

[Special_Edy]

Automatics always have a greater overdrive than manuals. The automatic only provides 4 forward gears but it has a torque converter which muliplies torque at various loads and rpms. So functionally a 4 speed automatic has more gear ratios available than a 5 speed manual.
Also, due to the fact that most automatics use orbital gearsets they are severely limited on the ratios of the 4 gears, if you change one gear you change all the gear ratios since all 4 gears are used at all times. The final drive has to be a compromise between a reasonable 1st gear and a economical 4th.

Finally, manuals are inherently more economical than automatics due to the fact that a manual uses a mechanical clutch which fully engages and disengages; while automatics use a torque converter which is a fluid coupling that always experiences parasitic drag. The automatic requires the steeper overdrive in order to compete with the fuel economy of a manual transmission.