auto-down shift or auto-braking on downhill grade: Feature?

[BigP]

We have a new (to us) 2010 EX. On a fairly steep downgrade in our neighborhood the car sometimes seems to downshift automatically or brake automatically to slow the car down. I'm not sure if this is a feature or a bug.

Any ideas?

[jmess]

The downshift is a feature, not a bad one IMHO. The braking feeling could be the computer reducing fuel to increase compression braking. I tend to use the auto manual mode a lot on hills so I would normally have downshifted before the computer got around to it.

[BigP]

Thanks. I agree it is a nice feature. I just wanted to be sure it was a feature!

I also use manual mode so I wouldn't normally feel it but my wife first noticed it because she does not like manual mode.