Mileage tips for automatic drivers...
Well, I can think of a few things:
1) If at all possible, avoid "cruising" along in 1st or 2nd gear. The torque converter doesn't lock in those gears, so they're more wasteful, even at low speeds. Better to get into 3rd gear lock-up speed, which happens at roughly 41 km/h under light throttle. IE: better to drive at 42 km/h than 40.
(The exception to this rule: there's no point in going for the 3rd gear lockup unless you're going to be moving for a while. If lockup is immediately followed by a stop, for example, you're probably better off staying in 2nd at a lower steady speed towards the stop.)
2) The car's maximum cruising fuel economy happens when it shifts into 4th gear and the torque converter locks at around 59 km/h (warm engine) under light acceleration. IE: best to drive at 60 km/h than 58.
3) If you're accelerating briskly, the shift points happen at higher speeds. But you can still get the car to shift into top gear "early" by briefly easing back (not off) on the throttle once you pass 59 km/h, wait a second for the shift, then pressing down again. It will stay in top gear/locked while you continue moderate acceleration as long as you don't floor it.
4) Make use of the Deceleration Fuel Cut-Off (DFCO) feature: ease off the accelerator as early as practical when you see a slow down or stop ahead. If you're in 3rd or 4th gear with the torque converter locked, fuel injection stops completely while you're coasting.
5) If you're going to be stopped for more than a few seconds, shift to Neutral. (You can move the lever back & forth between Drive & Neutral without pressing the button, so you don't even have to look at the lever... just bap it forward for N, and backward for D). More and more automatic cars are coming with an "idle neutral logic" fuel saving feature to automate this inside the transmission.
Of course, if you shut the engine off when you're going to be stationary for more than 10-15 sec., you'll save quite a lot. (When safe to do so! Automatic or manual.)
Brakes - no problems this time around
Back in May when I got to try this very same SR automatic in Montreal, I noted that the brakes felt grabby:
Quote:
Brakes: my only negative comment is about the brakes in one specific situation. In moderate/hard braking -- such as when getting on the binders when a light turns amber -- I found them tricky to modulate. They seemed to grab harder about halfway through the pedal application. I experienced this in both cars. The Nissan rep riding with me thought it may have been the Brake Assist safety feauture being triggered (which applies the brakes more than the driver actually requests during a "fast" or "sudden" stop). Would this be a deal breaker? No... but I take a small amount of pride in trying to drive smoothly, and this feature makes that harder to do. If it was brake assist, I think it is activated too soon.
I thought I should point out that I noticed NO odd braking at all with the car during my week of driving.
Not sure what would explain the difference.
Anyone else noticed the "grabbiness" I experienced?