Hi all,

I have read some reviews of throttle controllers (aftermarket) on the GS forums, but not for the RX. I just installed mine and thought I would give a quick review, given that I had posted earlier about the slow throttle response in my F sport. So,sorry if I am duplicating other reviews

In short, it works amazingly well. I don't know why Lexus didn't include this type of option in a $52,000 car, when it only cost $200.

As most of you know, there are 7 different throttle response modes for the Apexi controller. Here is rundown of what each does to the RX F sport

Eco 1- feels similar to normal, maybe slighly less responsive. I could use this mode during normal driving and probably not get too annoyed, and save some gas.

Eco 2- A little more sluggish, probably wouldn't use this one at all, except maybe on a deserted highway somewhere.

Eco 3- VERY sluggish. Won't ever use this mode

Low Throttle mode- feels similar to Eco1 mode. You have to press the gas significantly to get it to downshift.

Low boost mode- I like this one....the first couple of inches of gas pedal travel feels similar to normal, but the downshifts come much more quickly and you take off. this is the perfect mode for those who aren't bothered by the slight throttle hesitation the car normally has, but want to be able to downshift more quickly with less gas pedal depression.

High Boost mode- all i can say is...holy cow. I guess this one is good for the drag strip, if you ever take your RX there. It is hard to drive the car in this mode, because anything more than a slight depression of the gas and you downshift immediately and stay in that gear up to redline. If you want to get up to speed as fast as possible, this is the mode for you. But for everyday driving it felt too erratic for me. the throttle either feels completely open or virtually closed.

High Throttle- This is the gem of the controller, and provides the type of throttle response that the F sport should have had coming out of the factory. The throttle delay is almost completely gone, without being erratic like high boost mode. The engine revs happily and the car gets moving within the first inch of gas pedal travel. And the acceleration is very linear- while downshifts come with less effort and delay, there is no violent "boost" effect like in the boost modes. But at the same time, you can still drive it smoothly without needless downshifting and high revs. I will likely keep it in this mode for everyday driving.

An added bonus is that when you first start the car, the system doesn't turn on until you press the button to select which mode you want. So, if you like high boost and your wife gets in to drive it, as long as she doesn't push the button to turn it on, the car will behave completely as it did when it left the dealership. But one button push, and it turns on the last mode you had it in.

So, hope this helps for those who didn't like the factory throttle response of the RX and didn't have mulitple modes to choose from like in the hybrid.

 

Good review! what does the controller look like? how did you install it?

 

Here you go. It took about 2 minutes to install, then a few minutes to mount where I wanted. Truly plug and play. Unhook the cable going to the gas pedal, put the connector from the controller in between, and you're done.

I decided to mount the controller up behind the pedals. It's out the way and it came a little sticky pad to hold it in place.

I mounted the button in one of the empty spaces of the button cluster left of the steering wheel. It was easy to push out from behind and route the cable back to where the main controller unit was mounted.

(sorry, one of the pics is tilted to the left.

 

Great review
I will be leasing - If I velcro the switch I can disconnect at lease end without leaving any signs of it having been there??

 

You absolutely can. I thought of using velcro too. I decided to use a small bit of super glue instead simply for the sake of aesthetics. If I push hard, the switch I mounted will pop right off. Then I just have to scrape off the glue residue. Other than that, you can unhook it at any time and the car is right back to normal. And the great thing is that you can use the controller in most other vehicles with drive by wire throttle setups. You will have to buy a different car-specific adapter, though. The system comes in two pieces, the controller (the black box part and the switch), and the cable that is specific for your car that hooks onto the port on the gas pedal.

 

Thanks,

Does this negatively affect the tranny or motor in any way?

 

Well, I am not an expert, but from other reviews I have read the controller does not affect any other component of the car (and this makes sense too). It simply alters the signal intensity from the gas pedal (either higher or lower) to the throttle body. You could reasonably get the same effect of the controller by being much more aggressive with your gas pedal pressure. The throttle body only reacts to the signal, it doesn't care how it gets there. Heck, it's the same thing that they have in the hybrid and the GS...both of which have different "modes" that adjust throttle response. Those systems also just alter the intensity and timing of the signal to the throttle body to get a different feel of the gas pedal.

 

Very cool.
I don't expect you to know, but I wonder if it can be used on a Hybrid. The Sport mode in the hybrid also alters the steering response. I like the change to the steering, but not the throttle. I wonder if you could use the Apexi to dial back the Sport throttle response. Hmmm.

On the other hand, maybe someone will (has?) come up with a steering response controller!

Jonas

 

viperdoc,
did you have to buy the harness as well or just the throttle controller?

 

which model of the Apexi and where to buy.. ??

 

You have to buy both. The controller (black box part) is the same no matter what car you have. But the cable that goes from the controller to the port on the gas pedal is car specific because everyone uses different size/style of connectors.

The total MSPR would be $269 ($199 for the controller and $69 for the wiring harness). But I would HIGHLY suggest calling the company and telling them you are shopping around to see if they will offer any discounts. They did for me. They realize that there are a number of other options for throttle controllers available.

 

http://www.apexi-usa.com/

LIke I mentioned above, I would give them a call to ask questions and hint about any discounts they could offer.