Can someone tell me what the difference is in the 3 power modes? (The toggle switch under the arm rest) Do you get the full amount of horsepower in the Power mode, and a reduced amount in the Normal mode? I'm sure the Snow mode will reduce power for better traction but I don't understand what is going on with the other two. Does the car get better gas mileage in the normal mode opposed to the power mode, EVEN IF you are driving the car the same in both modes? If so, why wouldn't you just leave it in Power mode all the time, and have the extra power when you need it?

Thanks,
Mark

 

im sure this is covered in the manual but it has nothing to do with the engine itself i believe. its more for the trans and how it shifts.

 

This has been covered many times in this forum and just about every other Lexus forum out there. Search is your friend, even Google will find the answer for you in no time.

I would explain it all again, but it seems redundant.

The answer to why you wouldn't leave it in power all the time is economy.

 

Wow..I'm sorry but this (as well as your TPMS question) can be answered by reading the manual.

 

As stated please SEARCH

In short it adjusts throttle response and shift points. Power means things will be more aggressive and sensitive to foot inputs. Normal is more for economy and just cruising. Snow I believe engages the car in 2nd gear instead of 1st so you don't spin out.

 

yes. in short, snow mode you start in 2nd gear (iirc), and also it slows down your gas pedal timing so you don't get fast acceleration

pwr mode it changes the shift point a bit

it doesn't change the "power" of your engine

 

leave it in the power mode and you'll always have a rocket under your butt.

 

So what your saying is since I put it on snow mode and it slows down the gas pedal timing would it give you better gas mileage to leave it on snoww all the time?

 

depends on how you compare it. since now in snow mode, if you do "sudden" hard press on the gas pedal, the car will still continue to accelerate relatively slowly, so between that and normal mode where rpm jumps and car surge forward, yes, gas mileage will be better of course

but if you compare the snow mode to normal mode but you drive very very carefully and moderately, causing the rpm to rise slowly and such, then gas mileage will be the same

in other words, the main idea of slow mode is to "slow down" all the actions for better traction

 

I guess it's conceivable that leaving it in snow mode during heavy start and stop driving could give you a bit of an MPG boost but it will do nothing for you when cruising.

If it really does start in second gear, I would hazard a guess it would also put a bit of undue strain on the transmission if used for long periods of time.

 

my Porsche cayenne always starts in 2nd gear. Never had a problem with it

 

Why does it always start in 2nd gear?

 

It's from factory like that

 

So... is there a first gear that you just can't use, or do they call it a 6 speed transmission but really it only has 5 speeds? (Second gear is really first gear, if no first gear exists!).

 

Ah I see...

From Car and Driver:

"With only 229 pound-feet of torque at the driver's disposal, the V-6 simply does not have the wherewithal to get the 5000-pound Cayenne moving with any exuberance. Not helping matters is the six-speed Tiptronic S manumatic that starts out in second gear unless you manually select first. The relatively small engine needs all the torque multiplication it can get, but the gearbox would rather not bother with first gear. A second-gear start is a characteristic of all Tiptronic S gearboxes, but when a 911 Turbo moves away in second, you're still capable of enough acceleration to annoy a traffic cop. In the V-6 Cayenne, you'll annoy exactly two people, yourself and the driver in the car behind you."