I have a 2006 Honda Civic with a 5 speed standard transmission. I consistently get between 40 and 41 mpg. My dad has the same car but with an automatic transmission. He is getting 42-45 mpg. Our driving is similar, and not the cause of the difference. When we bought the cars I remember that the only difference in the transmissions was the 5th gear. The automatic transmission had a better ratio for gas mileage. Is it feasible to change out my 5th gear to the same size as the one in the automatic? Before somebody asks, I prefer a standard over an automatic so just getting a car with an automatic isn’t a solution.
I don’t doubt your honesty and sincerity, but I have never seen a son who drives as sedate as his father! You could learn to drive sedately as your father, as it is not so much a fucntion of the gear ratio.
No, you can’t change the gears in the transmission. Learn to live with 40-41 mpg. Most people would be delighted with that kind of fuel mileage.
I think the difference is more in driving style than gear ratios. You could try driving with fuel mileage as your main concern and you might (might) get an extra mpg or two.
IIRC, recent Honda Civics have shown better MPG for automatics than for manuals on the EPA-required sticker. This is the opposite of what most of us would expect, based on decades of comparisons of MPG for the same car, with the only difference being the transmission. When Consumer Reports did their testing of recent Civics, auto and manual, they found better MPG with the manual - consistent with conventional wisdom.
Do you and your father live in the same city? If it’s convenient, try trading cars for a week (or a couple of tankfuls) to test Docnick’s theory re: your driving style v. your father’s.