High Revs downhill. Normal?

Interesting and thanks!

 

I have driven lots of newer cars with automatic trannys and never seen one that downshifts so easily and frequently. If it only downshifted for engine braking with the cruise control on to maintain a fixed speed going down hill, I could understand it. But it downshifts even with the cruise control off and when it is certainly not welcome. I drive mostly in hilly country roads with very little traffic. Gaining a few miles per hour while coasting down a hill followed by losing a little speed on the subsequent uphill is not a big problem at all when no one is following you. In fact it is an effective way to substantially improve your gas milage. This truck just won't allow itself to be driven that way. Giving it gas to prevent downshifting sure isn't very fuel efficient. If you ease upon the gas, this truck down shifts and tries to slow you down weather you want to or not. And then you have to gas more than you should to keep your speed up on the next uphill. Drives me nuts. Enough to make me very sorry I bought an automatic. I am sure the stupid tranny shifting logic is preventing me from getting decent mileage with this truck. If I lived on flat land, this wouldn't be a problem.

 

Not to be a dick but if you bought a Tacoma for good fuel economy it was a bad move. My 78 IH Scout II with a 345 v8 got better mpg the my 05 Tacoma 4.0l. But my Tacoma does the exact same thing when I was home in South Dakota visiting my parents for Christmas. Never bothered me not having to ride the brakes. Especially on snow packed and icy roads.

 

I've been operating under the impression this is a very Toyota thing. My '13 Avalon and all 3 Sienna's in my immediate family do the same thing. Even slowing down to a stop light, if I give it time to coast, it will drop 3 gears or more. My first Toyota was a 5 speed ('09 Matrix) and so I never had to contend with Toyota's thoughts on proper automatic transmission behavior...

 

That's OK. I know where you are coming from.

I didn't expect the Tacoma to be a milage king when I bought it, but I didn't expect it to be so thirsty either. But this is the first car vehicle I have ever purchased where it is IMPOSSIBLE to come even close to the manufacturer's estimated mileage claim, no matter how you drive it. They claim 24 mpg on the road. I can't get but 18 driving conservatively. And it is because of the stupid transmission downshifting everytime you blink your eyes. In the hilly country where I live, I can easily improve the mileage 3 or more mpg by just simply throwing it into neutral every time I let off the gas. That is no way to drive a vehicle though. I agree there are times in the ice and snow where engine braking is a bit more convenient than using the brakes. But It is not worth the trade off to me.

If I use the cruise control, my milage gets even worse, It downshifts one, two or sometimes even 3 gears on the downhills, goes back to high gear on the bottom, and then on the uphill that follows, it floorboards itself, downshifting one two or three gears again. It is unnerving to drive. I never use the cruise control unless I head over to the flat lands.

If you were to think that 6 mpg difference isn't that big of a deal; Over 200,000 miles at an average cost of $3/gal...., that is $8,000 additional bucks for gas. Maybe I am cheap, but to me that is a big deal.

Now it is time for someone will say "You can never believe the mileage claims that Auto makers post." They would be correct. I have been consistently able to do better than the manufacturer's claims on the last 3 new vehicles I purchased (2 Honda CRV automatics and a Mini Cooper manual..... In this same hilly country going to the same places). Even my old 1 ton 4x4 '96 Dodge truck gets better mileage than the Tacoma (and I don't even have to throw it in neutral when I let off the gas to do that).

I am pretty sure that if my Tacoma had a manual tranny, it would get a lot better milage where I live. If I lived somewhere flat, like Central South Dakota, there would be a lot less difference, and I might not even complain about the auto trans.

I'll live with it, but it just PMO that Toyota doesn't do a better job of programming their transmissions. Maybe some people like it that way, I sure don't.

 

I get around 15-18mpg combined, depending how late for work I am and how much in town driving I do. I live in central Minnesota. Reasonably flat. I pulled around 17-18mpg on my trip to south Dakota going 85. In the black Hills were my parents live it was about the same in and out of 4wd. But the speeds in the hills was average of 45mph. That's a 2005 dual cab trd off road auto 4.0l.
Now my wife's 2010 rav4 gets upto 31mpg hi way, and 20 or so in town. with an automatic 3.5l. I believe it's basically the same engine your 2016 has. Obviously tuned a little different, and and lighter and more aerodynamic.
You may want to ask your dealership if there is a different program strategy for your truck, I know my wife's rav4 has a whole bunch of stuff they can change, like how the doors lock, and how the lights work. Also complain directly to Toyota corporate customer service about it.