Does anyone know if there is a way to increase the hybrid engine breaking. The only negative I have found with the LC is the engine breaking is terrible if you live in the mountains. I come from V8s in an LR4 and Grand Cherokee. Riding your brakes down icy mountain passes is dangerous. I try to use the manual shift with engine breaking and the displacement/weight ratio is so small has little effect. As a hybrid maybe get the same effect by setting the hybrid system to absorb more energy?
Hybrid "Hump Feeling" while Breaking
- Thread starter solidbrix
- Start date
It engages electric motor breaking when you press the brake pedal. Unless you brake hard, or the battery is near full or hot/cold, most of what you feel as breaking is probably electric motor.
I just got my LC tonight. The first thing I noticed was the weird braking. I don’t know if this is what everyone else is getting or talking about in the above posts. You are slowing down for a red light and breaking when it seems to go into cost and doesn’t feel like your breaking at all. It scared me a couple of times. I have had hybrids before and never had this sensation.
Coast
Thank you!
OP
OP
- Thread starter
- #27
I thought the same, I was in Iceland last month renting a RAV4 Hybrid & never had this issue while breaking. The Hybrid system in the LC/Tacoma/Grand Highlander (I-Force Max) is completely different than what's in a Camry/RAV4/Prius etc. because those vehicles are CVT's with dedicated electric motors in the rear (not connected to the engine or transmission). The LC's powertrain places an electric motor right smack in the middle of the engine & transmission, and I think that's where we're getting a lot of these weird breaking scenarios from. Redline Reviews made a good point at the end of their review.
I honestly think this is why the Lexus GX 550 didn't get this I-Force Max Hybrid powertrain as an option, it's not refined enough for Lexus' high standards.
I should note that after more time in the LC, there is a method to the madness. Breaking lightly and slowly increasing it helps smooth out these "humps" or electric motor shifts. I'm learning as I go and figuring out that you really gotta baby the break in a certain way to avoid the jerks. Not a deal breaker, but as someone mentioned above, 2025 4Runner owners may have a hard time adopting to this. Makes sense why Toyota has a regular 4-cylinder non-hybrid available.
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The GX550h will have the same powertrain.
I noticed the hump early on, but less so much recently. Not sure if it got better or if i just changed the way I'm driving. It would occasionally happen to be when slowing down to a stop at an intersection.
I notice it a lot more in ECO mode.
I’m only around 100 mi in LCLC I picked up on Saturday, moving over from a 2014 Highlander hybrid with >150K miles. I’m definitely getting the “hump” sensation (have only been in Eco mode, haven’t tried other 2 yet) enough that my head will move forward as, I think, the transmission is downshifting (perhaps related to electric motor too?). This takes place several times when I am coasting to a stop from 45 miles an hour and not touching the brakes… so for me at least it’s not brake related. It’s very different from the Highlander which would downshift without any noticeable sensation. As others have noted, hopefully Toyota will improve it with a software update as I bet the dealer will say it’s “normal.”
Yes, agree. Almost non existent in sport.
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