2015 LEXUS RX350 Owners Manual

1772-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving ■
When driving with cruise control or radar cruise control activated
Even when performing the following acti ons with the intent of enabling engine
braking, engine braking will not activate while driving in S mode and downshifting
to 5 or 4 because cruise control or radar cruise control will not be canceled.
(  P. 227, 232)■
If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P
 P. 7 9 1■
If S does not come on or D comes on even after shifting the shift lever to S
This may indicate a malfunction in the automatic transmission system. Have the
vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
(In this situation, the transmission will operate in the same as manner as when the
shift lever is in D.)■
Downshift restriction warning buzzer (S mode)
To help ensure safety and driving perfor mance, downshifting operation may some-
times be restricted. In some circumstances, downshifting may not be possible even
when the shift lever or paddle shift switch is operated. (The warning buzzer will
sound twice.)
CAUTION■
When driving on slippery road surfaces
Be careful of downshifting and sudden accele ration, as this could result in the vehi-
cle skidding to the side or spinning.

1782-1. Driving procedures
Automatic transmission (8-speed models) Select a shift position appropriate for the driving conditions.
■ Shifting the shift lever
While the “ENGINE START STOP” switch is in IGNITION
ON mode, depress the brake pedal and move the shift lever. When shifting the shift lever between P and D, make sure that the
vehicle is completely stopped.
■ Shift position purpose
* : To improve fuel efficiency and reduce noises, set the shift lever in the D
position for normal driving. Shift position Function
P Parking the vehicle/starting the engine
R Reversing
N Neutral
D Normal driving
*M M mode driving (  P. 1 8 3 )

1792-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving ■ Shift position uses Shift position Display Function Purpose
Normal D
position driv-
ing Gears
between 1 and
8 are auto-
matically
selected
according to
driving condi-
tions
(paddle shift
switches activated) Shift range
selection
(  P. 1 8 1 ) Allows opti-
mum use of
engine brak-
ing
Individual gear
selection
(  P. 1 8 3 ) Allows the
driver to select
gears for
sporty driving

1802-1. Driving procedures
■ Selecting snow mode
Use snow mode for accele rating and driving on slippery road sur-
faces such as snow.
Press the menu switch. The multi-information display
will change modes to electronic
features control mode.
Press the “  ” or “  ” switch
until “ECT SNOW” appears.
Press the “ENTER” switch to
change to “ON”.
The “ECT SNOW” indicator will
be displayed. Each pressing of the switch
turns snow mode on and off.
Press the menu switch to
change to the normal display.STEP 1
STEP 2

1812-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving Selecting shift ranges in the D position
To drive using temporary shift range sele ction, operate the “-” paddle shift
switch. The shift range can then be selected by operating the “-” and “+”
paddle shift switches. Changing the sh ift range allows restriction of the
highest gear, preventing unnecessary upshifting and enabling the level of
engine braking force to be selected.
Higher shift range
Lower shift range
The selected shift range, from 1 to
8, will be displayed in the meter
cluster.
To return to normal D position
driving, the “+” paddle shift switch
must be held down for a period of
time.

1822-1. Driving procedures
■ Shift ranges and their functions
* : “D” is also displayed to indicate the shift position.
A lower shift range will provide greater engine braking force than a higher shift
range. Meter cluster dis-
play
* Function
8 Gears between 1 and 8 are automatically selected
according to vehicle speed and driving conditions
7 Gears between 1 and 7 are automatically selected
according to vehicle speed and driving conditions
6 Gears between 1 and 6 are automatically selected
according to vehicle speed and driving conditions
5 Gears between 1 and 5 are automatically selected
according to vehicle speed and driving conditions
4 Gears between 1 and 4 are automatically selected
according to vehicle speed and driving conditions
3 Gears between 1 and 3 are automatically selected
according to vehicle speed and driving conditions
2 Gears between 1 and 2 are automatically selected
according to vehicle speed and driving conditions
1 The gear is set at 1

1832-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving Selecting gears in the M position
To enter M mode, shift the shift lever to the M position. Gears can then be
selected by operating the shift lever or paddle shift switches, allowing you
to drive in the gear of your choosing.
Upshifting
Downshifting
The gear changes once every time
the shift lever or paddle shift switch
is operated.
When in the M position, the gear will not change unless the shift lever or
paddle shift switches are operated.
However, even when in the M positio n, the gears will be automatically
changed in the following situations:
● When vehicle speed drops (downshift only).
● When the automatic transmission flu id or engine coolant temperature
is low.
● When engine speed is higher than necessary. (upshift only)

1842-1. Driving procedures
■ Gear functions
* : “M” is also displayed to indicate the shift position.■
When the “-” paddle shift switch is operated in the D position ●
When the “-” paddle shift switch is operated in the D position, a shift range will
be automatically selected. The highest gear of the first shift range will be one
gear lower than the gear in use during normal D position driving.●
If the “-” paddle shift switch is operated when a shift range is selected while in
the D position, the shift range may be lowered by two ranges or more in accor-
dance with the driving conditions.■
Automatic deactivation of shift range selection in the D position
Shift range selection in the D position will be deactivated in the following situations: ●
When the vehicle comes to a stop
●
If the accelerator pedal is depressed for more than a certain period of time in
one shift range Meter cluster
display
* Function
8 The gear is fixed at 8 th
gear
7 The gear is fixed at 7 th
gear
6 The gear is fixed at 6 th
gear
5 The gear is fixed at 5 th
gear
4 The gear is fixed at 4 th
gear
3 The gear is fixed at 3 rd
gear
2 The gear is fixed at 2 nd
gear
1 The gear is fixed at 1 st
gear