
37
1
1-1. Hybrid system
Before driving
Hybrid vehicle driving tips
For economical and ecological driving, pay attention to the following 
points:
■ Using Eco Mode
When using Eco mode, the torque corresponding to the accelerator pedal 
depression amount can be generated more smoothly than it is in normal 
conditions. In addition, the operation of  the air conditioning system will be 
minimized, improving the fuel economy.  
( P.  1 5 5 )
■Use of Hybrid System Indicator
The environmentally-friendly driving is possible by keeping the indicate of 
Hybrid System Indicator within Eco area. ( P.  1 6 4 )
■When braking the vehicle
Make sure to operate the brakes ge ntly and in good time. A greater 
amount of electrical energy can be retained when slowing down.
■ Delays
Repeated acceleration and deceleration, as well as long waits at traffic 
lights, will lead to bad fuel consumpt ion. Check traffic reports before leav -
ing and avoid delays as much as possible. When encountering a delay, 
gentl
 y release the brake pedal to allow the vehicle to move forward slightly 
while avoiding overuse of the accelerato r pedal. Doing so can help control 
excessive gasoline consumption.
■ Highway driving
Control your speed and keep at a constant speed. Also, before stopping at 
a toll booth or similar, allow plenty  of time to release the accelerator and 
gently apply the brakes. A greater amount of electrical energy can be 
retained when slowing down. 

137
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Starting off on a steep uphill
Make sure that the parking brake is set secu rely, and then select 
shift position D.  
Check that the shift position indicator shows D. 
Gently depress the accelerator pedal. 
Release the parking brake. 
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, becaus e visibility will be reduced, the windows 
may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain, be cause the road surface will be especially 
slippery.
●Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain, because 
there may be a layer of wate r between the tires and the road surface, preventing 
the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is recom -
mended:
●For the first 186 miles (300 km):  
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 994 miles (1600 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system. This type of brake sys -
tem needs bedding-down of the brake shoes perio
 dically or whenever the parking 
brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your Lexus dealer perform the bed-
ding down operation. 

140
2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
●Do not shift the shift position to D while the vehicle is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Moving the shift position to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the 
hybrid system. Engine braking is not avai lable with the hybrid system disengaged.
●During normal driving, do not turn off the hybrid system. Turning the hybrid sys-
tem off while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the 
power assist to these systems will be lost. Th is will make it more difficult to steer 
and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do 
so.  However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to 
stop the vehicle in the normal way:  P.  4 9 2
●Use engine braking (shift position B) to maintain a safe speed when driving down 
a steep hill.  
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose effec-
tiveness. ( P.  1 5 3 )
●Do not adjust the positions of  the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or outside 
rear view mirrors while driving.  
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle  control that can cause accidents, resulting 
in death or serious injury.
●Always check that all passengers' arms, he ads or other parts of their body are not 
outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit permits it, do 
not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-speed capability 
tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire failure, loss of control and 
possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer to determine whether the tires on 
your vehicle are high-speed capability tires or not before driving at such speeds.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, accelerati on and steering may cause tire slippage and reduce 
your ability to control the vehi cle, resulting in an accident.
●Abrupt changes from shift position D to  B and rapid changes in the engine speed 
could cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.
●After driving through a puddle , lightly depress the brake pedal to make sure that 
the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the brakes from 
functioning properly. If the brakes on on ly one side are wet and not functioning 
properly, steering control may be af fected, resulting in an accident. 

143
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the hybrid system off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift 
lever or depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or fire due to 
hybrid system overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly venti-
lated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle, leading to death or a 
serious health hazard.
■When braking 
●When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously. 
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and this may cause one side 
of the vehicle to brake differently than  the other side. Also, the parking brake may 
not securely hold the vehicle.
●If the power brake assist function does not operate, do not follow other vehicles 
closely and avoid downhill or sharp turns that require braking.  
In this case, braking is still possible, but it will require more force on the pedal than 
usual. Braking distance may also increase.
●The brake system consists of 2 individual  hydraulic systems; if one of the systems 
fails, the others will still operate. In th is case, the brake pedal should be depressed 
more firmly than usual and the braking distance will increase. If this happens, do 
not continue to drive the vehicle. If the  brake system warning light (red indicator) 
comes on while driving, immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and contact 
your Lexus dealer.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake pedals at 
the same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■When parking the vehicle
Be sure to firmly apply the parking brake and  set the shift position to P. Failure to do 
so may cause the vehicle to move or the vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the 
accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed. 

202
2-4. Using other driving systems
Accelerate or decelerate to the 
desired speed, and push the 
lever down to set the speed.
“SET” indicator will come on. 
■Adjusting the set speed
Increases the speed
Decreases the speed
Hold the lever until the desired 
speed setting is obtained. 
Fine adjustment of the set speed 
can be made b
y lightly pushing 
the lever up or down and releas -
ing it.
■ Canceling and resuming the  constant speed control
Pulling the lever toward you 
cancels the constant speed 
contr
ol.
The speed setting is also can -
celed when the brakes are 
applied.
Pushing the lever up resumes 
the constant speed control. 

208
2-4. Using other driving systems
■Changing the vehicle-to-vehicle distance
Pressing the button changes the 
vehicle-to-vehicle distance as 
follows:
Long
Medium
Short
The vehicle-to-vehicle distance 
is set automatically to long 
mode when the “POWER” 
switch is turned to ON mode. 
If a vehicle is running ahead of 
y
ou, the preceding vehicle mark 
will also be displayed.
■ Canceling and resuming the  constant speed control
Pulling the lever toward you 
cancels the cruise control.
The speed setting is also can -
celed when the brakes are 
applied.
Pushing the lever up resumes 
the cruise control and returns 
v
ehicle speed to the set 
speed.
Resuming is available when the 
vehicle speed is more than 
approximately 25 mph (40 km/
h).
Preceding vehicle mark 

209
2-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving
Driving in vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode 
This mode employs a sensor to detect the presence of vehicles up to 
approximately 400 ft. (120 m) ahead and to judge the distance between 
your vehicle and those the vehicle ahead of you. 
Note that vehicle-to-vehicle distance will close in when traveling on long 
downhill slopes. 
Example of constant speed cruising
When there are no vehicles ahead 
The vehicle travels at the speed set by  the driver. The desired vehicle-to-vehi-
cle distance can also be set by operating the vehicle-to-vehicle distance con -
trol. 
Example of deceleration cruising
When the vehicle ahead is driving slower than the set speed 
When a vehicle is detected running ahead of you, the system automatically 
decelerates your vehicle. When a grea ter reduction in vehicle speed is nec-
essary, the system applies the brakes. A warning tone warns you when the 
s
 ystem cannot decelerate sufficiently to prevent your vehicle from closing in 
on the vehicle ahead.  

210
2-4. Using other driving systems
Example of follow-up cruising 
When following a vehicle driving slower than the set speed 
The system continues follow-up cruising  while adjusting for changes in the 
speed of the vehicle ahead in order to maintain the vehicle-to-vehicle dis -
tance set by the driver. 
Example of acceleration  
When there are no longer any vehicles ahead driving slo
 wer than the 
set speed.
The system accelerates until the set  speed is reached. The system then 
returns to constant speed cruising. 
Approach warning
When your vehicle is too close to a  vehicle ahead, and sufficient auto-
matic deceleration via th e cruise contr
 ol is not possible, the display will 
flash and the buzzer will so und to alert the driver. An example of this 
would be if another driver cuts in fron t of you while you are following a 
vehicle. Apply the brakes  to ensure an appropriate vehicle-to-vehicle dis -
tance.