my friend drives an eclipse and he always shifts to a higher gear so the car won't make so much noise and he saids that he also gets better gas millage and you don't work the engine as hard, but I heard that the load is higher at for exmple 4th 50mph 3000rpm than at 2nd 50mph 5000rpm what those that mean?? i don't really know what they mean by load but its is true or not???

 

load puts stress on the clutch NOT the engine. Its better for the engine to be at low revs because load dont really mean crap. Yes its less stress. Ofcourse you will get better gas mileage at lower RPMs..

 

One thing you should avoid is lugging the engine. Lugging the engine is when you are trying to excellerate in a gear too high to cause quick response. This sends a signal to the throttle body to feed more fuel, but the engine can not use the fuel because it it not turning fast enough.

This is not good for the engine or your fuel economy. Everyone has their own preference when it comes to driving a standard. Some like to keep the RPM's high for better response. Some like to take it easy for better ride and fuel economy. I do both depending on my mood. It also helps to keep the car in shape for the times when you need to use that extra power.

Something to consider though, If you constantly race your car, you put more wear and tear on the engine and you use more fuel. One reason why buyers would rather buy a car with 70,000 miles on it from a little old lady, than a car with 40,000 miles on it from a young kid.