Is coasting in neutral a problem?

i dont think going from neutral to drive and vice versa is all that consuming. i use cruise control a lot and trying to drive without braking in cruise control in town takes a LOT of concentration. but i enjoy it because it makes me concentrate on how im driving.

 

heres an experiment go down the road and suddenly immediately press down on the accelerator with cruise or without cruise like you suddenly had to avoid some object or get out of the phantom trucks way. now try the same experiment while you are going down the road in nuetral. always in full control at all times is just a better idea than not. (in my my humble opinion)

 

I have never avoided an animal by acceleration. In my world animals are the only unexpected danger. I use neutral in areas safe to do so but avoiding an accident by punching it must be really rare. I doubt the power of the Prius is going to outrun danger.

Fred- I am always in full control of my vehicle. I guess our difference of opinion comes from your belief that that is impossible.

 

fred: i have to agree with Ray. you seem to be grasping at straws when voicing your concerns. imho, driving in neutral or using cruise control in heavy traffic makes you more alert to possible hazardous situations than most people who are so accustomed to driving that they drive when eating, putting on makeup, talking on the cellphone, etc. anything that forces you to concentrate on the road is good because the Prius is so easy to drive. it does lull one into a sense of complacency.

 

Oh goodie! I have 510 miles now (I think, might be a bit more) at 59.6MPG on MFD (really probably 57.6) with 2 pips left. Changed from 3 pips at about 502 miles.

Only times I have to avoid problems by acceleration, I am either rapidly decelerating, in which I am in D to decelerate and might need to accelerate to avoid a rear-end collision, or am looking to pass or merge, in which case again I'd have to be in D to even consider that.

 

well guys, like i said im in the minority i just have toatl control so branded into my little brain that i automatically rebel against anything that could detract from it. i hope everyone understands that i dont say you are conemned for all eternity, its just i personally see 0 reason to have even a smidgeon less control and im just expressing a contrarian point of view which we as prius guys(and gals) do everyday. i have to admit that your fun or experimenting with neutral would be much more dangerous with a vhicle that is standard transmisson. ps thanks for your gentle nonflaming responses

 

I agree with Fred in principal, but driving in neutral is one of a thousand things prohibited (at least in Illinois, I think Massachusetts too, prob most states.. those are only two I actually read the rulebook) However, the actual likelihood of a problem because of it is so remote... this is where fred and I depart... I say go for it if it makes you happy.

I had a stick in my last car and would keep the clutch completely disengaged while moving (effectively neutral), which is also prohibited, but no biggie and sure made it a lot easier to creep around town.

A driver who concentrates a lot isn't necessarily a good driver. There are many drivers who concentrate on keeping momentum going (conventional cars) and come screeching to a stop, hoping the light would change and trying not to stop until the last moment. They concentrate a lot but they're not safe.

 

well after all ive said in favor, i dont drive in neutral simply because i dont live in an area that allows me to. for most of the hills around here, by the time i coasted a tenth of a mile in neutral, i'd be doing about twice the speed limit.

facts are, i "coast" all the time, i just do it in drive. that way i only occasionally have to hit the brakes to slow down. there is a hill very near my house where i get going about 75 mph by the time i hit the bottom if i dont brake (and i dont unless there is traffic or cops around...)

but what im getting at is besides it being legal, illegal, wise or foolish, i be willing to bet that most simply dont live in an area where its feasible.

 

A couple of people asked about coasting in neutral in the thread about 818 miles on one tank so I'm bumping it up.

 

I prefer to use the feathering method for nuetral. On my commute, there are two hills that I cost down and both of them flatten out at the bottom, upon which I powerglide with the electric motor to keep up speed. This is what I don't trust about neutral. I don't want to shift from neutral to drive while moving 30 MPH. By feathering, I can add a little to maintain speed or I can let off the pedal to use regen to slow down. I try to keep under 40 so the ICE doesn't spin up, as well as to avoid a speeding ticket.

I really don't have a problem using the feathering technique to achieve neutral so I don't see a reason to actually shift into neutral and then shift back while moving. Esp. if you are talking about doing this while going over 40, when the engine is supposed to be spinning to allow easier kick in of the ICE.

 

"I had a stick in my last car and would keep the clutch completely disengaged while moving (effectively neutral), which is also prohibited, but no biggie and sure made it a lot easier to creep around town. "

This is a good way to fry your clutch throw-out bearing.

 

I switch from drive to neutral and back at greater than 60 mph. No problem so far and no sensation that anything happens. Its all electronic. The ECU simply talks to itself. There is no mechanical shifting involved as I understand it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ray Moore\";p=\"80445)</div>

I have (when I lived in Michigan). And, keep in mind that if you have to make a sudden manuver the throttle is often the one thing that can keep the car under some semblance of control. This is especially true in a front-wheel drive vehicle where the drive wheels aid to pull you through a turn. Having to remember to do a gear select is just a distraction in that case.

 

Time for an update. I have now driven 57,000 miles with regular use of N without any problems. My wife has done it for 30,000 miles in hers. She is getting the same great mileage as me now BTW. (high 50s)