2000 Lexus RX 300 Owners Manual - Page 328

STARTING AND DRIVING 6. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal slowly for smooth starting. The vehicle will start in the first gear and automatically shift to the most suitable gear for the running conditions, such as the vehicle speed, hill climbing, hard towing, etc. However, while the engine coolant temperature is low and the vehicle is traveling at low speed, the transmission will not shift into the overdrive gear even with the overdrive switch on. When the lever is in the "D" position, the automatic transmission system will select the most suitable gear for the running conditions such as hill climbing, hard towing, etc. If you need to accelerate rapidly while driving, push the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor. The transmission will automatically downshift to the third, second or first gear, according to the vehicle speed. If engine braking is needed, such as in descending a long hill, see "(c) Using engine braking". 311