I noticed in the Owner's Manual that Low Gear isn't supposed to have much effect when accelerating/driving up steep inclines, but is proported to assist in retarding speed on downgrades. On a trip I took this weekend, I did shift down when beginning a steep downslope and found that the motor immediately began charging the HV battery at a greater rate than if I were in Drive and used the brake.

My question is whether downshifting to slow the vehicle in the normal course of driving will put wear and tear on the CVT for which it is not designed (similarly to towing a trailer on a conventional automatic trans in Over Drive) or if this is a legitimate use for the Low Gear. If the CVT is up to it, this seems like a way to milk a few more precious MPG's from the Escape.

art