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The 2018 Ford Mustang's 10-Speed Automatic Makes It a Quicker Pony

Timeless

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brucelinc

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Funny to hear some folks complain about track and drag modes not being very friendly on the street. Maybe that is because track is for TRACK use and drag is for DRAG STRIP use. I can't speak for the track mode at the track but the drag mode is brilliant at the drag strip. Neither track nor drag is designed for street use and are not particularly pleasant for daily driving. I wouldn't expect them to be.

In Normal mode, my 10A is smooth and refined as I would expect in a sporty daily driver. Sport mode has a bit more hooligan in it with its holding the gears longer and rev matched downshifts but is fine when one is in the mood for more aggressiveness.
 
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Timeless

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Funny to hear some folks complain about track and drag modes not being very friendly on the street. Maybe that is because track is for TRACK use and drag is for DRAG STRIP use. I can't speak for the track mode at the track but the drag mode is brilliant at the drag strip. Neither track nor drag is designed for street use and are not particularly pleasant for daily driving. I wouldn't expect them to be.

In Normal mode, my 10A is smooth and refined as I would expect in a sporty daily driver. Sport mode has a bit more hooligan in it with its holding the gears longer and rev matched downshifts but is fine when one is in the mood for more aggressiveness.
I do believe that the 10 speed definitely needs some driving to smooth out especially in sport mode. I've test driven a couple of new ones in sport and it is jerky under normal driving conditions. I personally enjoyed it but can see why some would find it concerning.
 

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I do believe that the 10 speed definitely needs some driving to smooth out especially in sport mode. I've test driven a couple of new ones in sport and it is jerky under normal driving conditions. I personally enjoyed it but can see why some would find it concerning.
I agree that the transmission smooths out with more miles. However, as far as I am concerned if someone finds sport mode concerning, they should be driving in regular drive. Sport mode keeps the engine at higher RPM, shifts more firmly, holds the gears longer and downshifts more aggressively when slowing down. That is what it is supposed to do.

Even my 2017 Lincoln Continental with a 6 speed acts similarly in sport mode only to a much lesser degree. I use sport mode when I want manual control or just when I am playing around but it is not the ideal commuter or daily driver mode for me or many others. If they watered it down with softer shifts at lower rpm, it would lack the sporty aggressiveness that it currently has. I am 100% pleased with mine.
 

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I agree that the transmission smooths out with more miles. However, as far as I am concerned if someone finds sport mode concerning, they should be driving in regular drive. Sport mode keeps the engine at higher RPM, shifts more firmly, holds the gears longer and downshifts more aggressively when slowing down. That is what it is supposed to do.
My issue with this statement is experience with other performance autos and DCT and even GM software with the same hardware.

Normal is too soft and sport is too aggressive on the rev-matching downshifts in daily driving IMO. To be perfect, I would like a mode between normal and sport with the characteristics of normal on deceleration but the pedal response and gear selection of Sport under acceleration and neutral throttle. Ford could even make it speed sensitive because the rev-matching downshifts are really only too aggressive under 30mph...like when coming down from 45 to a stoplight.

There is already a way to select Sport mode only (on the shifter without toggling into Sport + mode) so it's just a matter of programming.
 
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Damn that A10 GT rips!

"the automatic Ford outpaced the 2019 Chevy with a very similar 10-speed by a tenth both to 60 mph and through the quarter, and also had a 2-mph-faster trap speed"


:rockon:
 

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My issue with this statement is experience with other performance manuals and DCT and even GM software with the same hardware.

Normal is too soft and sport is too aggressive on the rev-matching downshifts in daily driving IMO. To be perfect, I would like a mode between normal and sport with the characteristics of normal on deceleration but the pedal response and gear selection of Sport under acceleration and neutral throttle. Ford could even make it speed sensitive because the rev-matching downshifts are really only too aggressive under 30mph...like when coming down from 45 to a stoplight.

There is already a way to select Sport mode only (on the shifter without toggling into Sport + mode) so it's just a matter of programming.
Understood. The current setup may not be to everyone's liking. I suspect the tuners can adjust shift pressure and other parameters within the PCM to alter the shifting behavior. My MKS was tuned and so is my Continental. Changing the transmission behavior was a key improvement. In those cases, I wanted quicker and firmer shifts in drive and even firmer shifts at higher rpm in sport. The tuner was able to do exactly what I wanted.
 

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Just another magazine lying about the Mustang being faster than Camaro.
 

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My 2019 is my 7th mustang and first Auto. Ive had a whippled 04 cobra, a nitrous 99, a twin turbo mach 1, and I have to say the 2019 and Auto combination is badass and my favorite one I've owned. With just a resonator delete, lund tune and e85, im having a blast with this car. The technology has come so far and ford hit a home run with these cars. Can't wait to throw some boost at it and make it even more enjoyable. Never thought I'd enjoy an auto equipped sports car but these A10's are amazing!
 

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My 2019 is my 7th mustang and first Auto. Ive had a whippled 04 cobra, a nitrous 99, a twin turbo mach 1, and I have to say the 2019 and Auto combination is badass and my favorite one I've owned. With just a resonator delete, lund tune and e85, im having a blast with this car. The technology has come so far and ford hit a home run with these cars. Can't wait to throw some boost at it and make it even more enjoyable. Never thought I'd enjoy an auto equipped sports car but these A10's are amazing!
I can’t speak for an A10 mustang, but my 18 F150 with the 2.7 is phenomenal. Super smooth, quick shifting and always in the power band.

Ford knocked it out of the park with this A10, IMO
 

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Just became a proud owner of a '19 GT Premium with A-10, active exhaust, upgraded sound system. Dad always said "better to ask a question and have people think you're stupid, than to keep your mouth shut and prove it". So here are 2 questions re using the paddle shift option;
- do you keep your foot on the gas as you upshift, or do you let off, as if it were a manual? What about downshifting?
- while reading the manual apparently you pop the shifter into "sport" to use the paddles. But can you use any driving mode, like "normal, sport, track, etc, with the paddles?
Thanks for you patience.
Sam from North Jersey
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Just became a proud owner of a '19 GT Premium with A-10, active exhaust, upgraded sound system. Dad always said "better to ask a question and have people think you're stupid, than to keep your mouth shut and prove it". So here are 2 questions re using the paddle shift option;
- do you keep your foot on the gas as you upshift, or do you let off, as if it were a manual? What about downshifting?
- while reading the manual apparently you pop the shifter into "sport" to use the paddles. But can you use any driving mode, like "normal, sport, track, etc, with the paddles?
Thanks for you patience.
Sam from North Jersey
IMG_2176.JPG
I keep my foot on the gas with my 6R80 auto, I'd assume it's the same for the 10 speed. Also, you can change gears in both normal Drive and Sport mode, however once you switch gears in "D" the auto will take control immediately afterwards, which is good if you just want to drop a gear and get on the gas while letting the auto worry about the continued shifting. In "Sport" mode the paddle shifters stay on, meaning you have to do all the shifting until you put the shifter back into Drive, at least in my experience with the 6R80 auto in my 2016 GT. I've heard they work the same, but I'm not 100% sure.
 

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Ok now somebody start working on a retrofit. For older cars. So everyone can enjoy the 10 speed goodness.
 

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When using paddles, no need to let off the throttle. Downshifts automatically match revs.

You can use the paddles for control in any mode as long as the shifter is in the sport position. The paddles also allow shifts in the regular drive mode but will default back to automatic shortly after you make a manual shift.

When the shifter is in sport mode, it will shift automatically (more agressively than drive) until you use a paddle. Once a paddle is used in sport mode, it is in manual mode and will not upshift automatically. It will downshift to prevent lugging the engine.
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