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I found this thread via Google, and wish to share my tactics for fuel efficient acceleration. What I've done is through experimentation, found the lowest speeds my car will shift at (2001 Toyota Echo AT: 15km/h, 25km/h, and 46km/h OR 9mph, 16mph, and 29mph) and do some 'upshift coaxing' to get my car to shift at these points.
However, I have found that by doing this over time, shifts seem much rougher than before, especially when doing regular and smooth acceleration. This point was driven home when I had to drive the company van, and couldn't even feel the thing shift unless I accelerated REALLY slowly.
I'm currently trying to accelerate slowly AND smoothly to get it to shift as close to these speeds as possible without coaxing. I'll report back next time I fill up.
This is my suggestion: Drive about a week trying to find when your car shifts. Once you have an idea of where it does, use upshift coaxing to try and get it to shift even earlier. Once you've determined all the slowest speeds your car shifts at, accelerate slowly to get it to shift as close to these points as possible.
Another note: When doing 'smooth and slow acceleration' it may not always be able to recreate the same shift points. If I accelerate VERY slowly, I find the transmission will be struggling to upshift, thus using more fuel probably. You want to accelerate slowly, but you also want it to shift without struggling either. If it is struggling, you need to give it more gas so it can shift. I find with my car it isn't a problem for it to shift into 2nd at 15km/h, but will shift at 30km/h and 50km/h unless I upshift coax, regardless of how slow I accelerate.
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