I imagine the off road driving mode is capable of doing it, but I think it limits you to like 10-15 mph. I have yet to use it for downhills like that. Otherwise, use the manual shifting mode with your gear shifter to stay in the gear you want to.
It's great for proper off-road hill descents. I use it quite a bit for sketchy and steep descents over loose dirt, gravel, mud, and even snow. It's great at managing speeds - easy to set your desired speed - I typically use it within 3-8mph depending on conditions.
I saw that as well. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with it. I hope on my next 4500 miles ahead I don't have any more slopes that requires this much engine braking. I've never had a car that had to engine brake that hard for that long. I honestly thought the climb was going to be more work but to be honest going down felt like more strain on the engine.This is a large screen shot, but it looks like the off road mode is the only hill descent mode.![Image]()
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Interesting. Part of me doesn't want to have to find out lol. I watched Volvo videos on the older models doing it. It said it is using brakes plus engine. That's pretty much what i was doing. But I had to do it for 18 miles. I'm trying to figure out is Volvo doing anything special. Doesn't sound like it.
Good point about small engine not having enough compression for engine braking. Definitely in first the car wants to get away from u if u don't help with the brakes.![Image]()
It's great for proper off-road hill descents. I use it quite a bit for sketchy and steep descents over loose dirt, gravel, mud, and even snow. It's great at managing speeds - easy to set your desired speed - I typically use it within 3-8mph depending on conditions.
On-road, definitely downshift. The downside of the 2L 4cyl is it's not enough compression/engine braking and as the engine RPMs increase it will upshift. You don't want it to get stuck in 1st while gravity accelerates your T6 past redline. It sounds like Subaru's hill descent control is not as fine tuned for off-road where you want to keep speeds in the 3-8mph range.
The upside is with a T8 there's additional "engine" braking with B gear (for ERAD braking) and it's totally fine to lightly ride the brakes to increase ERAD braking for greater battery regen. I just wish I could dial up B's regen - it would be great if the mode selector would double as a way to dial it up or down.
It'll let you exceed 25mph and it'll automatically switch to AWD mode to let you keep accelerating in the faster speed mode. If you've got air suspension it'll also drop to AWD ride height.
Yes it'll hold perhaps a little longer (closer to redline) but you're also forgetting, if the transmission is shifting up already it's because the engine speed as accelerated and it's being pushed (by gravity pulling the car down faster) to the next gear. it has to upshift based on high engine speed from the speed the car was accelerated to by the downhill. Just because you're not giving it throttle doesn't mean that gravity isn't accelerating it and pushing engine RPMs up if the incline is steep enough or gearing ratio not high enough to improve engine braking. Even in a stick gravity can drag the engine past redline it overcomes engine braking/compression. If you don't apply brakes or shift up in a manual it would be just as bad.
And don't forget, the way HDC works is by selectively applying brakes on wheels and keeping it 1st gear. At speed the only time you want selective wheel braking is for traction/stability control like to prevent roll overs or keep you pointed in the direction you have your steering wheel aimed.
Odd - what happened? Were you using it to keep you going slowly downhill or just driving? If you lift off the accelerator it crawls and holds a set speed on a downhill. To do what you say you must have given it more and more gas until it switches back to Constant AWD (I think that'd be Comfort on your T6).
I tried 3 times. Two times with the car in auto and once in manual. The direction said manual in 3rd should have worked but sure enough I got to 3rd and the icon for hill descent disappears.
That the off road mode also includes regular braking is probably not surprising. But one hope is that the car will maximize engine braking and thus use slightly less regular braking.
Yes, that's what hill descent control is, it automatically uses engine braking with selective wheel braking when going downhill to control speed. It's great at crawling and excellent on steep and low traction surfaces - loose dirt and rocks, mud, snow, etc. I use it often off-road. It really shines when towing off-road, too. I used to keep my R-Pod at a farm down a steep gravel road. I'd let it crawl on it's own with the R-Pod wanting to push us downhill. Super steady. If you want to go faster/set a higher speed add gas and let it hold at that speed. There's no other magic power yet besides the computer managing your speed using engine and brakes. With a T8 you also get the ERAD to help for slow it down and regenerate the battery while it does.
