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Auto + Sport mode behavior

smbsocal

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We are looking at possibly picking up a '15 Mustang GT. It has been around 20 years since I had a Mustang so I can't say I am familiar with the behavior of the car now.

The wife is a BMW fan but after doing a test drive yesterday she was really impressed with the car and especially with what you get for the $$.

One thing that caught me off guard was when we were in sport mode and let off the gas, especially coming to a stop, the car would surge. The RPMs would randomly spike up and the car would lurch forward. In normal mode there wasn't anything like this at all.

The car is a GT Auto with the 3.55 gears, in case that makes a difference.

The sales person was your typical young pushy but clueless sales person. When I did a search here I did see some people mention how the sport mode in stop and go traffic may be annoying but didn't go into why.

Other than that behavior the car drove great with the top up or down.
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SVTFreak

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That's by design. Sport mode keeps the rpms higher and downshifts earlier to use engine braking. It's akin to rev matching and using lower gears in a manual plus having rpms up when coming out of a corner.

Also, it's "live". The more aggressive you are driving, the more aggressive it will act.
 

Bay1Stang

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It's not your average sport mode.
 

slythetove

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That's the rev matching in the auto as others have mentioned and personally I love it!
 

Old 5 Oh

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We are looking at possibly picking up a '15 Mustang GT. It has been around 20 years since I had a Mustang so I can't say I am familiar with the behavior of the car now.

The wife is a BMW fan but after doing a test drive yesterday she was really impressed with the car and especially with what you get for the $$.

One thing that caught me off guard was when we were in sport mode and let off the gas, especially coming to a stop, the car would surge. The RPMs would randomly spike up and the car would lurch forward. In normal mode there wasn't anything like this at all.

The car is a GT Auto with the 3.55 gears, in case that makes a difference.

The sales person was your typical young pushy but clueless sales person. When I did a search here I did see some people mention how the sport mode in stop and go traffic may be annoying but didn't go into why.

Other than that behavior the car drove great with the top up or down.
In Sport mode, the transmission shifts down through the gears as you slow, and all the downshifts are rev-matched just as if you were double-clutching manual downshifts. So it's always in the right gear to begin accelerating again. It's fun, it's useful when you are playing, but it's pretty aggressive just puttering around town, so you might want to leave it in Drive at those times. Drive acts like a normal automatic with smooth, almost imperceptible shifts. Sport is a different matter entirely.
 

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packick

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I have another quirk/observation about Sport + Mode.

When I shift out of D and into S, and flip the toggle to S+ Mode, I am ready to use the paddle shifters. However, when I start out from a dead stop, the transmission shifts itself rather than letting me up-shift with the paddles. It does this until it reaches 4th gear and then lets me have control with the paddle shifters. Note that in gears 1, 2, and 3 when it automatically shifts I am NOT even close to approaching red-line on the tach.

After I come to a complete stop and start out again, I then have complete control of the transmission with the paddles throughout all of the gears.

This scenario has occurred several times. Any thoughts?
 

SVTFreak

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I have another quirk/observation about Sport + Mode.



When I shift out of D and into S, and flip the toggle to S+ Mode, I am ready to use the paddle shifters. However, when I start out from a dead stop, the transmission shifts itself rather than letting me up-shift with the paddles. It does this until it reaches 4th gear and then lets me have control with the paddle shifters. Note that in gears 1, 2, and 3 when it automatically shifts I am NOT even close to approaching red-line on the tach.



After I come to a complete stop and start out again, I then have complete control of the transmission with the paddles throughout all of the gears.



This scenario has occurred several times. Any thoughts?

It will shift itself until you take over, even in S. Aka, until you click it the first time, it'll shift.

The rare time I use them, I click down one gear. That puts it on you.

Note, it will downshift on its own when you come to a stop. Even in S.

Play with it. It does some neat things.
 

packick

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Thanks SVTFreak. That explains what is probably happening.
 

SVTFreak

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Thanks SVTFreak. That explains what is probably happening.

Very welcome.

Go play with it some. It's fun. Kinda neat but I find I only use the downshift paddle occasionally (pass a car, etc) and leave it in D most of the time.
 

Husker

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I have another quirk/observation about Sport + Mode.

When I shift out of D and into S, and flip the toggle to S+ Mode, I am ready to use the paddle shifters. However, when I start out from a dead stop, the transmission shifts itself rather than letting me up-shift with the paddles. It does this until it reaches 4th gear and then lets me have control with the paddle shifters. Note that in gears 1, 2, and 3 when it automatically shifts I am NOT even close to approaching red-line on the tach.

After I come to a complete stop and start out again, I then have complete control of the transmission with the paddles throughout all of the gears.

This scenario has occurred several times. Any thoughts?
I select 'S', then before moving (foot on brake) I shift the '+' paddle, the number '1' will blink (Yellow) then lock in (Stop Blinking)...it's then in my control to shift-->1+2+3+4+5+6.
 

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Old 5 Oh

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Very welcome.

Go play with it some. It's fun. Kinda neat but I find I only use the downshift paddle occasionally (pass a car, etc) and leave it in D most of the time.
I agree. D is a pretty agreeable mode for when I am surrounded by cars, which is most of the time. S, left to its own devices, is pretty smart about sporty driving on curving roads. The paddles are fun, and I do use them some, but not the most important aspect for me. S is really a surprise for me. I didn't really expect the automatic rev-matched downshifts, or the way that it intelligently holds gears. I am very pleased with the AT overall. It's a LONG way from and AOD, LOL.
 

Old 5 Oh

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And a whole lot better than any manual I've had in any mustang in a long long time, strength wise.
Strength (and the MT82's lack thereof) was a consideration in my choosing the AT this time. Just was not interested in a box with a record of spitting parts on the ground at 10,000 to 30,000 miles. Obviously they don't ALL do that, but the MT Mustangs I have had in the past were bombproof at stock power levels. The idea that the MT would be the car's weak spot just made no sense at all.
 

pjk

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Is there a simple answer to the difference between toggle switch enabled Sport+ vs. the Shifter enabled "S"? I looked in the manual and it was clear to me. Thanks!
 

Black GT

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My 2014 shifts the same way. I wish I had the paddles to make it a little more fun.
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