Eco / Normal / Sport here’s my take

[DubDub]

I had a 1978 Chevy Monte Carlo with a 302 V8.

It delivered a blistering 145 horsepower, 245 lb-ft of torque, and reached 60MPH after 10.7 seconds.

I’m glad the Land Cruiser doesn’t feel like it had that V8 in it.

I’ve gone through quite a few 2 barrel 327 mid-60’s chevrolet/buick/
pontiacs… I know that’s true.

 

[Altitude]

Those were good cars (as were all of the other GM’s sharing the platform), but that era was sadly not the pinnacle of V8 performance. I spent some quality time with an ‘80 Cutlass with a monstrous 265 CI V8 under the hood.

I think that I and 80% of my high school buddies had some badge variant or other of that car. Cutlass, Monte Carlo, Regal, Grand Prix.

Mine was 8 years old when I got it and it seemed ancient. It was my first car. They all wear better now.

 

[Jon]

I shift modes all the time
Down hill - ECO
Flat - Normal
Uphill - Sport

Is this therapy for withdrawals from manual transmission? No judgement, but it sure sounds that way. LOL

 

[Altitude]

If you pop it into manual mode from drive (by moving shifter to the left), it will display the current gear you are in on the cluster.

I typically don’t have much use for manual mode, but have used it briefly just for the purpose of seeing what gear I am in. My curiosity increased after going to larger tires trying to see if they had much impact on shift points. Manual mode is a “nice to know it’s there” sort of feature for me rather than a “use every day.”

I use it all the time. I split time between the Denver metro and Avon, Colorado which are two hours and two mountain passes apart. Long extended descents at highway speeds. In a lifetime of driving in the mountains I’ve warped a lot of brake discs and learned along the way to use the transmission to moderate speed like the semis do.

 

[TOBYLQ]

Is this therapy for withdrawals from manual transmission? No judgement, but it sure sounds that way. LOL

Ha ha
You are into something here!
I sometimes do manually down shift.
Its all about matching the torque to the load.
Should try one of the customs engine tunes for better shift points.

 

[Sugarloafer80]

Hmm I see a lot of overcomplication here. Eco, Norm, Sport is basically just an electronically selected throttle controller.
Smooth and linear in Eco therefore it doesn't rush to downshift. Letting the motor's torque do it job is most efficient. This is Scott Dixon mode...the master of getting that extra lap. Shift programming is relaxed and upshifts easily.
Normal. For my tastes, pedal sensitivity is not quite linear enough. Tip in is a bit aggressive but after that it is fine. Idealized upshifting at torque peak.
Sport Mode is nothing more than a Pedal commander cranked up all the way. Instead of moving the pedal 1 inch, it has same response in 1/4 inch. That aggressive throttle will automatically hold gears longer. Shift logic holds gears.

These modes have been tested on many different vehicles. Eco will almost always be slower, but I doubt there is any acceleration 0-60 difference between Normal and sport iff you just stomp the pedal equally fast. Throttle controllers are typically a total joke and provide ZERO faster acceleration. Its all in your head.

 

[MSINAL]

Hmm I see a lot of overcomplication here. Eco, Norm, Sport is basically just an electroincally selected throttle controller.
Smooth and linear in Eco therefore it doesn't rush to downshift. Letting the motor's torque do it job is most efficient. This is Scott Dixon mode...the master of getting that extra lap. Shift programming is relaxed and upshifts easily.
Normal. For my tastes, pedal sensitivity is not quite linear enough. Tip in is a bit aggressive but after that it is fine. Idealized upshifting at torque peak.
Sport Mode is nothing more than a Pedal commander cranked up all the way. Instead of moving the pedal 1 inch, it has same response in 1/4 inch. That aggressive throttle will automatically hold gears longer. Shift logic holds gears.

These modes have been tested on many different vehicles. Eco will almost always be slower, but I doubt there is any acceleration 0-60 difference between Normal and sport iff you just stomp the pedal equally fast. Throttle controllers are typically a total joke and provide ZERO faster acceleration. Its all in your head.

Sport mode also tightens up the steering feel (great for high speed [over]confidence), and i believe eco mode loosens the steering feel too. I used eco for helping someone move, helps keep junk from shifting during acceleration. I'm happy with it overall, would be nice if we could customize it.

 

[chrisw2069]

Hmm I see a lot of overcomplication here. Eco, Norm, Sport is basically just an electroincally selected throttle controller.
Smooth and linear in Eco therefore it doesn't rush to downshift. Letting the motor's torque do it job is most efficient. This is Scott Dixon mode...the master of getting that extra lap. Shift programming is relaxed and upshifts easily.
Normal. For my tastes, pedal sensitivity is not quite linear enough. Tip in is a bit aggressive but after that it is fine. Idealized upshifting at torque peak.
Sport Mode is nothing more than a Pedal commander cranked up all the way. Instead of moving the pedal 1 inch, it has same response in 1/4 inch. That aggressive throttle will automatically hold gears longer. Shift logic holds gears.

These modes have been tested on many different vehicles. Eco will almost always be slower, but I doubt there is any acceleration 0-60 difference between Normal and sport iff you just stomp the pedal equally fast. Throttle controllers are typically a total joke and provide ZERO faster acceleration. Its all in your head.

I like sport mode! Otherwise, it feels gutless! To me, there is a difference in driving… besides if it’s only in my head, then…. My “brain” likes it too

 

[Sugarloafer80]

Sport mode also tightens up the steering feel (great for high speed [over]confidence), and i believe eco mode loosens the steering feel too. I used eco for helping someone move, helps keep junk from shifting during acceleration. I'm happy with it overall, would be nice if we could customize it.

That I did not remember, but not being remotely a sports car, it probably is just like the hyper pedal.....I know on multiple forums that , ironically, often the experienced prefer the relaxed, and others think it makes them better in sport... I have seen this esp with novices v advanced students on track for years. Novices I routinely dial back to basics so the student is not overwhelmed and as the skills progress I end up being the one to suggest its time to shut of the nannies.
I have used sport mode so rarely, esp in winter that I probably never put myself in a situation where I'd notice, esp on a highway. Gonna have to try this summer.

 

[Dr. T]

Very subjective but anything but sport feels numb, dull, boring…..

 

[PDPete]

That I did not remember, but not being remotely a sports car, it probably is just like the hyper pedal.....I know on multiple forums that , ironically, often the experienced prefer the relaxed, and others think it makes them better in sport... I have seen this esp with novices v advanced students on track for years. Novices I routinely dial back to basics so the student is not overwhelmed and as the skills progress I end up being the one to suggest its time to shut of the nannies.

Yeah, it's not really akin to any kind of sports car or race track type of driving...it is a Land Cruiser, after all.

I'm not sure just how much "tightening" of the steering Sport mode provides, but it's not much of a noticeable difference in my experience. What I do notice, and why I like to sometimes engage Sport mode:

- Quicker acceleration off the line...it's very noticeable if you're the first at a red light and able to quickly get up to speed once it turns green, for example.

- Gear selection: The automatic transmission tends to stay one gear lower than it does in Normal mode, upshifting less often

- The above tends to make general acceleration more responsive at any speed, and also improves engine braking when coasting

- The hybrid battery seems to charge faster, again, likely due to the higher RPMs that are a result of lower gear selection.

As I mentioned in another comment on this thread, I'm most likely to engage Sport mode when I'm driving around many of the rural, hilly, twisty backroads around where I live, as I appreciate the more responsive drive feel as well as the increased engine braking effect in that scenario. I've yet to notice any significant change to fuel consumption when used in this manner as well.

I'd likely never use Sport mode on the highway or any type of driving where I'm consistently over 50 MPH...in that scenario I want that better fuel economy that overdrive gears provide; and with the turbo and hybrid components of the powertrain, acceleration and responsiveness is more than adequate in that setting.

I have used sport mode so rarely, esp in winter that I probably never put myself in a situation where I'd notice, esp on a highway. Gonna have to try this summer.

Yeah, I won't engage Sport mode in wet, icy, or slippery conditions...but it can be fun to use in dry weather on the right types of roads.

 

[ERROR504]

Eco / Normal / Sport
or as I call it i4 / v6 / v8

Ehhh I get what your trying to say but I would disagree with you. Normal and sport are in no ways feel like a v6/8. I owned 2 different mustangs (ecoboost/GT) and those things hauled ass in any mode you put it. You could make the counter argument that it has the low end toque of a v6/8...sure we could say that but the LC power train caps out quickly where you would notice the bottle neck. If we applied this idea to the GX550 powertrain then i would 100% agree with you.

 

[Z00mie]

I always select tow mode, always (eco, norm and sport no longer selectable). The engine never stop/starts, the steering is noticeably firmer which makes the vehicle seem more stable (especially in X-winds) and there seems to be gobs of torque on tap at any accelerator position. I'm also seeing 19.9 MPG on premium fuel.

 

[PDPete]

I always select tow mode, always (eco, norm and sport no longer selectable). The engine never stop/starts, the steering is noticeably firmer which makes the vehicle seem more stable (especially in X-winds) and there seems to be gobs of torque on tap at any accelerator position. I'm also seeing 19.9 MPG on premium fuel.

"The engine never stop/starts"

It's a hybrid vehicle, so that behavior is not a bad thing -- and definitely NOT the same thing as "auto start/stop" (or whatever it's called) on strictly ICE vehicles where the starter motor has to abruptly re-engage the engine before moving forward...as it uses hybrid battery/generator to engage the engine when needed, and as designed, and is a much smoother operation. I don't understand why so many folks on this forum bought a hybrid vehicle and then set out to circumvent its basic operation.

Pretty much all of the other advantages you list can be obtained using Sport mode

"I'm also seeing 19.9 MPG on premium fuel"

...and could probably be doing quite a bit better, especially on the highway, just using Normal mode.

 

[Sugarloafer80]

That's why they put the buttons there. PERCEPTION IS REALITY EVEN IF THE NUMBERS DON'T ADD UP...AGAIN HEHE

Hearing the engine rev gives perception of HP, especially noticeable in Sport. I normal mode, I sense the smooth PULL of torque (diesel like power). It has become my favorite part of the driving experience in the LC, something I didn't remotely expect when I ordered it. Considering 90% of the LC driving is highway, guess that's why the other perceptions have gone unnoticed. I want back roads, I have a little 280HP bitch called 4C that hisses, lunges and pushes you hard into the CF seats......4 second cars can do that easily. Big box harasses me, I just don't brake......and accelerate into and through the corner where I know they are a sitting duck.

 

[Sugarloafer80]

I use it all the time. I split time between the Denver metro and Avon, Colorado which are two hours and two mountain passes apart. Long extended descents at highway speeds. In a lifetime of driving in the mountains I’ve warped a lot of brake discs and learned along the way to use the transmission to moderate speed like the semis do.

It sucks that it cancels cruise control on LC. First vehicle I have experienced this in. On my long moderate uphill along the river, I'd love to manually have it hold 6th or 7th and maintain speed without too many upshift downshifts.

 

[agjake01]

I’ve noticed in normal or Eco, when sitting at a stop light, a slight throttle lag when I’m trying to gun it and pull out into traffic - little disconcerting. Sport mode seems to alleviate this with faster throttle response from a stop.

 

[Altitude]

I’ve noticed in normal or Eco, when sitting at a stop light, a slight throttle lag when I’m trying to gun it and pull out into traffic - little disconcerting. Sport mode seems to alleviate this with faster throttle response from a stop.

I feel that too sometimes. Good chance the car sits in second gear hoping you’ll accelerate gradually and only downshifts to first when you whip it a little.

 

[wpage]

Sport mode is certainly more responsive. If you are a conservative around town type. Eco does the trick.
Its fun to have the option to switch modes. Like when off road. Taking a chance with lockers and such. Part of the thrill of having this machine.

 

[glock24]

New LC owner here, and 95% city driving is my routine.

My question relates to Sport mode specifically. Throttle response aside, I have noticed Sport mode seems to use more electric power when starting from a complete stop, and when hill climbing.

That said, would it be plausible to assume Sport Mode is actually a more fuel efficient mode, as the electric motor is assisting more than in other modes?