Which Driving Mode Do you use?

You won't have issues passing, even in Eco - full throttle is always full throttle.

Myself, I find that I've gotten used to Eco, and therefore don't even bother with Normal, let alone PWR. My PWR mode is a Miata.

 

First of all, I'm just a rookie with only 8 months driving my first Prius. Still learning.

I agree with Kevin, I've found out that MPG is determined by how you drive the car, and not so much which mode you have selected. I have gotten very similar gas mileage in all 3 modes, with a slight improvement when I'm in PWR.

So if that's the case, I agree with 'LectroFuel and I prefer PWR mode. I like the lighter throttle feel, the quicker responsiveness, a (seemingly) smoother pulsing up to speed... and then I ease off the pedal just a bit and it drops back into Eco. Easy to drive, and it feels more like a normal car to me. (I no longer even notice the "touchy" gas pedal.)

 

Grape mentioned going up hills. Maybe it's just my imagination, but the PWR mode does seem to work much better when I've gone up steep hills.

I've never even come close to using full throttle (in any mode). But the nice thing about PWR is I only have to slightly depress the gas pedal, and the car is quickly up to speed.

I think it all comes down to what gas pedal "feel" you are most comfortable with? I don't understand Toyota's reasoning (or need) for 3 different driving modes. Why not just one, normal, gas pedal?

 

It allows customization of pedal response, so that you don't have to buy shady aftermarket things like this:

Sprint Booster USA Official North American Distributor

Those things are so lame that they're a bit of a meme on another forum I'm on...

 

I haven't gone full throttle yet either. Too many slower cars and never know when cops are waiting once you start going downhill. I have a couple of other stretches of freeway where I think I can test out full throttle but it has to be at the right day and time.

 

I guess I'm just so used to driving a Camry for the last 20 years, with only one "mode"... GO.
I didn't realize I could (or should) vary the pedal response in a Prius. Just went with what feels most normal, and I'm very satisfied with 60-64 mpg.

(Pretending I'm driving a Corvette. )

 

I have yet to use Normal.... I do ECO most of the time, and switch to PWR when merging onto the freeway. Most of my miles are on cruise control, or in light city traffic, so the mode doesn't matter too much to me.

Amazing how much zip the PWR mode gives the car, very responsive. I have a hard time seeing how that could end up with better mileage than the ECO mode, especially since the ECO mode also restricts the climate control settings to avoid excess fuel consumption

 

After the driver gets accustomed to the lighter pedal feels in PWR mode, it's rather easy to get similar MPG in all 3 modes.

I don't like my AC being restricted, not here in sunny-HOT California where it's going to reach mid 90's again this week. I haven't noticed any loss of gas mileage when using PWR mode. But I drive conservatively.

 

I tried Eco mode this morning and didn't notice a difference. Light traffic merging on Red Hill and I sped up rapidly as usual.

If its going to restrict my AC I will shut it off on the weekend when during the day it will often be above 100 degrees in the car unless the AC is on. With AC on full I might get it down to the high 80s.

 

The Prius is already a very economical vehicle, with outstanding gas mileage. So why does Toyota add an "Eco" mode? All it does is make the gas pedal feel heavier and harder to push. Is that somehow supposed to save gas? Truthfully, in my not so humble opinion, I think the Eco mode is just a gimmick. The same "gimmick" of not having a spare tire in some models! That's a joke.

And if I ever want my AC restricted, I can just simply turn it off. Like I said, I've never noticed any loss of mpg in the PWR mode. But even so, I would gladly give up 1/32 of a gallon of gas in order to get a full-functioning AC.

I'm perfectly happy with 60-64 mpg. I don't try and stretch it beyond that. I'm not a hyper-miler guy, and I got bigger fish to fry. (Hey, that rhymes!) I don't really worry about mpg in such an economical car! If I can't be happy with 60, there is something definitely wrong with me. I bought a Prius, so I would no longer have to worry about gas mileage, or even look at it!

 

You can also put the AC into Eco mode and enable S-Flow yourself.

Conversely, you can take the AC out of Eco mode and disable S-Flow in Eco throttle mapping.

 

I went to power this summer, the air conditioning was inadequate with a canine along in eco.
With snow eco will start slower (good)

 

Be careful when using that PWR mode... It might get away from you.

 

So much discussion. Just let me use my ECO in peace!

 

Why not stop all the discussion about which mode to use? Experiment with the modes and see which one you like best! I think most people have had the same MPG in all the modes. We just need to adjust how hard we mash the gas pedal.

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think most people prefer things to be simple, uncomplicated, and not confusing.

As far as I know, every other car on the planet as ONE drive mode. You press the gas pedal and you GO.

So why does Toyota have to complicate things, get too fancy, and create three different driving mode?

 

Good question. I think too newcomers are more drawn in by these modes. On third gen the buttons are very prominent, and the intimations are there, that ECO will improve your mpg, PWR will (hey) give you more power.

It's mostly smoke and mirrors. Pick one where the pedal travel feels about right. On third gen the car defaults to Normal, fine by me.

 

For the same reason the seats adjust and the dash lights have dimmers. Customization!

 

Every car has adjustable seats, and dashboard dimming lights. I think that goes back to the 60s! Try again Kevin.

 

My daughter's Audi has selectable driving modes. I think they are more readily available than not in newfangled cars.