Someone With A Rev Counter Help Please...

[Lou Vessey]

Hi there, i've just brought a second hand aygo platinum and this is my first petrol car. I wonder if someone could tell me how many revs it does in second gear at 30 mph as to me it sounds like the engine might be strained slightly and also what the revs are in third gear at 30 mph as it feels like third is too high to be in at 30 and much prefers 35 - 40. As I say, this is my first petrol car so I could be completely wrong but if someone with a rev counter could let me know, that would be ace - I don't want to over work the engine as this is a fab little car and I would like it to last a while. Thanks in advance :) Vess

[johnny01]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

It's a little late to nip out and fire up my Aygo to look at the exact revs but the general consensus seems to be 3rd at 30, 4th at 40 and 5th at 50, or thereabouts. There's quite a gap in the ratios between 2nd and 3rd, this is the first Toyota I've owned that has slightly odd gearing but I think they've gone for a 'city car' gearing. My previous Yaris was constantly changing between 1st to 5th round town, now I drive the same routes in 1st to 3rd on the Aygo and it's quite happy to do so.

If I remember correctly, 3000rpm in 2nd drops to about 2000rpm in 3rd so you need to give the engine a few more revs, say to 3500 or so if you're changing from 2nd to 3rd going uphill, otherwise you will just find the revs drop too much. The gearbox is almost like they've removed 3rd gear and renamed 4th as 3rd but it works once you get used to it. Give it a month or so and you'll find it actually works really well! The 3 cylinder engine tone makes the engines sound like they're working harder than they are, especially in 1st and 2nd, but it's a sound you'll get used to.

Hope this helps :)

[Devon Aygo]

Hi Lou

I too had an Aygo Platinum ( sold as I got a company car ) Don't worry about over revving the car I felt the same as you when I first got the car so I added a rev counter and was amazed to find what the car was capable of, I found that the car can actually do:

30mph in 1st

60mph in 2nd

Well beyond 70mph in 3rd

All well before getting up to the red line on the rev counter, I too like Johnny found myself driving around town in 3rd and had too keep making myself change up to 4th or 5th. For such a small engine I was very pleased with how tractable the engine was, pulling very well for capacity and very capable in most situations.

I think you will love the car and don't worry about over revving her, you can always but a rev counter to fit it was a really easy job to do.

Cheers

Devon

[Lou Vessey]

Thanks guys for the welcome and re-assurance - i will hopefully fit a rev counter at some point but saving up for it first lol! As you both say, its getting used to it and yes, i have had it for a month and don't know how i ever managed without it!! :)

[MikeSh]

You need to remember that its a budget car and not particularly well soundproofed, so the engine will sound loud when pushed.

The posts above are correct about the gears you can use - I have an MMT and when pressed at all hard at 40-50 mph it will happily drop into 2nd rather than 3rd.

The other comfort is that these engines are all computer controlled, so barring forcing it into a very low gear at speed, it will be hard to overrev it - the ECU should simply cut the power at the redline.