For the lucky few that have gotten their RX450h's already, can you please tell me how is the acceleration using ECO Mode. I have a 2010 Prius with ECO Mode and it is pretty sluggish under ECO Mode. Therefore, I usually only use it during morning rush hour.

I do know that if you floor it, it will give you full acceleration even if you are in Eco Mode.

 

Pretty much the same I suppose. An analogy would be skim milk. All the goodness is still there, just seems watered down. But if you floor it you still get the smile of nearly 300 pony's at the ready. I switch back and forth probably more than I should trying to convince myself to leave it in one mode or the other. So far, it's a losing battle but still enjoying every mile.

 

if you are familiar with lexus vehicles, it is much like "snow" mode and it just takes more pedal action to make it go

 

several weeks ago, i test drove the 450h in eco mode, sluggish, was not impressed. test drove again under regular mode, much more zippy, it feels like a 295 hp suv.

 

One would expect the ECO Mode to be sluggish since its purpose is to avoid rapid accelerations to save fuel. We have been driving our RX450h in the ECO mode to this point because, I have been experimeting with the gas mileage. I will soon test it without the ECO Mode.

 

I didn't notice a big difference, possibly because I'm already acclimated to trying to keep the eco light on.

 

I also drove a 450h AWD and felt it was about as powerful as my '99 220 HP Rx 300. It felt very sluggish. I noticed the ECO mode was on at the time.

For those of us who do not yet have a 450h, how easy or difficult is it to switch ECO mode on/off? Is it a single dash button or does it take a series of buttons via the mouse to enter in to a menu, then scroll, then select, then confirm, etc?

thanks for any input

 

It takes about 3-5 seconds. You press the menu button on the steering wheel, toggle down to Eco Mode and click to "off" or "on". It is very easy.

 

yup.