V6 Touchy throttle at takeoff and passing

[Turbomatic]

Throttle tip in is aggressive on the Rav4. I am used to it and my wife seems to like it too. You can however accelerate quit smoothly by squeezing the throttle methodically rather than just pushing it right to a point.

What disappoint me is that after about 35% throttle giving it more gas seems to do alot less to help acceleration. So it feels fast when you are not giving it full throttle and then kind of let you down when you do give full throttle.

[ShowLowPhil]

Originally Posted by Turbomatic

Throttle tip in is aggressive on the Rav4. I am used to it and my wife seems to like it too. You can however accelerate quit smoothly by squeezing the throttle methodically rather than just pushing it right to a point.

What disappoint me is that after about 35% throttle giving it more gas seems to do alot less to help acceleration. So it feels fast when you are not giving it full throttle and then kind of let you down when you do give full throttle.

Gently applying the throttle may work when you are not in traffic. But not when you have a gaggle of cars behind you and need to get away smartly without attempting to do a wheelie. Try being gentle in LA or NYC traffic and you may need to open the hatch to let the tailgates go by.

I put something like 1600 miles on a 4 cyl Rav4, driving from New Orleans to NY and it did not have this problem.

As far as losing steam at part throttle I have not experienced that problem. Oh I may have experienced it at approx. 6,000 rpms.

[RTexasF]

Some folks simply never get used to the throttle and get rid of the vehicle, others readily adapt. Figure out which one you are and proceed accordingly.

[bob-o]

The throttle response can be adjusted for faster response or slower, and the response curve tailored to suit 9 performance and 7 economy profiles with the $150 i-throttle. This is an electronic device that takes the voltage from the throttle pedal and modifies the response curve before sending it out to the ecu. They have a unit that is plug and play with some toyotas, I see no reason it cannot be used on our cars so I am going to buy one and do whatever it takes to make it work in my new RAV. I love the power but it is a pain needing to feather the throttle on takeoff to avoid taking my dog off his feet. The ability to use economy modes for this and performance modes at other times seems worth the investment.

Weapon-R - i-Throttle Controller AND Harness - 06-10 Camry [WEP-R- 656-111-101 + 656-112-102] - $148.75 : High Performance Auto Parts Accessories | Ultra Racing | Unorthodox Racing | P2R

[Dr. Dyno]

Originally Posted by bob-o

The throttle response can be adjusted for faster response or slower, and the response curve tailored to suit 9 performance and 7 economy profiles with the $150 i-throttle. This is an electronic device that takes the voltage from the throttle pedal and modifies the response curve before sending it out to the ecu.

Yeah, that's the first thing I thought of but couldn't think who markets it. It would probably adjust to about anyone's foot.
I also remember one advertiser who claimed theirs could ACTUALLY GIVE more power or more economy. I jumped on that one as just advertising BS since it does neither.

[bob-o]

Originally Posted by Dr. Dyno

I also remember one advertiser who claimed theirs could ACTUALLY GIVE more power or more economy. I jumped on that one as just advertising BS since it does neither.

Actually the i-throttle does both. By adjusting the response curve you can become a light-footed or heavy-footed driver. The former will definitely provide better fuel economy by not wasting fuel at startup. The latter will not increase horsepower of course, but by reducing throttle lag and making the curve steeper sooner in the throttle travel it lets you get more horsepower more quickly when you put your foot in it.

[friendly_jacek]

My inexpensive Prius has 3 modes: ECO, Normal, and Power. It's a shame that more expensive RAV4 can't have the same thing. I have to tell you, I have to watch it when I move from Prius (my daily driver) to RAV4 (a garage queen).

[ShowLowPhil]

Originally Posted by RTexasF

Some folks simply never get used to the throttle and get rid of the vehicle, others readily adapt. Figure out which one you are and proceed accordingly.

I believe that there are more than two simplistic answers.

That may sound easy to you. However in my normal environment at 6,000 ft. altitude the problem does not exists. Then when on trips in traffic it rears it ugly head.

[ShowLowPhil]

Originally Posted by bob-o

The throttle response can be adjusted for faster response or slower, and the response curve tailored to suit 9 performance and 7 economy profiles with the $150 i-throttle. This is an electronic device that takes the voltage from the throttle pedal and modifies the response curve before sending it out to the ecu. They have a unit that is plug and play with some toyotas, I see no reason it cannot be used on our cars so I am going to buy one and do whatever it takes to make it work in my new RAV. I love the power but it is a pain needing to feather the throttle on takeoff to avoid taking my dog off his feet. The ability to use economy modes for this and performance modes at other times seems worth the investment.

Weapon-R - i-Throttle Controller AND Harness - 06-10 Camry [WEP-R- 656-111-101 + 656-112-102] - $148.75 : High Performance Auto Parts Accessories | Ultra Racing | Unorthodox Racing | P2R

Now that sounds like a potential answer. Let us know how it goes.

Thanks for the info.

[ShowLowPhil]

Originally Posted by friendly_jacek

My inexpensive Prius has 3 modes: ECO, Normal, and Power. It's a shame that more expensive RAV4 can't have the same thing. I have to tell you, I have to watch it when I move from Prius (my daily driver) to RAV4 (a garage queen).

I drove a Nissan Juke (Oooooops bad word here) which had Eco, Normal and Sport modes. That would be a nice feature for the V6 RAV4.