I thought the same thing in the beginning, until I switched to "Sport" mode 100% of the time. Pedal response felt MUCH BETTER. Guess what also happened . . . yeah, my mpg went up! Like was previously mentioned. I think you spend too long getting up to speed in normal or eco mode. I use sport mode and get up to speed quicker (without mashing the pedal) and then I'm at a cruising speed. That's where the money's at! I'm a strong believer in using Sport mode. You can still drive it carefully in sport, or have fun with it!