2015 LEXUS RX450h Owners Manual

1852-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving CAUTION■
Caution while driving
When driving in EV drive mode no engi ne noise is made. As such, pedestrians,
people riding bicycles or other people an d vehicles in the surrounding area may not
be aware of the vehicle starting off or approaching them. Therefore, take extra care
while driving even if the Vehicle Proximity Notification System is active.

1862-1. Driving procedures
Hybrid transmission Select a shift position appropriate for the driving conditions.
■ Shifting the shift lever
While the “POWER” switch is in 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
* 1
: Shifting to the D position allows the sy stem to select a gear suitable for the
driving conditions. Setting the shift le ver to the D position is recommended
for normal driving.
* 2
: Selecting shift ranges using S mode controls engine braking forces. Shift position Function
P Parking the vehicle/starting the hybrid system
R Reversing
N Neutral
D Normal driving
* 1
S S mode driving
* 2
(  P. 1 9 0 )

1872-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving ■ Selecting Eco drive mode
When the vehicle is driven in Eco drive mode, vehicle driving force
and operation of the air condit ioning system (heating/cooling) is
controlled to improve fuel efficiency.
Press the menu switch. The multi-information display
will change modes to electronic
features control mode.
Press the “  ” or “  ” switch
until “ECO MODE” appears.
Press the “ENTER” switch to
change to “ON”.
The “ECO MODE” indicator
will be displayed. Each pressing of the switch
turns Eco drive mode on and off.
Press the menu switch to
change to the normal display.STEP 1
STEP 2

1882-1. 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 “HYBRID SNOW”
appears.
Press the “ENTER” switch to
change to “ON”.
The “Hybrid 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

1892-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving ■ Selecting sport mode
Use when high levels of response and feeling are desirable, such as
when driving in moun tainous regions or when overtaking.
Press the menu switch. The multi-information display
will change modes to electronic
features control mode.
Press the “  ” or “  ” switch
until “SPORT MODE”
appears.
Press the “ENTER” switch to
change to “ON”.
The “SPORT MODE” indicator
will be displayed. Each pressing of the switch
turns sport mode on and off.
Press the menu switch to
change to the normal display.STEP 1
STEP 2

1902-1. Driving procedures
Changing shift ranges in S mode
When the shift lever is in the S position, the shift lever can be operated as
follows:
Upshifting
Downshifting
The initial shift range in S mode is set automatically to “5” or “4” accord-
ing to vehicle speed.
■ Shift ranges and their functions
● You can choose from 6 levels of engine braking force.
● A lower shift range will provide gr eater engine braking force than a
higher shift range, and the engi ne speed will also increase.■
Operation of the air conditioning system in Eco drive mode
Eco drive mode controls the heating/cooling operations and fan speed of the air
conditioning system to enhance fuel efficiency. (  P. 342, 350) To improve air con-
ditioning performance, adjust the fa n speed or turn off Eco drive mode. ■
Automatic return to normal driving mode
If snow mode or sport mode is selected , the driving mode will automatically return
to normal mode when the hybrid system is turned off.
■
S mode
●
When the shift range is “5” or lower, holding the shift lever toward “+” sets the
shift range to “6”.
●
To prevent the engine from over-revving, upshifting may automatically occur.

1912-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving ■
AI-SHIFT
AI-SHIFT automatically selects the suitable gear according to driver performance
and driving conditions.
AI-SHIFT automatically operates when the sh ift lever is in the D position. (Shifting
the shift lever to the S posi tion cancels the function.)■
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 because cruise control or radar cruise
control will not be canceled. ●
While driving in D or S mode, downshifting to 5 or 4. (  P. 232, 236)●
When switching the driving mode to sport mode while driving in D position.
(  P. 1 8 9 )■
If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P
 P. 7 7 9■
If S does not come on even after shifting the shift lever to S
This may indicate a malfunction in the hybr id transmission system. Have the vehicle
inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
(In this situation, the hybrid 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 is operated. (The buzzer will sound twice.)

1922-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION■
When driving on slippery road surfaces
Do not accelerate or shift gears suddenly.
Sudden changes in engine braking may cause the vehicle to spin or skid, resulting in
an accident.
NOTICE■
Hybrid battery (traction battery) charge precaution
If the shift lever is in N, the hybrid battery (traction battery) wi ll not be charged even
when the engine is running. Therefore, if the vehicle is left with the shift lever in N for
a long period of time, the hybrid battery (traction battery) will discharge, and this
may result in the vehicle not being able to start.