Toyota may not have the most exciting electric car in the world, but it’s done an incredible job of helping the hybrid go mainstream. And while it certainly has more competition in the market than it did when the Prius was first introduced, it’s still one of the automakers that appears most committed to offering hybrids throughout its lineup. While you’ll probably love the great gas mileage, if you’ve recently bought a Toyota hybrid, you may notice a few things are different from your old car, including a B on the shift knob. What’s the deal with that?
More or less, the B stands for “braking,” as in “engine braking.” If you’re familiar with traditional PRNDL shifters, it’s basically a replacement for the L, which stands for “low.” Typically, a transmission has been programmed to prioritize fuel economy, and as a result, it will try to use the highest gear it can. That will save you money in the long run, but it isn’t always what you need. Switching a car into B (or L), tells the computer to stay in lower “gears” even if a higher “gear” would result in you getting better gas mileage. Toyota’s hybrids don’t actually have gears, though, thus the use of “B” instead of “L,” since it’s not technically a lower gear.
So when should you use B mode? Since it keeps the transmission in lower “gears,” you don’t necessarily want to use it around town and kill your gas mileage. Instead, just like the good, old-fashioned L mode on your old car, it’s something you’ll probably only want to use while going down a mountain or long hill. Lower gears increase engine drag as you go downhill, helping to slow your car down without needing to use the brakes as much or at all. If that’s not something you encounter on a regular basis, it probably isn’t much use to you, but at least now you know.
