Shifting and Gas Mileage
When driving a standard tranny, just normal driving...does it pay off to shift at lower RPM's? I shift low sometimes when driving around town (3kish RPM...5th gear by 60mph). Just wondering..I have heard answers for yes and answers for no. ~Evan

i shift the same way... well i run to about 4k though........ seems to help my gas mileage since i usually run around and shift at 6k

i have a shifttronic and when its in auto mode it shifts pretty early and stays in higher gear longer to save gas...but its got more acceleration when in manual mode but i still tend to shift around 4 or so

I shift the beater car escort around 2500 to 3000 rpm and keep it below 70 mph. it gets 40 mpg all the time this time it looks like its gone to get 41 or so be trying some thing new. But if I start running the rpm way up the MPG falls off fast.

I don't know for sure, but i'd say it does. I used to just floor it every time I drove and shifted well past 3k, and I got terrible gas mileage for a 4 cyl. (~20mpg). Now I shift around 2.5k-3k, throw it in neutral down hills, and I'm getting somewhere around 25 mpg now. It's still not too good for a 4 cyl., but shifting sooner does appear to help some.

Depends on how much torque you have and how efficient your drivetrain/motor is. If you lug the motor too much, fuel mileage will suffer. Gen 2 Lightnings were rated at better mileage than regular F-150s when they came out and the only reason I can think of is that they have the power/torque to pull that big truck around without much effort and with the blower they are very efficient. My Lightning averages 18-21 on the highway and never goes below 14 while towing the Mustang. You may claim BS, but it is a fact. Of course if you get deep into the boost, it suffers GREATLY. The Protege 5 gets shifted at many different RPM ranges depending on if I am entering the highway or accelerating on a back road, or just cruising town, but I always do it the same way, and my mileage is just as good as when I have tried what you mention.