I'm Still Confused About When to Use "Normal" Drive Mode

welcome!

there is no special 'time' to use power, eco or normal modes. it's your choice. try all three and see which one you like more.
i have always used eco mode, because along with a long pedal travel, the hvac is suppressed.
i'm not sure if that is the case in gen 4.
some like power mode because the car feels faster to them, and some like normal because it's a good compromise.

 

So, here's what my 2016 manual says:



Power mode's comments about "crisp handling" are hogwash, but basically it boils down to the following:

Normal mode: Linear throttle
Power mode: Aggressive throttle (more power earlier in the travel)
Eco mode: Gentle throttle (less power earlier in the travel), and Eco mode automatically selected on the climate control system

Note, however, if you floor it, you'll get full power, no matter what - so, as bisco said, there's no special time to use each mode. And, if you don't want Eco climate in Eco mode, or you do want Eco climate in Normal/Power mode, there's an Eco button on the climate control that can toggle that.

Myself, I personally use Eco, even when I'm driving aggressively.

 

First, with one exception, Eco, Normal and Power are just user interface changes, they do not change how the car works, only how you react to the accelerator and vice versa.

Now for the exception, in Eco, the A/C is less aggressively trying to cool the car, what might take 3 minutes in Normal takes as long as 30 minutes. This saves energy, so saves gas. However, if the temp is over 90, I hate being hot for 30 minutes and switch to Normal from my usual Eco. In the summer, this is every afternoon for the first hour from a stop.

 

At least in the Gen 4, they changed things so that you can keep your preferred throttle mapping, and still get full blast AC, with the Eco button on the climate control.

 

I have not seen a Gen 4 stationary, let alone driven one, so I defer to those who have.

It is nice feature I am sure, but I use cruise control 95% of the time, so throttle mapping is not relevant, so Eco for less A/C, Normal for more A/C, works for me, even on my v.

 

I prefer the more progressive ECO throttle response, particularly in tight traffic. None make any difference to Battery charging, mainly with how aggressively your throttle feels. I really don't think it's made any difference to my l/100km figure, I alternated between tanks with how I had it set.

 

I prefer ECO mode, I like the gas mileage and it feels like what I'm accustomed to from my Gen 2. If I'd never driven a Prius before, perhaps I'd prefer Normal mode.

I really enjoy DRCC for highway driving. Old fashioned cruise control put me to sleep driving through certain boring states between Denver and Chicago, the few times I tried it (pre-Prius).

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I use ECO to save fuel. DW doesn't like the lethargic pedal response and prefers PWR but since the car doesn't stay on PWR after restart, she uses normal.

 

Also worth noting that the modes are different between Gen 3 and Gen 4.

Gen 3 Eco: Very reduced throttle sensitivity early in pedal travel
Gen 3 Normal, Gen 4 Eco: Reduced throttle sensitivity early in pedal travel
Gen 3 Power, Gen 4 Normal: Linear throttle sensitivity
Gen 4 Power: Increased throttle sensitivity early in pedal travel

So, someone who likes Power in a Gen 3 will probably like Normal in a Gen 4. And, as this is the Gen 4 forum, and the OP has a Gen 4... the setting will stick wherever you leave it.

 

Cool! You could hide the entire UK in some of your United States. but who'd want to?

 

I applaud you for diligently slogging through the entire manual! Your patience is greater than mine. There are lots of opinions about driving mode. I say leave it in normal mode, and just drive it! Be sensible about acceleration, braking, etc., and the car is smart enough to get great mileage. Essentially, the other modes only affect the responsiveness of your accelerator.

XT1710-02 ?

 

I always use normal, it feels just right for me as I am able to feel and know when the ICE is going to cut off and its gives a good compromise of acceleration and economy. As others have said if you suddenly need to accelerate quicker than normal you just punch the throttle and it overrides whatever setting you are in anyway and gives you full power, so no need to think you have to press the mode button.

I find Power mode a bit too aggressive personally and it feels a bit on or off rather than being progressive. I don't know if regen is more aggressive in power mode, but it feels like it, but probably because its slowing quicker because the car accelerates quicker?

I have used Eco even less than Power, its all personal choice.

 

Actually, throttle mapping changes the way the cruise control accelerates as well on my Gen 4. When the car is slowed for traffic, or when faced with a hill, PWR mode returns to speed much more quickly than ECO, in my experience.

 

I too almost always drive in ECO mode. Then again, I drive a P.Prime (I gather you’re asking in terms of a non-Prime Gen-4) and almost always drive it in EV mode, other than for road trips. With the P.Prime in EV mode it’s strictly a difference of throttle-mapping: zero- and full-throttle are the same in all three modes.

However, since I pretty rarely drive on gas, I must ask: Is that true in hybrid mode too — that when you floor it you get equally full power in any mode?

 

Those who drive in real winter, don't use eco mode when you want lots of heat to keep windows clear. Lesson I learned the first winter with Pearl S. The heating system works much better in "Normal" and "Power" mode. I also stay out of "Power" mode on slippery surfaces. Easier to control wheel spin in "Normal" and even easier still in "Eco" modes. Oh, and yes, the Prius -can- spin the wheels, just not a lot.

 

As JimboPalmer mentioned above in #4, you can leave the Gen 4 in ECO driving mode and put the climate control in Normal or Eco, a nice feature.

 

Its's also the mode that car salespeople favor...

 

you got that right. first words out of every prius salespersons mouth, 'put it in power mode, it's not as slow as people think.'

 

All in all, I personally think it is fairly peppy in Power Mode. Hardly a sports car, granted, but hardly slow either. It’s fun, but I personally rarely have any real need for that extra power.


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