Automatics: How often do you use your 'Gears'

I was just curious how often everyone uses them. I find myself using it pretty commonly. Sometimes when off roading, sometimes when on long down hills, and sometimes when trying to time out the upcoming light. It really doesn't do the greatest job but I like using it to complement the brakes. So does your truck ever leave 'D'?

 

i downshift to slow down on occasion. technically its the reason you can select gears according to the manual

 

My tacoma is stick, but we "gear down" the minivan (which is pretty comparable to a tacoma in overall size and weight) to 3rd or sometimes second when driving in the mountains for engine braking and to keep it from "hunting."

 

There are a couple of hills in Albuquerque that APD like to sit at the bottom of with a radar gun. When I'm on one of those streets I pop the shifter over to 3 to help stay close to the speed limit. Otherwise I just stay in D.

 

To prevent from braking I time light and downshift to slow down. Since it is an auto I'm not as engage if it were a manual.

Bluf: not all the time

 

Haven't ever needed to..
Got a few questions though.
Is it safe to go from drive to any low at any speeds?
Is being in Low vs drive better for faster acceleration?

 

Pretty sure the computer beeps at you and won't actually down shift the transmission until the speed is safely slow enough for that gear.

Wouldn't think so. Seems to me it'd be the same first gear...

 

I do it all the time, mostly offroad.

To answer the poster above me, no it is not a good idea to drop from "Drive" to lower gears at a high rate of speed. If you want to know what a safe speed for each gear is, start from a stop and go through the gears, starting in low and working your way up.

 

Take it out of D when in traffic, uphills and steep descents. Truck automatically down shifts when brakes applied going downhill.

 

I do it a good amount, mostly going down hill (there's a hill i go down a lot that if kick OD off then i sit at the speed limit all the way down), both on road and off road

 

Not sure I understand what you mean by "start from a stop and go through the gears, starting in low and working your way up." are you saying find my typical shift points?


So what benefit if any would I get from driving all the time in low, or 2 for your typical driving. typical 30 MPH up to 45

 

I use all of my gears all the time just leaving it in Drive. It cycles through the gears all by itself. That is why they call it an automatic. If you go slow it will stay in first gear... or whatever gear that speed calls for.

 

I never leave drive..all the roads here are completely flat and I don't off-road either so no need

 

I use it in drive but if I am going down hill I will use the gears

 

All the time! It has a better responsiveness with manual input!

 

I live where its 99% flat so I leave it in D. Girls love the D.

 

All the time. Especially offroad

 

That's funny, because in stop-and-go traffic, under the right conditions, you'll end up doing 3-5mph in 4th or 5th. With light throttle to get some speed back (say to go from 3 to 10mph), it'll insist on staying in 5th (unlocked, but still in 5th). It *might* kick down to 4th, but not often. Does wonders for spark knock.


Maybe I've got a 'special' A750.

 

I shift between 3-4-D depending on traffic conditions. 3 is good for stop and go rush hour traffic.

 

I mainly shift down for engine braking while coming down a steep mountain road during fishing trips throughout the summer and when doing steep decents when offroading.