s is sport, EV is low speed electric only

 

Thanks. So you would throw gear shift into "S" while driving sport setting only? Or also while driving normal and econ?
Also regarding EV button I thought 2025 drove on battery only (not using EV setting) say around town while speed kept under 30 -35 mph. So if I did not depress EV button, I'd still be using low speed electric as long as I kept speed under a certain level - 30 - 35 mph.

Maybe a better question is should I use EV setting around town - short trips, etc. And then when I'm going to go over 35 mph or say on freeway leave EV setting off.

 

So if I did not depress EV button, I'd still be using low speed electric as long as I kept speed under a certain level - 30 - 35 mph.

Been seeing some videos that say the ICE kicks in even when the car is supposed to be only in EV mode.

 

Assuming it works similar to my '23 Crown Hybrid, the range in EV (battery only) is quite limited ... a few low speed miles at best. At low speeds when there is sufficient battery capacity, the engine shuts off by itself and EV mode kicks in automatically. Then when needed (because of battery drain, hill, or acceleration), the engine takes over again. In my opinion it is best to just forget about the EV button and just let the hybrid electronics do their thing automatically. The only reason I can think of to lock in the EV mode would be an emergency (engine problem, out of gas, etc.) to prevent the engine from trying to start, or maybe to prevent carbon monoxide if you are moving the car in an enclosed building.

When you shut the car off the instrument panel briefly shows trip information for the just completed trip including the trip MPG and the percent of the trip that was battery only (EV). On short low-speed in-town stop-and-go trips, I often see 60% to 70% of the trip was battery (EV mode) and the MPG will be as high as 60 MPG or more. The Crown is rated at 42 MPG in town.

 

Completely agree. (And have a Crown too, but 2024). Manual says EV is for when you don't want to wake up neighbors with the engine sound. May be when stealing a car... ))

 

"S" on the gearshift puts you in "Manual Mode" with 6 simulated gears. But at a stop, it goes to "4th" gear, instead of "1st" gear.

EV mode is forced battery only, for very low speed maneuvering... it won't go into EV mode unless there are conditions met first.

Drive mode... Eco, normal and sport... Sport makes the throttle input more agressive with more aggressive battery powering the wheels as well reduce the steering assist, though I don't feel much of a different in the steering effort.

 

"S" does not allow you to choose a particular gear. It simply limits the higher gear the transmission can shift to based on your choice. But the transmission is still acting as an automatic transmission, just not going over the gear number you've set in the "S". Pretty useless unless you specifically need to limit the higher gear, like let's say going down the mountains to save your brakes from burning.

 

Read the manual. Page 188/189.

'Manual' shifting with CVT is a joke. Something for those who always drove 'stick' and now suddenly computer does everything for them. Might be OK when going downhill to save brakes (how expensive are those???) but it will rev like crazy.
Computer will NOT let you shift into '6th (simulated) gear' if you go 50km/h which I can do with the stick (and baby gas pedal).

 

I can shift into 6th and start from 6th from a stop, Corvette style, lol

something I could never do on my past VW’s unless I want to smell burnt clutch

 

Appreciate responses. So to clarity in normal driving, freeway driving best to keep gear shift in drive mode.

So driving a steep road decline and not wanting to ride break hard. switch from drive to "S" mode and then let car/computer handle shift changes or use paddles and shift to lower level (1-6)?

I pulled this from attached illustration above - A lower shift range will provide greater engine braking force than a higher shift range, and the engine speed will also increase. Now that doesn't make sense to me since if you using gears to provide greater breaking you do not want engine speed to increase while driving down a steep slope or decline.

So it appears some slight benefit using "S" drive mode driving a distance down hill. Any thoughts about "S" drive mode while going up steep incline?

Miss the old days when you could just throw automatic into 1st gear or possibly 2nd when heading down a steep hill or if needing more power to pass or going up hill using same gears and then give car more gas depressing foot pedal.

 

Yes, the good old days
Indeed that is confusing, unless person that wrote that was incorrect. One would think if selecting a Lower gear then the revs go up but not the speed. Well unless doing down a steep hill I figure. Since an eCVT likes to operate at peek performance rpm range I figure Auto mode is best going up hills. Unless one wanted to hold a gear to rev it out (max rpm in given gear), which I would think might allow the engine to move the wheels faster going up a hill though only to the max allowed in any given rpm range of the manual gear selected.

Could be off base...

 

I believe they could have mean revs by "engine speed".

 

You have to remember, that when engine braking is used, fuel is not injected and the coils for the spark plugs are not getting power. It’s just using the resistance of the engine to help slow down the car.

if you’re an aggressive driver, more rapid application of the brakes may tell the computer to not use regeneration and go straight to hydraulics

likewise if hydraulics were used on long downhills, you may end up smelling brake pads as the pads would overheat and off-gas and the off-gas, in the event of an emergency, you get pad fade and the brakes won’t be available when you need it the most. But for the most part, it’s regeneration plus engine braking, which is why you don’t smell brake pads at driving down curvy mountain roads

engine braking could be better though, despite the high compression ratio, the reduced pumping losses from the Atkinson cycle doesn’t allow for it to utilize its full potential for engine braking

 

So if in hill country or mountain country and you slide drive gear into "S" mode is it easier on hybrid motor or brakes to shift down for increased braking force when on step decline? Question is really directed to someone who is currently driving 2025 sedan, since somewhat hard to answer if non-owner. Accelerating up hill or mountain road in "S: mode probably isn't much of a factor since you're not using your brake. So (could be wrong) "S" mode sounds like it's basically for increased braking and really nothing more. If I'm going to pass someone on a single lane road I'm probably going to just punch gas pedal versus throwing gear shift into "S" mode then up-shifting. Thinking 4 cylinder motor (even with decent torque) is not going to turn into a beast when up-shifting to "S' mode to pass someone or try do 0 to 60 in under 7 seconds with FWD.

 

did a rental just a bit ago. Not a Toyota, it had steering wheel paddle shifters which I found useful going up and down mountain roads…mostly to use as an engine brake when headed down. figure the base LE gear shift will be just as good for the purpose mostly. It came in handy.

 

steering wheel paddle shifters which I found useful going up and down mountain roads…

Yeah but all that is so much more fun with a console gear shift. Love that mountain driving.