Is it more economical to shift down gear in an automatic transmission upon initial acceleration?

Question

Is it more economical to shift down gear in an automatic transmission upon initial acceleration?

Answer 1

The tranny will shift down by itself if it needs to.

Answer 2

no you well brake the car if you try to shift all the time if you have a auomatic just drive it nice if you have a stick then you can  

Answer 3

no cause your engine will rev up more when going faster ...meaning more gas used..just use hi drive..

Answer 4

Today's automatic transmissions have been programmed to give you the highest efficiency when left to shift on its own.  With current cars the vehicle's onboard computer can calculate all the different inputs (engine rpm, coolant temperature, throttle position, MAP load, transmission temperature, vehicle speed, etc.) to deliver the right starting gear (sometimes 2cnd) and shift point to give you maximum efficiency. I guarantee you that the team of engineers that have programmed your car's computer have worked this out better than you ever can while you are driving.

There are some things you can do to aid the transmission in delivering the best fuel economy.  For one thing always start off with a very light throttle application and let the transmission shift up quickly to the highest gear before applying more pressure to the throttle. Try to anticipate when you might be applying your brakes (i.e. a brief slow down in traffic or for a car or two in front of you that is attempting to make a turn) and get off the throttle earlier to try to avoid last minute stopping before accelerating again. By doing that your automatic transmission will most likely stay in the same gear rather than downshift to a lower less efficient gear in order to maintain the speed. These techniques also keep the lock-up torque converter clutch engaged for a longer period of time which aids fuel economy also.  

Answer 5

Brakes are less $ Than Trans So leave in Drive unless going down a steep hill>