No coasting in 2017 AWD GT?

P

probuilders1

Member
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CX-5
Okay, another question for this AWESOME forum.

I drove a little Toyota Prius before my CX-5. (Not ashamed, gas mileage ruled!)

Now I've noticed something curious while driving my CX-5 in that while driving on a level road, whether highway or street almost the moment I take my foot off the accelerator the vehicle starts to slow down no matter what speed I'm at. What I mean is immediately upon release of the gas pedal there is no continuation of the speed I was at, it begins to drift down 1 mph at a time. I take it this is a function of the AWD/transmission?

In my Prius, when I released the pedal the car would continue at the same speed for quite a bit before slowing down unlike the characteristics of the Mazda as I have explained. I know this may be a goofy question but I have read some posts about the brake calipers sticking and want to make sure that's not happening. Also, if not coasting how are these guys getting the +40 mpg ranges I've seen in some of your posts?

Okay, promise no more stupid questions after this last one. lol (silly)
And thanks again everyone. I hope to pitch in with help for others once I continue building my knowledge on this great car.
 
Your Prius is the weird one or you are driving down hill.

Try that on a bike or skateboard or rollerskates. The moment you stop adding power, unless you are going down hill, you will slow down.

Did you take any sort of physics? Only asking because I recall knowing why this happens all the way back to middle school.
 
This was weird for me to adjust to as well. The slowdown is more aggressive than my previous car.
 
I believe the Prius is designed to coast because the brake pedal doesn't *just* engage the brakes. With a light tough, the brake pedal engages the regenerative braking system that uses the electric motors as generators - they slow the car and generate electricity to charge the batteries. Only with a firmer press of the pedal are the brakes engaged.

Any car without electric motors driving the wheels doesn't have this option. Engine braking is expected and required to some extent, or you would have to use your brakes going down every hill, potentially ruining the brakes and creating a situation where you are unable to stop when you need to.

So in the Prius, coasting isn't a problem because you can modulate your speed with the brake pedal by engaging regenerative braking, while reserving the actual brakes for emergency stops.
 
Mazda's 6-speed AT tries to keep the torque converter locked up as much as possible. That gives it a more direct feel, like a manual trans or DSG.

Some other manufacturers' automatic transmissions only seem to lock when cruising at a steady speed, when coasting they unlock and the revs drop, and under light to moderate acceleration they stay unlocked and feel a bit like a CVT. Hence the derogatory term "slushbox".
 
probuilders1 said:
Okay, another question for this AWESOME forum.
I drove a little Toyota Prius before my CX-5. (Not ashamed, gas mileage ruled!)
Click to expand...

My previous car was a Corolla - so i know what you mean.

I take it this is a function of the AWD/transmission?
Click to expand...
That is correct. I dont know what Dimcorner wrote - it went so over my head it landed in Venezuela and I live in Texas.
Mazda skyactiv aggressively downshifts. You can make it stay at higher gear by moving the stick to manual - but it will still down shift once it slows down to these speeds 30 mph for 5 to 4th and 46 ish for 6th to 5th.
Biggest advantage of this behavior is in city driving as it gives you more confidence, you use less brakes and downshifting is great for efficiency and lets you stay in power band if you want to go faster. As a Prius driver you SHOULD be hitting 28+ combined.


In my Prius, when I released the pedal the car would continue at the same speed for quite a bit before slowing down unlike the characteristics of the Mazda as I have explained. I know this may be a goofy question but I have read some posts about the brake calipers sticking and want to make sure that's not happening. Also, if not coasting how are these guys getting the +40 mpg ranges I've seen in some of your posts?
Click to expand...
If your slowing down matches with revs going up - its the Transmission. For calipers sticking that would not be accompanied with the revs jumping up. Any mention of 40 mpg is for the old 2 liter engine and not the new 2.5L. New 2.5L can do 35 ish on highway if you are able to get behind an 18 wheeler and reduce wind resistance but its best operating speeds are 32 mph or 50 mph. Also put 38 psi in your tires if you dont mind the harshness - you will be blown away by mpg gains (note this law of physics does not apply to certain forum members)
 
I think 60/65 is the sweet spot for mpg. Anyone talking 40 might be driving the diesel, as well.
 
i only found cx5 being dragged down when i am using sports mode, which uses lower gear, maybe you had sports mode on?
 
Sorry I came about a bit short. My 1 year old is going hard and early at the terrible two's stage...

What I meant to say is that I don't think there is any car that will maintain speed the instant you let off gas. Sure my manual car was better when I threw it into neutral but you could certainly feel it losing speed unless you are going down hill. I don't feel this car slows down any much more than my other cars and they all slow down when I take my foot of the accelerator.
 
Your Prius was much lower profile for air resistance (lower, narrower) which will cause the CX-5 to slow quicker at higher speeds. Your Prius had special lower rolling energy tires (narrow and hard) which give up a lot on handling but will slow the car less. The largest factor is the engine braking, to test the difference in the cars flip the CX-5 transmission into neutral when you take your foot off the gas and you should get a closer comparison to the Prius less the two items above.
 
Kaps said:
My previous car was a Corolla - so i know what you mean.


That is correct. I dont know what Dimcorner wrote - it went so over my head it landed in Venezuela and I live in Texas.
Mazda skyactiv aggressively downshifts. You can make it stay at higher gear by moving the stick to manual - but it will still down shift once it slows down to these speeds 30 mph for 5 to 4th and 46 ish for 6th to 5th.
Biggest advantage of this behavior is in city driving as it gives you more confidence, you use less brakes and downshifting is great for efficiency and lets you stay in power band if you want to go faster. As a Prius driver you SHOULD be hitting 28+ combined.
I doubt that the increased ride height and drag resistance of the CUV is helping either.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Kaps said:
My previous car was a Corolla - so i know what you mean.


That is correct. I dont know what Dimcorner wrote - it went so over my head it landed in Venezuela and I live in Texas.
Mazda skyactiv aggressively downshifts. You can make it stay at higher gear by moving the stick to manual - but it will still down shift once it slows down to these speeds 30 mph for 5 to 4th and 46 ish for 6th to 5th.
Biggest advantage of this behavior is in city driving as it gives you more confidence, you use less brakes and downshifting is great for efficiency and lets you stay in power band if you want to go faster. As a Prius driver you SHOULD be hitting 28+ combined.
Click to expand...

I doubt that the increased ride height and drag resistance of the CUV is helping either.
 
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