For all you automagic cruisers out there, I'm new to the automagic field and am used to downshifting from 5th to 3rd or 4th to 2nd etc. My question is is it normal for the Maxima to kick down in steps one gear at a time or should it kick from say 4th to 2nd via one gear change? If for example I'm cruising along in the mid 40s or something and want to merge into traffic quickly, I floor it then it kicks down once for a split sec, then again into 2nd and takes off. Sounds like a big waste of time to me but perhaps autos must do this....Any thoughts, thanks in advance!

 

From what I can tell from my auto is that it depends on a few things: speed you are traveling, and how far dopwn you push the accelearator. If you are traveling at a decent clip and just push like halfway, i think it only downshifts once, but if you floor it it downshifts two gears i believe. And i have pushed lightly and downshifted 4-3 and then pressed harder and downshifted 3-2...

but i've also punched it and gone 4-2...

 

It will go down from 4-2.... at least mine does...

 

I concur with Ironlord. If you're cruising in the 40's you should have overdrive off so you'll be in third. You can drop to 2nd while cruising at about 70 mph by hammering the gas.

 

Well I'll try it tonight to see if it's just a matter of me not pushing hard enough or not. I have a 7 hour drive ahead of me later this evening to Richmond Virginia anyway.....Thanks all!