How to Drive on Uphill Roads in a Manual Car

Driving on an uphill road can be a challenge for new drivers. This is the reason why most drivers remember the first time they drove through Kennon Road to reach Baguio.

Driving uphill requires you to be familiar with several driving techniques to make your drive easier and safer. Here are some tips on how to drive on uphill roads in a manual car.

Gather speed

Before you drive through a steep inclined road, it is ideal to gather speed in order to give your car enough power to start the uphill climb. Your car's gear stick could be in 4th or 5th gear when you’re gathering speed; however, make sure that you don't compromise your safety by going beyond the speed limit. Maintain the speed you've managed to gather as you start driving uphill. Keep going and continue to drive using the momentum you've gained, but this won't last if you're driving on a steep, inclined road. As such, you need to downshift when your car's engine starts to lack in power and as your speed begins to slow down.

Shift to Low Gear

Shift to a lower gear to have enough pulling or engine power to safely climb an inclined road. When you downshift, the engine rpm should at least be on the 2,000rpm mark. If it's below, it is ideal to downshift further to a lower gear to ensure that your car's engine has enough power. The thing you need to remember most when driving uphill is that your car's engine should always have enough power. The way to ensure that is to use a low gear when tackling steep inclined roads.

Upshift if possible to save fuel

Similar to automatic cars, you can shift to a higher gear if your car's engine has enough power and could easily take on the uphill road. This will make your car more fuel efficient and its engine will have less stress. If you're on 2nd gear and the car's engine rpm is more than 3,000rpm, then you can shift it to 3rd in order to save fuel.

Driving on an uphill road onboard a manual car could be a bit challenging for some. We advise that you do some practice drives first before you take on the steep inclined roads similar to Kennon Road. Just keep in mind the tips we shared here in order to safely and efficiently tackle uphill roads.