Hi guys, picked up my RX450h F Sport last night. Being new to hybrids, is it normal that the car is very slow when taking off from a standstill? I have had a few problems with this because my previous RX300 just used to go. I constantly find that at junctions, I need more distance as the RX450h wont pick up enough speed before another car has got too close. Is this normal?

The car is in ECO mode at the moment as the dealer put it into it as he was giving me a run through of the features. I havent fiddled with the settings yet as im no tech expert so will probably do so after reading the owners manual .

 

Throttle responsiveness is where I notice the most difference between the settings. The normal mode is acceptable to me, and the sport mode makes the throttle response even better. One of my wife's favorite benefits of our 450h has been the improved acceleration over our previous 350! From what I have read in this forum, most people move away from Eco mode pretty quickly, with minimal impact to mileage. We did, mostly for the same reason you have identified. The benefit (increased mileage) of Eco mode simply isn't enough to offset the reduced throttle response for day to day driving.

Honestly, this will be a minor issue for you in the near future, as you get into "daily driver" mode. As a new car owner, you're more alert to little things you won't even notice in a month or 2.

 

Ok, i see. Ill change the mode tonight and see if sport or normal is better suited to me. Thanks for the quick reply Woodrow! Nice to see that we have the same colour car!!!

 

For maybe the 1st 20ft under full throttle the 350 in 1st gear may have a slight (very slight) edge but after that the (h) with the CVT tranny winds up good and just as well at passing speeds when pressed quickly to the floor. The CVT is so smooth you get a perception it's slower. You've got an extra 25 hp from the electric motor/motors and they do make a difference. CVT means 'continuously variable' so it's always in the right gear. You'll never feel it shift.

Like others have said, the ECO mode changes the throttle mapping to be less responsive so turning it off will give you the option of 'krazy' power on demand or manually having a lighter foot for economy. Also will make the A/C and heat work more normally.

 

Ok, I'm confused! How do you turn off the ECO Mode? Don't you mean the EV Mode. I thought that the ECO Mode is a part of the normal driving mode.

 

press menu button on steering wheel
then use arrows to togal between ECO, Sport, Snow, and normal mode. also can turn on parking assist from here
cheers
mike

 

The "tip-in" from the gas motor is not smooth on the RX, you will feel a slight surge when it decides to kick in with the electric motor

 

Thanks Mike! Apparently, mine was turned off. I guess I'll leave my driving mode as is.

 

My CT is lethargic in ECO mode and responsive in Sport. It seems to be common programming across all Lexus hybrids. I have to say though that my prior Gen 2 RXh was not slow off the line but then again there were no throttle settings as with Gen 3. It probably was set to the equivalent of today's Normal setting.

 

it depends on our interest... change it and see,, but i want to leave it at eco mode for now to see what is the actual mileage the car gets... then i will change it to normal....

 

well first of all, I didnt buy the car because of its economy. I liked the vehicle and thats it so i am really not too bothered about fuel saving. I went from ECO mode to NORMAL mode and the response is much better. I can also say that im not worried about getting out at junctions now as the car feels much more urgent. I also fiddled with the SPORT mode and although the response is better still in this mode, the steering is weighted up a bit more and this is not suitable for me in city driving. I find it much better to use at speed though so I think ill be using it on the motorway.

All in all, the car is great! Much better than my RX300 as long as its not in ECO mode. Seems to soak up the bumps pretty well too, nearly as good as the RX300, even with the stiffer suspension.