Your opinion on "Grade Logic Control"?

[Pilot-1]

Honda calls it "Grade Logic Control"........I call it "Irritating!"

Does the fact that the transmission ALWAYS has to downshift when you are traveling uphill irritate you? And the fact that it requires a lot of pedal to stay at speed?

They say in the brochure it is there for "the comfort of your passengers"......how can you call it comfort when the whole vehicle jerks around trying to find the right gear, and how can you hear when the engine is roaring at 3000rpm all the way up the hill?

Grrrr....

[N_Jay]

Yes, it is not perfect, but it works well. Just use the throttle as if you had no idea how it all works.

The less you try to do better than the system, the better it works.
Sort of like trying to pump ABS!!

1) The down-shift on light acceleration and/or slight hill is due to the very high 5th (OD) gear. That is what gives us out good gas milage and other benifits. It has nothing to do with the grade logic.

2) The first "down-shift" you feel is just the torque converter unlocking. Ity is not even a gear change.

3) I find it takes relitivly little peddle to stay at speed. Unless I am trying to get back to dspeed fast enough to force a downshift.
Try just just a bit more gas when it slows and let the tranny do the rest.

As for the Grade Logic. I just drove the length of PA (I76) through the east coast blizzard, and the grade logic was WONDERFUL.
It made for less gear hunting and better engine braking than my old Range Rover (Which I though had a great transmission)

[RipRocK]

It takes a little getting used to, but I don't find it a nuisance at all. I never experienced too much of a hassle when going uphill though. May be I haven't gone up a steep enough hill yet.

[PILOTinginCO]

I have an different opinion of the Grade Logic on the PILOT.

I live in Colorado, so it gets quite a bit of use, but on hills, either going up or coming down, the system works in such a way that it makes it easier to get up hills and takes some of the punishment off the brakes when going downhill.


Thank you Honda for making this - I really like the Grade Logic Transmission.



PILOTinginCO
Sagebrush Pearl-EX
Parker, CO

[Birdman]

I've done some towing with my Pilot, with about a 1700 pound trailer. The transmission does great with the extra pull. I don't use cruise control when towing and that leads to less shifting because I let the speed drop off a few mph when going up a long hill. All in all, I really like the transmission shift pattern and am not bothered by the engine revving a bit to maintain speed when passing or going up hill. The Pilot gets almost double the gas mileage of the Landcruiser I used to have, and I think part of the reason is the grade logic control.

[Pilot-1]

I agree it does help fuel mileage and braking. The braking part has come in real handy more than a few times. But I've never had a vehicle that does that, and I've had 7 months/6500 miles to get used to it, with no luck. I guess I'll see where I stand after the next 6500 miles. I hardly use the cruise now unless I know there is straight level road for miles ahead, because for me it is much smoother ride without it!

To each his own, I guess.

And yes, we have some really steep hills around here.

[74PILOTMOM]

I'm glad you posted this, because I didn't realize there was a real good reason for needing the pedal so much. My old Buick would coast and pick up speed and scare the #*!! out of me, while the Pilot feels like it needs constant pedal. It did bother me a little, thinking it was because of the aerodynamics of the square vehicle. (But actually quite aerodynamic I've just read) Since you posted this, I now know there's a reason for it.
I like the down shifting up hills, it's done very smoothly and feels effortless. Maybe because I'm not a leadfoot?

[RedLex]

I drove a Ford Escape for a while and found the transmission to be entirely unpleasant on full speed hills. It would lug then abruptly downshift, much more than the pilot.

The combination of shift points, grade logic and power on the Pilot are just right to my mind.