So many people buy higher rear gears for better acceleration. But that comes at the cost of higher rpms in top gear while cruising on the highway. I always thought the rear gear ratio was high enough and wished I had a seven speed transmission on the highway to drop the engine down 500 rpms or so at "cruising" speed. So I thought I'd start a poll to see what the rest of you think. So that you have to make a choice, I did not propose doing both. Because we would all want to do both.

And yeah, I know a seven speed manual swap is not realistic. But if you could do one or the other, which would it be? And no, you can't have a tranny with a lower first gear. I'm trying to make you pick one or the other.

 

Could you put a higher 6th gear in the tranny? That may be something to look into.

When I boosted and effectively doubled my horse power I lowered my rearend to 3.9. I still go through first and second so fast but I do enjoy the longer gears on the highway.

 

Yeah, I'd like a 3.9, but I'm concerned it would be too low in a stock car for the first gear launch.

 

On the long hwy drive home when I first bought it, I kept thinking I cant be in top gear, and looking for the next 2 seemingly missing gears!

Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup

 

After much trial ive come to the realization that the ap1 trans has a better gear spread/ mph mated to the torquey F22, especially with tune/lower vtec engagement, however yes it cruises a bit high on the freeway, that's the compromise. The f22 trans with the primary gear reduction in the first 4 gears is nice for the more lethargic factory f20 and higher rev limit, and as a bonus has a lower 5-6 gear cruising rpm. So in summery, I like the shorter gear with the lazy f20 with higher rev band, and the ap1 trans with F22 and shorter rev band, so nothing unconventional really there. Honda got it wrong from the factory in hindsight. Keep it stock unless your boosted, just swap to appropriate year when time for replacement.

 

Coming from a car where I had to be at around 75 mph to reach 2,000 rpm and would bog down below 70 mph in sixth gear, it was a nice change, just took a little getting used to. F22 with F20's transmission would be a good pairing.
Six gears seems perfect for the S2000, other than the freeway I'm rarely in sixth, my car sees 2nd-5th the most.

 

For highway cruising an additional gear would be nice.
Levi

 

An observation I made on a recent trip to Atlanta.

On the way down I averaged between 60-65 mph and got 25 mpg.

On the way back I stayed between 75 and 80 mph and got 30-31mph.

I believe the engine is more efficient at the rpms required for 80 mph.

So a higher gear to lower the highway rpms may make things less frantic.

But the mileage might suffer.

I did not buy this car for gas mileage.

Just an observation.

 

It is early in the voting, but it looks like more people wish the car had another overdrive gear.

 

This car was built for bombing back roads and the track, it's not built for highway cruising.