Bought a 2025 Hybrid Limited yesterday... is this normal?

Hi everyone. I just got my new car yesterday and wanted to ask a few things. It’s the Rockwood Green Hybrid Limited with a pecan interior. I’m coming from a 2012 Mazda 3 hatchback manual, which I bought for 18k back then, so this was a big step up in both price and technology.

During the test drive, something happened that I didn’t think much about at the time, but now I’m wondering. When I was pulling out of the dealership onto a 4-lane highway, I had the accelerator pressed all the way down, but for a few seconds, the car didn’t accelerate. Then it kicked in and started moving, but it felt strange. The sales guy said it was normal and switched it to sport mode, which made it more responsive for the rest of the drive.

Is this normal for hybrids, or should I be worried? I figured maybe that’s just how automatics are, but now I’m reading posts about similar issues and wondering if I missed something important. If anyone has the same car and no problems, feel free to share to make me feel better.

I just got a Limited Hybrid too. Congrats on the new car!

This sounds normal for hybrids. When the car is decelerating or stopped, the engine shuts off, and only the electric motor is active. That motor gives you about 70 horsepower, so when you press the accelerator, there’s a slight delay as the engine starts up to provide more power. Switching to sport mode keeps the engine running more often, so you get quicker acceleration, but it does use more fuel.

If you want, you can try keeping it in eco mode most of the time and switch to sport mode when you need more power. It might feel like a bit of extra work, but if you’re used to driving a manual, it’s probably not a big deal.

@Bethliz
Thanks so much for explaining this! It makes a lot more sense now, and I feel a lot better knowing it’s normal.

Lewis said:
@Bethliz
Thanks so much for explaining this! It makes a lot more sense now, and I feel a lot better knowing it’s normal.

I’ve noticed with stop-start systems in non-hybrids that you can slightly release the brake at lights to get the engine ready without actually moving the car. Does something like that work with hybrids?

@MissNicklaus
No, the engine in hybrids usually won’t start until you reach about 30 mph or push harder on the throttle.

@MissNicklaus
I’m not sure, but I’ll give it a try. Thanks for the tip .

@Bethliz
I think smart mode is the best option. It acts like sport mode when you need quick acceleration and switches to eco once you’re cruising.

That’s probably eco or my drive mode. It feels like being in a futuristic horse cart with just enough power for a bit before it kicks in. But once you’re in sport mode, it turns into a solid performer. Not the sportiest out there, but it’s still impressive with the turbo and hybrid combo.

@Donna
I know what you mean. We took ours on a mountain trip, and it never slowed down, even on steep climbs. My old car always needed some extra effort, but this one handled it so smoothly.

I’ve found that if you press the accelerator halfway first and then push down, it responds quicker. The paddle shifters are great too for speeding up or navigating hills. I usually keep mine in My Drive mode with eco driving and sport steering. The regenerative braking is also amazing for efficiency and feels like downshifting around curves. My in-laws have a Mazda, and while it’s nice, I like ours more.

@HyundaiCruiser
Thanks for sharing all these tips! I still have so much to learn about the car. I was at the dealership forever yesterday and didn’t get to go over all the features.

Lewis said:
@HyundaiCruiser
Thanks for sharing all these tips! I still have so much to learn about the car. I was at the dealership forever yesterday and didn’t get to go over all the features.

I learned a lot from reading posts here and also skimming the manual. My wife never reads manuals, so I’ve convinced her that the car sends me speed notifications. It’s a running joke, but I think she half-believes me.

@HyundaiCruiser
That’s hilarious .

What others said makes sense. If your battery was low, the gas engine might’ve been doing most of the work at that point. I’ve never found it slow, though. Coming from a twin-turbo V8 BMW, I actually love how this hybrid feels. Bought mine six months ago and have already driven over 11,000 miles.

@GenesisGuruOnline
That’s awesome to hear! What does ICE mean?

Lewis said:
@GenesisGuruOnline
That’s awesome to hear! What does ICE mean?

It stands for Internal Combustion Engine, which is just the regular gas engine. In hybrids, we use the term to distinguish it from the electric motor.