I hope I phrase this question right to get it across accurately... here goes:

If you are at 50mph (nice round number) and are in D5 (full automatic) and slam the gas pedal is the automatic downshift as low of a gear as can be selected in SS at the same 50mph?

In other words, does slamming the pedal in D5 produce the same power as being in SS (in 5th), downshifting as many times as you can until it keeps you from going lower, while slamming the gas?

 

good question. I think that keeping it in D5 and slamming the gas will not take you down the lowest gear as you could do in changing to ss. For instance, if your going 50mph and assumming your in 5th gear in D5, i dont think it would take you down to 2nd gear, but in ss you could go to 2nd gear all the way till 60mph. Im not sure about this though so somebody go out and try it

 

When running at 50mph, in 5th, if I slammed down the throttle, it would downshift as many as 2 gears... but never into 2nd.... not sure if I want to try shift it all the way down to 2nd at 50 mph though... hehe... :p

Andy Kuo

 

The computer wont let you mess your car up pretty much.

 

Well, the car's electronic controls are designed to keep you from any immediately destructive threats to the engine and tranny, so doing this once will not kill your car. However, pushing your car often to the maximum allowed limits will definitely shorten its life, no matter what anyone else may say.

Good question whether SS or auto would be faster/more powerful under the circumstances you proposed. I don't know for sure, but my guess would be that SS would be better than or equal to Auto performance. So you might as well leave it in SS and shift to your hearts content like in those Acura commercials on TV.

 

At 50 MPH and 5th Gear in D5, the computer will shift down to 3rd gear, but not into 2nd gear. In SS mode you can shift all the way down to 2nd.

Plus, SS shifts are a tad quicker than the auto shift, so you'll get in the right gear much faster.

 

Not sure about Upshifts though... as I found both equally fast, but gears shift firmer in SS..... but Dowshifts are definitely faster!!

Andy Kuo

 

I know for a fact that at 50MPH my car will downshift into 2nd gear when I'm in D5 and I floor it. 50MPH in 3rd gear would get you some pretty slow acceleration.

In D5, at 25 or so it will downshift to first. 50 will go to 2nd and 80 will go to third. Much higher than those numbers and it'll downshift to the next higher gear, respectively.

I consider 50 and 80 my car's sweet spots in terms of when it will downshift in D5.