Patent ID: 7035724

Claim:
A vehicular control device for a vehicle in which a driving force generated by a power source is transmitted to driving wheels via an automatic transmission whose power transmission efficiency is variable, comprising: an operating-mode control controller that controls an operating mode for the power source; a neutral control performance controller that controls, for the automatic transmission, performance of neutral control for rendering an input frictional engagement element of the transmission in a released or slipping state when the vehicle is stopped while being in a running range in which a driving force delivered from the power source is transmitted to the driving wheels by the automatic transmission; and a neutral control performance prohibition controller that controls prohibition of performance of the neutral control for the automatic transmission on the basis of a predetermined condition regarding operating-mode control performed for the power source, wherein the power source is an internal combustion engine, wherein cooperative control for adjusting an increase or decrease in output of the engine in accordance with a load required for the driving wheels in the vehicle is performed in the operating-mode control controller, and the predetermined condition regarding the operating-mode control is determined on the basis of detection of a factor threatening to hinder performance of the cooperative control during performance thereof, and wherein the factor threatening to hinder performance of the cooperative control is deterioration in performance of an engine valve open-close timing change mechanism that adjusts timings for opening or closing engine valves for actuating the engine.