I live in a hilly area and I like to coast the car in neutral especially on one road that I can go a few miles without being in gear. There are times when I run out of good momentum so I'll shift the car into drive when going, say 45 MPH or so. I also don't really like that the car likes to downshift on its own when coming to a stop when in gear. So to avoid the annoying downshift I just put the selector in neutral. I don't care if I use the brakes more. I think brake pads are cheaper than a tranny rebuild but I sometime wonder if the Honda trannys need to be in gear when going for any distance. Any advice on coasting a Honda automatic? I've done it with other cars with no problems.

 

I haven't driven that new of a civic, but I can't imagine the downshift being very harsh at all. Downshifting by an automatic is nearly undetectable in almost all vehicles unless you do it manually...they are designed that way. The only time that downshifting early is noticeable/desirable is for engine braking, trailer towing for example. The only automatic vehicle I have ever driven that had a noticeable rpm change and intentional early downshift was Ford's newer torqueshift tranny, and that was only when you selected "Tow/Haul" on the gear shifter. There's no sense putting the car in neutral. Trust me, Honda knows what it's doing. It won't harm your car. The computer will sense wheel speed and engine load and shift smoothly into the correct gear. It is, however, dangerous and pointless. Who knows when you'll need to hit the gas. And, as I remember from driver's Ed, at least in Washington state, it is actually illegal to shift into neutral when traveling on a down grade. That was about 8 years ago, though. Do as you wish.

 

I do find the downshift annoying when the car comes to a stop on a downgrade. It's very noticable. You bet I'll continue coasting. I don't see any reason that I'll need to hit the gas when coasting down hill as I'm usually using the brakes to keep the speeds legal. So you might say that "well you're using your brakes more." I use my brakes on those downgrades even in gear so that's really a toss up. In all, I'm able to coast a total of about 8 miles when I add up all the places I coast on my way to work. That adds up every week.

 

If your downshift is that noticeable and annoying, then maybe your transmission is having some issues. I asked my neighbor (05 Civic auto) and he's never noticed a thing. I would suggest getting it checked out. These cars, as well as most all automatic vehicles, are not designed to have that type of noticeable downshift. It should coast to a stop smoothly. And no, I'm not saying, "well you're using your brakes more." Unless you manually downshift to increase the rpm for engine braking, an automatic tranny won't be much more effective at increasing the life of your brake pads than shifting into neutral will. Next, you say "That adds up every week." What adds up? Sure, the miles you coast add up, but what does it add up to? The engine should rev low whether in gear or neutral, so you aren't going to save that much gas. There is little stress on the tranny when you coast like that, so wear is not a factor. It adds up to nothing, just your odd habit. Although it shouldn't, who knows, maybe down the road shifting into gear from neutral at higher speeds will cause some kind of problem. If you leave it in gear, that problem is eliminated. You asked for an opinion, and I'm giving mine. Get your transmission checked and leave it in gear. But what the hell do I know...I am nothing more than a name

 

The RPMs are lower when coasting in neutral than when in gear but by how much I don't know. It may seem like an odd habit but I'm used to driving a manual so I always do a lot of coasting when driving one. I've thought about taking the car in but I'm willing to bet it'll be a waste of time. I'm willing to be it'll be one of those "can't duplicate customer complaint." There are no hills anywhere nearby the local Honda dealership.
I've got a factory shop manual on the way and I'll see if there's anything in the trouble-shooting section,if there is one.

 

I checked the rpm's while in gear and then coasting. At 55 the rpms are about 2200 while in drive and only about 750 in neutral. The car actually loses speed going downhill in drive if I don't give it gas. In neutral I'm usually tapping the brakes to keep it at 55.