2004 Lexus LS 430 User Guide 2 - Page 322

STARTING AND DRIVING 5. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal slowly for smooth starting. In normal cruising, the vehicle will start in first gear and automatically shift up to the most suitable gear. On inclines, declines or winding roads, etc., the vehicle shifts up and down automatically according to the running conditions to obtain the suitable driving power and engine braking. If you need to accelerate rapidly while driving, depress the accelerator pedal to the full throttle position. This provides more acceleration by automatically downshifting the transmission to the next lower gear or beyond, depending on the vehicle speed. If engine braking is needed, such as in descending a long hill, see "(c) Using engine braking". D AI (Artificial Intelligence) shifting control AI shifting control selects the most suitable shift range automatically according to the driver's operation and driving condition. AI shifting control operates automatically with the selector lever in the "D" position. When the lever is moved to the "S" position, this function will be canceled. Shifting control on the slope: On inclines, you can drive smoothly with reduced shifting quantity. On declines, the vehicle will shift down automatically to obtain optimum engine braking and reduce the driver's foot braking load. Automatic shifting point change control: The most suitable shift range is selected depending on the driver's accelerator pedal operation and vehicle condition. 304 " 1 2 3 4 (b) Driving in "S" mode 31L326 Upshifting Downshifting "S" mode position Shift range position indicator You can change the shift range position in the "S" mode. The shift range position can be switched between "6" (sixth range) and "1" (first range) by moving the selector lever up to the "+" side or down to the "-" side. The first shift range position is "5" (fifth range) when the selector lever is shifted to the "S" position. However, if you move the lever to the "S" position in AI shifting control, "5" (fifth range), "4" (fourth range) or "3" (third range) will be the first shift range. This is because the suitable shift range is selected depending on the driving condition.