Hi Scotty,
Automatic transmissions used to have settings labeled 1 and/or 2 for going uphill. I don't see that setting on my 2020 Camry. Why is this? Is it that a modern transmission is smart enough to use the low gear without having to tell it?
Is it that a modern transmission is smart enough to use the low gear without having to tell it?
Automatic transmissions have been "smart" enough to downshift going up hills for around 70 years.
The Camry has 8 speeds. Can you imagine if there was a separate lever position for each one?
Put it in manual selection mode ("S") and then hit minus ("-") until you get a lower speed you want. When in doubt, read the owner's manual.
But 1 & 2 were never for uphill, they were for engine braking down steep hills. Leave it in auto for uphill.
I sometimes use 2 & 1 going uphill, to prevent the damn thing upshifting into the next higher gear, and then losing breath, and then downshifting into the previous gear, and then again… See where I’m going with this?
@inthrustwetrust sometimes, yes, on hills that aren't a constant grade, or where you have to accelerate/decel for traffic or turns
Use your paddle shifts (if equipped) or tiptronic mode, to manually control which gear you want to preselect.
