Thanks for sharing your experience. I also do this...

I actually drive in S5 for traffic that doesn`t involve reaching speeds higher than 60km/h.
For bumper to bumper traffic (lower than 40km/h) I use S4.

I also add my SpeedBooster(SB) throttle correction in the equation and the car is even more enjoyable at lower speeds.
For highway speeds (long drives) I just use D and stock setting on my SB. The car is amazing at high speeds (100km/h and more).

Even with all this, changing lanes at lower speed in dense traffic remains my main concern and disappointment about this car...

 

Hey all! I did a sort of experiment this week with our “glitchy” transmission. Keep in mind this doesn’t fix all the issues people are having but for me, it worked well. I have an SE so if you have sport mode select, this may be a different experience or irrelevant.

All week (in town driving using normal driving habits, not trying to race or anything) I never drove the car in “D” (Drive). Instead I used “S” (Sequential) shift. In case you weren’t aware, this is still automatic, however the gear that is showing on your multi-information display will be the last gear your car will shift up to. Thus you can select gears 1-8 (you can also manually down shift or upshift if you choose). For this experiment I chose gear 6 without ever manually shifting, which left the transmission acting as if it was a 6 speed. I noticed significant improvements in low speed shifts being much less “gear searching” with a more responsive shift whether accelerating or braking. I could be wrong but I thought maybe removing 2 gears out of the equation might change the RPM dynamics to fit more for the 6 gears now available. When it upshifts depends on your level of throttle, as it does with the 8speed.

This allowed me to reduce the multiple shifts that occur when acceleration was increased thus giving you smoother and faster shift response. Definitely cleaned up (not entirely) the jerky shifting and produced a much more natural feeling driving experience. You will loose your “ECO” mode and a few MPG, but is a small sacrifice. I don’t know how healthy this is long term on the tranny, but I may keep the 8speed for more Highway situations.

If you wish to try this yourself, when are ready to drive, move it to “S”, then tap the shifter +(or paddle shifter if equipped) up to 6 (or whatever ever top gear you wish) and drive normal. I’m curious if anyone has the same or similar results as me. Hope this helps you guys!

Many of us have been doing that since day 1. Unless I'm on the freeway, my XSE V6 is in S5 all the time. Usually in Sport mode. Doesn't make the transmission flawlessly but it does make it tolerable.

I've owned a crap ton of cars in my lifetime (30 years of driving) and none of them shift exactly how I would like them to shift 100% if the time. Except my manual transmission cars. Unfortunately, cars are designed for maximum MPG first and drive comfort a distant second. Folks looking for perfection nowadays will be sorely disappointed and will jump from one imperfect car to another, losing $$$ and gaining aggravation along the way.

 

Many of us have been doing that since day 1. Unless I'm on the freeway, my XSE V6 is in S5 all the time. Usually in Sport mode. Doesn't make the transmission flawlessly but it does make it tolerable.

I've owned a crap ton of cars in my lifetime (30 years of driving) and none of them shift exactly how I would like them to shift 100% if the time. Except my manual transmission cars. Unfortunately, cars are designed for maximum MPG first and drive comfort a distant second. Folks looking for perfection nowadays will be sorely disappointed and will jump from one imperfect car to another, losing $$$ and gaining aggravation along the way.

Unfortunately a lot of people are looking for "perfection" and are unwilling to tolerate not having it. I'm just willing to accept the nature of the beast to things that I cannot control. I may not have a brand new Camry and I have said this before. People seemed to love the 4-speed, people had hated the 5-speed, the 6-speed had its issues, and now we are on the current 8-speed that everyone hates. Whenever a 10 or 12-speed comes out, the 8-speed will just be forgotten like its previous models.

The U250E if I remember correctly had ECU reflashes because "it had issues". As far as I know as the second (technically third) owner of my 08 Camry and the information that Toyota has about my car, there has been no ECU reflashes on it. Does my car shift a little weird? Yes but with how long I have driven it I had long accepted it was just a part of the car. It is, the nature of the beast.

 

for some reason, most likely a placebo affect but whenever i wear my hiking boots, i feel the car drives better. like there is no hesitation at low speeds.. wearing regular converse or my work shoes, puma shoes, i have that hesitation probably once or twice a week.

 

That may be more of a throttle lag thing. If the temperature is right, if if you got the right shoes, if it is the right time of day, did someone else drive your car before you, I found these things made the accelerator/throttle feel differently than normal. Even with my throttle controller, some days pushing on the accelerator is just spongy. Other days, it is direct and to the point.

I feel that the real game is what is really the issue? Throttle input or transmission? Both of those issues are very different yet seem to be directly correlated with each other.