Good question.
Yes, all the gears are tall ............ except first and reverse that are too low IMHO. 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th being tall doesn't seem to matter. The car loves the tall gears.
We don't go up the motorway very often. Last trip of any real consequence was up to Derby for a CTC Forum meeting. I met up with the moderators and the CTC management team. (completely different subject!)
The trip there gave 53mpg and back gave 51mpg. I was doing a steady 70mph but occasionally getting to 80.
I have found over the years of living here in Cornwall that driving back and forth Up North (we're originally from Lancashire) we've always had better economy going north than coming south. It's either to do with the profile of the SW hills, or the Cornish petrol is better then Up North petrol.
Mrs Mick F's mum and dad were in poor health at the end, and we frequently drove Up North, but these days it's not a journey we do much at all. Nearest motorway is over 50miles from here.
These days, we have the 500TA of course and we drive to east to Exeter or west down to Truro or somewhere, and the A30 is a good road for blasting along on. Hills of course over Bodmin Moor, and the economy suffers, but we do tend to find that 50+mpg is achievable even at 70+mph.
Locally, "social domestic and pleasure", returns the low 40mpg. We don't commute and maybe do 4,500miles per year, but it's hard driving here. Hills are everywhere and there's nowhere flat at all.
Best thing though, is that a 500TA has zero VED.
Regards,
Mick.