RPM's with the 5 speed
 

For those with the 5-speed ... what type of RPM's are you running at when cruising at 80-85 MPH? I notice that I'm at about 3K .. seems a bit high when just cruising ...

I don't generally drive that fast but I'm sure that it is correct

I'll have to check, but I think in 5th gear I hit 3,000 rpm at about 90 mph.

Not that I ever go over the speed limit.

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

JK

Our E-320 v-6 runs 2800 RPM at 79 MPH. That is where I lock it in on trips. I believe the V-8s are about 1800/2000 at that speed. I have three v-6 automobiles and they all run 2750 to 2800 RPM at 79mph.

I may be wrong here but generally it's the tranny gearing that determines cruising RPM's .. not engine torque .. so wether it's a V6 or V8 .. if both have thew same tranny then they should roughly be the same RPM's and a given speed.

Having said that I see about 3K RPM at 80MPH in the E500 .. just wanted to make sure that was about right.

7 speed E500's are about 2000 rpms at 80mph.

The 5 speed CL500 runs about 2800-2900 at 80mph (taller tires than the E on the CL)

3k for me also. Ya it depends on the tranny, not just the engine.

Same here. About 3k, not quite, at 80 mph. What a great question. I was just thinking about this and curious where others were at.

I would have thought that the V-8 cars carried a higher axel differential ratio to take advantage of the extra torque. That is a poor mans overdrive but of course acceleration suffers. The 7 speed appears to be a win / win as the final drive gearing can be increased significantly without affecting pick-up in the lower gears. I don't mind the higher RPM on the 5 speed as the car settles into a groove at about 80 MPH and yields maximum MPG. Those who choose v-8's obviously prefer performance over efficiency. Still, a 380 H.P engine running 2k at 80 MPH is impressive and reportedly delivers phenominal efficiency. Personally, I would love the V-8 if I drove most of my miles at xpressway speeds. I think we can ALL agree that driving at $1.80 / gallon is much more pleasant than $4.40 gallon. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Just a smidge below 3k; 2,800 ~ 2,850 at 80MPH. At 85 I'm at 3k.