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

Haha! Yeah, even at 56 years old and 5’11”, I know the feeling; I found that switching from ECO to Normal modes didn’t make a whole lot of difference. Definitely *some* difference though, because it made it easier to drive a little less economically. Ultimately though, the change in driving habits is what made most of the fairly-small difference.

So, when you really get down to it, although that setting can encourage good or bad habits, it’s like adjusting your shoelaces: it’s about what feels right to your particular foot!

I suspect you were actually responding to my post, where I drew an analogy with losing weight, but fine either way.

Waaaay off-topic, but I’ll mention that, as my doctor suggested, I have found that supplementing Phytosterols (not to be confused with steroids) has improved my cholesterol numbers.

 

Yep it is definitely a foot issue.

I will look for Phytosterols at Sams this week.

 

@LoganLady , still confused?

 

FWIW, Costco and others have them under the brand name “Cholestoff.” Giggle them ... er, I mean “google them,” or even better, ask your doctor.

Again, waaaaay off topic (sorry), but my understanding is that Phytosterols have been studied on and off since the 1950s, and some doctors have followed those studies more than others. Nobody’s thrown the $$$$ into studying them with a huge study of tens of thousands of patients, so there’s no really solid medical consensus on them. The *most likely* way they work, I gather, is that they are themselves biochemically inert, but they bind to the same receptors as LDLs, thereby blocking LDLs from getting into your blood.

 

To the OP:
If you're confused about when to use "Normal Drive Mode".
I can't wait until you notice the "B" on the shift selector.

 

They are in Utah, they may actually need B occasionally.

 

Eco mode is for frequent accelerations stops like downtown areas

Normale lol is for hwys

Power I don't touch the power

Someone told me before their battery died because they kept pressing these buttons...

So what I do is I only press them while I'm at a complete stop

 

you need to read the owners manual my friend. all the best.

 

The very sparse treatment of this in the Owner's Manual is why we have this thread.

 

With our 3rd gen, I just leave it in Nurmal, like the throttle response best. 4th gen, I might opt for ECO, because I've heard they shifted them all roughly one step towards more aggressive.

 

It changes Radar Cruise too. Eco is too sluggish fir cruise. I usually use Normal. A Prime person here called Power “Racing Mode”.

 

Again just 3rd gen experience, but my main gripe with ECO was the pedal travel was so great that it was harder to modulate: a small motion is sometimes easier to control than a large one. Time and time again I found myself "noticing" the excessive amount of travel needed to get a reaction, and gradually came to the conclusion I didn't like it, it wasn't improving the mpg appreciably, was just a pain. That was within maybe 6 months of owership, nearly a decade back.

 

post 47 didn't come from the o/m or this thread, but from 'someone'.

reading the thread would also be a good idea.

 

You should NOT listen to anything which that "someone" tells you.......because "those buttons" had NOTHING to do with his battery going dead.

 

Which is EXACTLY why I could never own any Prius prior to the Gen4.

 

The battery wouldn't possibly die because you press the button - and change the modes on the move to your heart's content, that's what it's there for.

The 3 (ECO/NORMAL/PWR) are almost identical. Except for how they treat throttle response:





Personally - I use the button a lot - drive in ECO most of the time, as I prefer the throttle sensitivity. BUT, in heavy traffic on the Motorway using RADAR Cruise, I will use PWR till traffic settles, then to NORMAL.

Use what suits you - what feels most comfortable to you.

 

[Gasp!] An informed and logical response!!?? We can let that slide here on PC, but be careful if you go to one of the Facebook Prius groups. Post that and they might burn you at the stake for sorcery.

But seriously, that was well said.