LOL we're on the same wavelength...we were late for a presentation w/ our major client...left tustin (4th street and 5fwy) at 1:00 PM (meeting in cerritos off carmenita Cingular HQ) made it there by 1:15pm that ECT and the "manual" mode really gets that thing scooting along...and to top it off, my coworker was next me collating color copies. He told me at one point he looked over and he can the 60mph on the speedo but the needle was no where near that mark...LOL i heart ECT it's my new sport mode

 

The owner's manual states that the "power mode" of the ECT is for more powerful acceleration and "sporty" driving. My understanding is the ECT or Electronic Throttle Control system bases the shift points on the throttle position. That makes sense to me as when I depress the gas pedal slightly it shifts through the six gears rather quickly. However, if I put my foot in it the shift points increase in the rpm range.
This is my first Lexus but I have owned many Toyotas and I have always been a little disappointed with their automatic transmissions. My 06 tundra shifts into second gear way to soon under partial throttle and if I accelerate right after the shift it falls flat on it's face. The GS can do that as well but recovers much better when I stomp on it. Knowing this I use the "S" mode on the GS if I want to run it through the gears or accelerate quickly (wish the Tundra had that option).
The "S" mode is nice but not fully performance oriented as it has a slight lag between shifts. Once I got used to it I just learned to shift a little sooner to make up the for lag. To end on a positve note when I do run it through the gears hard in the "S" mode it is a blast to drive and I feel the powerband and gearing is spot on .

 

I've noticed that when I have ECT on and I shift into "S" mode the default gear is 4th. With ECT off, it defauts to 5th. I used to have to downshift to get it into 4th with it off when trying to pass on the freeway. I haven't noticed any difference in mileage since switching on ECT. Since trying the ECT mode, I don't miss my G35 coupe anymore.

 

glad i brought this up...seems some of us are "rediscovering" our cars again

 

wow... i tried it all day yesterday, and it is a noticeable difference... r u guys w/ gs300s getting 21 mpg? sheez... after yesterday, i was down to 16.8 mpg... what could be causing this (besides my lead foot)

 

This is funny... the power ECT mode is actually what sold me on the car. I had been dealing with a sales person at one dealer (Pohanka Lexus, about 30 minutes away) but ended up test driving a 300 from a closer dealer who wasn't offering that great of a deal. After driving the car for the first time, my complaint was that the GS300 felt like a slug compared to my old '98 GS400 that ran 13.9 in the 1/4. Well, the sales lady kept begging me to come down to her dealer and drive one. My gf and I finally found the time to go down and upon arrival, the manager had a silver 300 running, waiting for us. He handed us the key and we were on the way. Once out on the open road, I punched it and was like WOAH. Felt like a totally different car from the one I test drove two days prior. I didn't notice until we got back to the dealer, but the PWR ECT light was on on the dash. The sales manager tricked me!! I was convinced though. It's not as fast as my old 400, but it'll get the job done. That night, worked out the deal and bought the silver/ash gs300 on the spot... two days later ended up with a flint/ash one instead... but that's a whole other story.

 

I would guess the 20's are contributing a bit as well. Put my 20" HREs on last week and have noticed the MPG's steadily going down on this tank(my foot is made of lead too). At least it's not down to 13.8mpg like I used to get on my '98 GS400!

 

Just my luck. My car is in the shop until Monday to get the rattles fixed!
I will be thinking about this ECT thread all weekend...

I'm looking for an ECT buttom on my loaner ES330 and I can't find one

 

our GS should be like this normally and the ECT button would be for cruise aka slug mode lol

 

I use the ECT often and do like the response I get .Does any one like the manual setup? It seems a little awkward to me,paddles would be much more fun.

 

I shift into manual mode when passing on the freeway, and it lags. Paddles would be cool for about a week and then you'd hate it. Especially when you're trying to turn and shift at the same time. I used the paddles in the IS350 when I was test driving one, but the shifter seems to be more natural to me.

 

So I finally get to push this POWER ECT mode and the verdict is

I cannot even imagine what a GS460 would do in this mode. It will be
absolutely sick!

 

i have the button on now permanently...and it's truly a joy to drive...i actually can hear the engine sometimes

 

Thanks for bringing this up

I had never used the power mode before because I thought it was a hoax. This
setting definitely gives the car a more wicked edge.

 

hey how do you turn the ECT on?