Toyota RAV4 Forums banner
Cancel
Create thread New Garage Forums

Eco, Normal and Sport … when ?

1 reading
Jump to Latest
1 - 20 of 75 Posts
E

Elgaucho

· Registered
Joined
·
469 Posts
Discussion starter · #1 · (Edited)
Good morning everyone
I would like to inquire about the driving modes featured inside our RAV4 Plug-in !
In your opinion, in which contexts is it useful to use the eco, normal, and sport modes?
I usually use eco mode in highway mode, and in the city I use normal and sport.
Thank you
 
#2 ·
I drive in ECO almost exclusively. It's part mental in just thinking that I'm trying to conserve energy. I don't need fast starts and I don't want the students that are driving my car to have fast starts either, as fast starts take more energy be it gas or electricity. When approaching a stop I try to coast to a near stop as much as I can, so I'll switch it into SPORT for a little extra engine braking if I need to slow down sooner, but otherwise coast in ECO.
 
#5 ·
I haven't found much benefit to Eco mode. It doesn't improve range or mileage any because it takes too long to get up to speed unless you really press the gas pedal. Because it takes so long to get up to speed, it seems like I'm always accelerating which burns more gas and charge. Normal gives me a much better throttle response and although I might accelerate faster, I also get up to speed more quickly which lets me coast or maintain speed more.

Sport is for when I want a much more immediate throttle response and tighter steering response. I rarely use it because Normal mode works just fine. I stay in Normal 99% of the time now.
 
#6 ·
SDGTR said:
I haven't found much benefit to Eco mode. It doesn't improve range or mileage any because it takes too long to get up to speed unless you really press the gas pedal. Because it takes so long to get up to speed, it seems like I'm always accelerating which burns more gas and charge..
Click to expand...
The makes sense to me. However, do you have a feel for how much this affects mileage? Either in terms of range of miles/kWh? Thanks.
 
#7 ·
I've experimented with the modes before by driving in each for a few weeks to see how they feel and affect MPG, and it mostly came out to how you want the accelerator pedal to feel. In Normal mode you can get the effect of Eco mode by staying light on the pedal or if you get on it it feels more like Sport mode, but without the tighter steering. If you prefer how one feels, activating that mode will make the car more willing to respond in the appropriate way but you can sit in Normal and still make it do whatever you want. It's all about your foot.
 
#8 ·
newrav4p said:
The makes sense to me. However, do you have a feel for how much this affects mileage? Either in terms of range of miles/kWh? Thanks.
Click to expand...
I haven't done an actual comparison because I didn't feel it was worth it. It might not be any difference in mileage but I'm pretty confident in saying that Eco mode does not increase or improve mileage any.

Like Mr_Flux said above, the differences are mostly how the throttle pedal and steering feel. Eco mode makes the car feel a little too bland or wimpy to me without any improvement in mileage.

The first week or two I had the car I was always in Eco. Then I tried the other modes and settled on Normal for my daily driving.
 
#10 ·
mww33458 said:
I actually get worse mpg with eco since I’m constantly trying to get up to speed. I keep it in normal.
Click to expand...
Exactly what my experience has been. I didn't do a more formal analysis but an informal one seemed to indicate lower EV range and MPG in Eco mode precisely because it takes longer and uses more energy to get up to speed.

You can still get up to speed as quickly as in Normal or Sport modes but you really have to work the accelerator pedal. It's just much more responsive in Normal and Sport modes.
 
#12 ·
Elgaucho said:
Good morning everyone
I would like to inquire about the driving modes featured inside our RAV4 Plug-in !
In your opinion, in which contexts is it useful to use the eco, normal, and sport modes?
I usually use eco mode in highway mode, and in the city I use normal and sport.
Thank you
Click to expand...
I read an understand the other's comments, so agree with them for the most part.

I tend to use ECO most of the time, perhaps only because of the thought that it may save a bit of gas. However, because the hybrids, and especially the Prime, are quite peppy at take off, I will go to normal when I want to show off, or outrun some jerk in the lane next to me.
 
#13 ·
After 26000 miles I have found that Sport mode has alot more regeneration when you lift of the accelerator. I get alot more Miles per KWh in sport.
Normal has more regen than eco

Eco mode coasts more and has les regen.

Accelerate like a teen ager and brake like a senior citizen.
 
#14 ·
GuyverPrime said:
After 26000 miles I have found that Sport mode has alot more regeneration when you lift of the accelerator. I get alot more Miles per KWh in sport.
Normal has more regen than eco

Eco mode coasts more and has les regen.

Accelerate like a teen ager and brake like a senior citizen.
Click to expand...
Im not sure your experience would scale.

Per laws of physics, more regen is not better. There are losses pumping energy back into the battery and back out again. This is why eco mode has the lowest regen, and the hypermilers out there seek to travel as much as possible with the needle at the zero point between power and charge. If sport mode were the most economical rest assured that Toyota would market the hell out of it. And/or wouldn’t even have the eco mode.
 
#15 ·
My commute has long down hill stretches the when in Eco mode force me to use the brakes. Sport mode allows me to lift up on the accelerator to regen.

I did the same with my Prius Prime in B mode and my Volt in low.

I agreevthat pulse and glide is great for level straights but not down hill.

For me Sport mode fits my commute.
 
Discussion starter · #16 ·
GuyverPrime said:
After 26000 miles I have found that Sport mode has alot more regeneration when you lift of the accelerator. I get alot more Miles per KWh in sport.
Normal has more regen than eco

Eco mode coasts more and has les regen.

Accelerate like a teen ager and brake like a senior citizen.
Click to expand...
After reading this ... I think I will use Sport mode a lot more!
Thanks for the advice ... I'm at the first km with this car!
Knowing that in Sport I have much more regeneration can also be useful in the city … at least for me !
 
#17 ·
I don't use sport for first 2 mile strech as it is all down hill. It starts the motor. When I get to the bottom of the next big hill I switch to sport until the end of my commute.

I get 1.8 kWH on the High speed section in eco and about 2.2 to 2.8 in sport mode.
 
#18 ·
been using sport almost exclusively since eco is an absolute dog...
built a reflex in my hand to start vehicle and twist knob to sport always....
11000 miles of this, almost a year

but just recently been using normal, and it's much closer to sport
than eco is to normal. so I'm gonna just use normal for a while....
it has quick enough accel feel for dicing in traffic and steering is lighter, I
kinda think sport isn't really needed now for what I do
 
#19 ·
crisps said:
been using sport almost exclusively since eco is an absolute dog...
built a reflex in my hand to start vehicle and twist knob to sport always....
11000 miles of this, almost a year

but just recently been using normal, and it's much closer to sport
than eco is to normal. so I'm gonna just use normal for a while....
it has quick enough accel feel for dicing in traffic and steering is lighter, I
kinda think sport isn't really needed now for what I do
Click to expand...
As a sport guy, other than increased regen, does it affect response in EV? I can’t tell any difference between sport and normal EV response to the pedal.
 
#20 ·
I was in normal entering the highway on ramp and normal felt like sport, so throttle response ...I don't notice much at all.
nothing like eco where your foot needs to really stretch if you need to quickly mash the gas.
 
1 - 20 of 75 Posts
About this Discussion
74 Replies
28 Participants
Last post:
BucoB
Toyota RAV4 Forums
posts
1.1M
members
174K
Since
2004
Rav 4 World is the internet's largest Toyota Rav4 SUV and EV online forum community. Discuss towing, modifications, and more.
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
4.3 General 4.3 Mechanical 4.5 RAV4 Hybrid (except Prime) 4.5 RAV4 Prime 4.3 Exterior