MistaLex

iTrader: (1)

Here's a random question but I'm new here and curious.

I don't know if a similar post as been done but I would like to know how you drive your. I own a IS350, I'm not sure if the 250 got all the options the 350 have but my question is...

Do you usually use automatic mode or sport mode ?

If you use sport mode do you use the paddle shift on the steering wheels or the shifter ?

Do you shift down before stopping at a red light/stop or after ?

Do you use normal mode, power mode or snow mode ? (If you use snow mode when there is not snow I would really like to know why lol)

About me... I use the sport mode with the F-sport shifter to shift up, I only shift down to get on first gear when I'm at a stop or red light (cause the car shift down automaticly anyway), I use the paddle shift to shift down to gear 1 after cause they are faster than the shifter.

And finally I usually drive on normal mode to save on gaz but I use power mode sometime when I want a little bit more power. (is there really a signifiant difference on gaz consumption between normal and power mode ?)

Samieee

iTrader: (1)

I never use the paddle shifters. I'm usually on normal mode and use snow mode in traffic. The engine is less preppy and doesn't shift as fast in snow mode so it makes traffic driving a bit easier

KillaIS250

iTrader: (1)

I drive my 250 in automatic mode all the time, once in a while i'll use the paddle shifters, but since they are just top gear limiters really i don't use them that much. I use the normal mode for most of my driving, put in the power mode when going up hills, and use the snow mode in bumper to bumper Socal traffic - since its starts the car off in second its much smoother then having the car go back and forth between 1st and 2nd gear when i know i'm only moving up a like 20 feet at a time anyway lol

MistaLex

iTrader: (1)

hey thanks, it's nice to know about the snow mode in the traffic.

Fizzboy7

1) Power ECT always on. Car (250) is too slow/lazy w/o it.
2) I always use the paddles or gear lever (sport mode). Makes the most out of accelerating (again, the 250 needs all the help it can get), and the downshifting saves on brakes and slows the car down more efficiently.
3) Won't manually downshift into first while coming to a stop. Puts too much strain on things and not good for the longhaul. Once at a complete stop, then I'll notch it into first so it's ready to go when the light turns green.

Kauro

Snow mode in traffic? THAT i have to try next week. 405 fwy FTL between 4-7PM thanks.



As to the OP question. I mainly drive it in normal mode on my 250. After coming from an Evo, i sure do miss automatic, since al i do is commute to and from work. Then dinner.

Do you usually use automatic mode or sport mode ? Automatic

If you use sport mode do you use the paddle shift on the steering wheels or the shifter ? Paddle.

Do you shift down before stopping at a red light/stop or after ? Before

Do you use normal mode, power mode or snow mode ? (If you use snow mode when there is not snow I would really like to know why lol) Will try Snow/Power mode.

kumquatism

iTrader: (10)

I drive my car stick shift. Shifts are usually around 3500-4500RPM, aside from first gear. My tach light turn on at 4500. I'm a pretty late shifter

c-low

iTrader: (1)

like ms effin daisey lol

A_Grasso

iTrader: (13)

I drive it in sport mode mostly when i do canyon runs. Other than that, I leave it in normal mode and drive pretty fast

greg0126

iTrader: (2)

I'll only use sport mode when I'm driving in the mountains. Going down steep inclines is really the only use for the top gear limiters.

Kurtz

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, the paddles (s mode) aren't shifters, they're top gear limiters. So I never waste time with it unless I'm coming down mountains and trying to avoid brake fade. It's useless for making the car any faster (it makes it slower in fact- the computer shifts faster and better than you).

Further, brake pads are a lot cheaper than engines and transmissions, so I don't use engine braking in normal driving, it's not good for the powertrain over the long run.

I generally drive in ECT-Normal mode too, and again that's actually faster in a race. ECT-Sport can be useful in part-throttle on/off the gas type situations though and that's when I use it.

Never use ECT-Snow, traffic isn't bad here, and car isn't driven in the 0-3 days a year there's any actual snow here.

iRock

iTrader: (12)

Do you usually use automatic mode or sport mode ?
--- Auto

If you use sport mode do you use the paddle shift on the steering wheels or the shifter ?
--- Steering wheel

Do you shift down before stopping at a red light/stop or after ?
--- after

Do you use normal mode, power mode or snow mode ?
--- Normal mode 99%, Power .9% just to fool around, Snow .1% on the occasion when people inconvenience me and everyone else when they play bumper cars on the freeway and there is traffic.

IS250Vic

So wait, does that mean the snow mode is much better when you live in the city? less gas consumption?

MistaLex

iTrader: (1)

Are you sure you can't do a better time with the s-mode than the automatic mode ? I've read in my car book that you can have a better acceleratino when you use the s-mode but... the book is not always right.

Kurtz

iTrader: (1)

Yes. 100% sure. Like people have datalogged and measured it.

Fastest 1/4 mile times are in ECT-Normal, and Drive, not S.

Your car shifts at a higher rpm in normal mode than ECT-Power

S mode doesn't help anything at all for a speed run, because the paddles are not shifters

The only thing they do is lock out higher gears.

So the only thing you can ever do with the paddles in a drag race is either:

Screw things up by "allowing" a higher gear too late after the fully automatic transmission would've shifted into it (ie you bounce off the rev limiter, slowing you down)

OR

Move it up before the fully automatic transmission would have used the higher gear you just made available, in which case it shifts exactly like if you'd left it in D.

In either case you'd have been better off leaving it in D.

I'd be kinda curious to know the exact wording in the book. Lexus is kind of deceptive in the first place though since they keep calling those paddles shifters, and they're really, really not.