Art Wrote: Parents just bought one. I'm surprised by how much pressure the accelerator pedal takes to get the car moving from a stop compared to other cars I've driven. Wondering if this is typical or should the dealer check it. ============ Don't know about yours but my '01 LW300 is drive by wire. That is, there is no mechanical connection between the pedal and throttle body. The accelerator pedal is merely a sensor that talks to the computer which in turn controls a servomotor to open the butterfly valve in the throttle body. Does take a bit of getting used to especially with the cruise control. With older vacuum controlled units, as the servo engages you could feel the pedal drop away from your foot. Not so with the L300. An electric servo is always in control so you can just punch cruise control and remove your foot from the pedal immediately without any hiccups. With a mechanical accelerator there is also a modicum of force feedback from the butterfly valve which is missing on a drive by wire. Where the DBW (drive by wire) really excels is in the traction control. If you get a wheel slip, first the traction control system tries to apply a little braking action on the slipping wheel. If this is unsuccessful, it automatically cuts back the throttle. No need to let up on the pedal. Earlier traction control systems just retarded the spark having no control on the throttle. PS it WILL do 130mph. I've had mine up to 100 before I lost my nerve. Acceleration was constant with no fall off. Darned impressive. Oppie
