Using kickdown switch during break-in period

[madtom]

So I've had my 2015 CX-5 for a few days now, and while I mostly love the car I'm a bit unimpressed with its performance, particularly when going slightly uphill. Part of this is probably due to me trying not to push the car too much while breaking it in, but it just sleems sluggish. After reading a bunch of threads I stumbled upon a feature - the Accelerator Pedal Kickdown Switch - which I imagine will give me the juice I was expecting. Anyway, my question is whether it is recommended that this feature be used during the break-in period (600 miles according to the manual). Any thoughts?

 

[paris1]

There are plenty of gear ratios available between 6th and full-on kickdown. My guess is you need to work on developing a feel for prompting intermediate gear downshifts through judicious use of the accelerator. It's a skill I've noticed many owners here seem to have a difficult time mastering.

 

[ALafya]

You'd be wise to resist the temptation and keep the engine at <= 4000 RPM during break-in.
Up to this value, the vehicle will give you what you need for most normal driving, including merging, going up a hill etc.

 

[madtom]

paris1, duly noted. after a few days I already sense I'm getting a better feel for it.

 

[fdew]

I no what you are up against. I drove a CX-5 hard during a test drive, I liked the pep and the handling. Then I got mine, my very first new car. I didn't floor it for the first tank full and was very nice to it. As I recall the first tank full lasted about a month. Perhaps it was only 4 days but it felt like a month. Finally Zoom Zoom.

 

[minnesotaart]

Even without getting the pedal down as far as the kick down switch, the faster you push the pedal down the better the response. Push it slower (like it sounds like you were doing to be careful) and you will get a slower response. This is part of the beauty of our transmission: it almost thinks like you do!

 

[gregbayato89]

i hope my car was all good, did not floor it like crazy till 1k km, was it a good thing or bad?

 

[V8toilet]

So I've had my 2015 CX-5 for a few days now, and while I mostly love the car I'm a bit unimpressed with its performance, particularly when going slightly uphill. Part of this is probably due to me trying not to push the car too much while breaking it in, but it just sleems sluggish. After reading a bunch of threads I stumbled upon a feature - the Accelerator Pedal Kickdown Switch - which I imagine will give me the juice I was expecting. Anyway, my question is whether it is recommended that this feature be used during the break-in period (600 miles according to the manual). Any thoughts?

Madtom, don't you worry! I had the sport with the 2.0 engine at first and that engine will break in and loosen up after about 7500 miles. It will get noticeably peppier and the transmission will also learn how you drive and adjust its shifts points to your driving style. When the engine is new it does feel anemic at times.

I few words of advice with that transmission. If you want it to kick down without mashing the pedal than quickly push the accelerator pedal with a quick motion. If you only slowly apply pressure to the pedal the transmission will hold onto the high gear longer even if you keep pushing the pedal down slowly.

Let's say you want it to kick down for a pass while cruising at 35 mph. If you quickly jab the pedal to 1/2 throttle it should downshift. If you slowly apply pressure to that same 1/2 throttle, it may not downshift but just hold on to the high gear even it you slowly push it to past 1/2 way.

For reference I clocked my 2012 sport auto on my G-Teck at 0-60 mph in 8.44 seconds. I clocked my current 2014 2.5 Touring auto at 0-60 in 7.5 seconds in the same spot with similar weather conditions. Less than 1 second difference and they are both FWD.

Hope this helps

 

[paris1]

Madtom, don't you worry! I had the sport with the 2.0 engine at first and that engine will break in and loosen up after about 7500 miles. It will get noticeably peppier and the transmission will also learn how you drive and adjust its shifts points to your driving style. When the engine is new it does feel anemic at times.

I few words of advice with that transmission. If you want it to kick down without mashing the pedal than quickly push the accelerator pedal with a quick motion. If you only slowly apply pressure to the pedal the transmission will hold onto the high gear longer even if you keep pushing the pedal down slowly.

Let's say you want it to kick down for a pass while cruising at 35 mph. If you quickly jab the pedal to 1/2 throttle it should downshift. If you slowly apply pressure to that same 1/2 throttle, it may not downshift but just hold on to the high gear even it you slowly push it to past 1/2 way.

For reference I clocked my 2012 sport auto on my G-Teck at 0-60 mph in 8.44 seconds. I clocked my current 2014 2.5 Touring auto at 0-60 in 7.5 seconds in the same spot with similar weather conditions. Less than 1 second difference and they are both FWD.

I agree with everything you've said except the bit about the transmission learning your driving style and adjusting shift points. I thought this urban myth had been killed months ago on this forum, but apparently it lives on. The SkyActiv auto trans does not have this capability (like more expensive systems often do). All it can do is adjust on the fly to throttle opening and load conditions, sensing when downshifts and upshifts are required and holding those gears in a more intelligent manner than older style slush boxes. It does not retain any programming changes after those conditions have passed though.

 

[MikeM.]

I agree with everything you've said except the bit about the transmission learning your driving style and adjusting shift points. I thought this urban myth had been killed months ago on this forum, but apparently it lives on. The SkyActiv auto trans does not have this capability (like more expensive systems often do). All it can do is adjust on the fly to throttle opening and load conditions, sensing when downshifts and upshifts are required and holding those gears in a more intelligent manner than older style slush boxes. It does not retain any programming changes after those conditions have passed though.

There are different types of adaptive transmissions. Some learn over longer periods of time and retain the learned info longer, others learn what style of driving is being done in the last couple of minutes and retain the associated shift logic only until it notices the driving style has changed. The CX-5 falls into the latter category (which I prefer).

Both systems can be said to "learn" the drivers style. After all, no one drives with the same style every day.

 

[vroom]

I agree with paris1 and MikeM. The transmission adapts and anticipates but does not learn. For example, if you accelerate and suddenly let go of the gas, it will hold a lower gear for a while anticipating that you might want to engine brake in a curve and quickly re-accelerate on the other side. The fact that it takes into account how fast you depress the gas is another example of it adapting to your driving style in the short term.

I think the notion of the car learning the driver is a false impression, and is in fact the other way around. Once you learn the car, it seems to get better. So don't worry and let it grow on you!