Honda Car Forum

D1-5, why so many? Which should I use & when? Does one burn more gas than the others? Please help! Thanks.

Use the highest gear with the lowest RPM. This would be D5 for everyday driving. Use the others to control wheel speed when on snow or stuck.

You should drive in the highest gear (5). The engine runs slower as the gears get to the higher number. The lower gears are for use in bad weather such as snow where you need to be driving slower. Starting up in snow you should use 2 gear. But normally just drive in 5.

The lower gear settings are only for when your wheels are slipping or you're towing or you're on a slope, and the transmission doesn't automatically find the ideal gear.You're actually using every gear from 1-5, it's just that when you set it to the lower gears, it prevents you from going into anything higher. Put it in D3, and you only use gears 1-3; D2, 1-2 and so on. Most of the time you should just keep it in D5. You'll know when that isn't cutting it. You'll be climbing a hill and the car will be unable to accelerate (meaning you're in too high a gear...DO NOT get in the habit of driving like this...it's bad for the transmission), or it will be shifting back and forth looking for the right gear, or you'll be stuck in mud or something. Those are the times to try the lower settings.

Just keep it in D(D-5) and it will shift automatically when it is supposed to.You use D1-D5 when you are bored. Switching gears in an automatic car is more fun, but it is not required. You can just keep it in D-5.You are supposed to shift everytime you reach around 3000rpm.But shifting with an automatic transmission will hurt the transmission. You should just keep it on D-5.

the higher the drive, the less the gas...the lower the drive the more the gas, but the more you can TOW...always use lower drives for towing. Read your manual...

You think 5 is a lot? Some cars have 7 now.You should use them all though most of your time should be spent in top gear.

Open the glove compartment. Inside you will find a booklet call the "Owners Manual." Read it.