Never Normal Mode

[Vlad Soare]

No shop can tune "predictability". They can tune for a smoother shifting transmission, but it can't guess on when you want it to shift.

While your point is certainly valid, I think I know what he means. The more gears you have, the more of them can be considered "correct" at the same time in a given situation, depending on a lot of criteria, many of which you don't actually care about. So the higher the chances are that the gearbox will choose a different gear than the one you would.
The classic three or four-speed slushmatics of the good old days were pretty darn predictable, simply because there was always one correct gear for the current speed and throttle input, and the gearbox would always choose that one - unless you floored the loud pedal, in which case it would downshift. Marvellous. Simple and eficient. You always knew what to expect. You could control the gear changes easily with just your right foot - no manual mode was necessary, no paddles, no electronic drive modes. You got used to the gearbox, learned how it would react, and controlled it perfectly just by varying the throttle input.
Whereas nowadays all this control is gone. What you do with your right foot has only a slight effect on what the gearbox does, because it cares more about other things than about your throttle input. Moreover, when its overly complicated algorithm results in two possible options, it may choose one of them today and another one tomorrow - hence the feeling of unpredictability. It is indeed unpredictable. And the fact that it tries to "learn" your habits and to "adapt" to them makes things even worse, it makes it even more unpredictable.

 

[tosha]

2021 6MT GT with Roush phase 2 SC here - I have no interest in Sport mode because of it's artificial sensitivity. Drive it in Normal when too lazy to flip the switch, otherwise prefer Track Mode much more, except for wet roads and colder temps of course.

I mean the modes are basically only for the automatic, they do essentially nothing for the manual cars other than throttle sensitivity (which I personally hate messing with that, pressing the pedal less and getting more power is just a cheap trick). So it makes sense normal mode will feel awful for the A10 users.

Not sure what you mean. Aside from throttle sensitivity (which itself is very noticeable), modes change the steering, suspension, exhaust, traction control. That's pretty substantial, so no, they modes are not just for automatic.

 

[331GT]

Normal mode is for putting around in traffic. Regardless of what they call it, or what they should more accurately call it, it has a time and place.

I certainly don't want to drive around lightly in Sport or Track modes...the high revving before shifts and aggressive downshifts as I come to a stop are highly annoying when I'm just putting around at 25mph side street speed limits.

Now on an open twisty road with no traffic...yeah that mode is trash but that's where the other modes come in and what they were made for. Choice is good.

this. if im in traffic on a 40mph limit street with cars all over, just cruising, why would i want the rpms hanging high, downshifting to every redlight, wasting gas and unnecessarily keeping rpms up. some of you seem to really need to get your a10s checked out if they're doing all the weird shit youre describing in normal. sport/track mode for spirited driving, hell yes, of course. far more fun. i dont need to have it downshift to every stop light like it's a corner at COTA though, and rev it out a grand or so higher than necessary every time either. unnecessary wear and tear IMHO.

 

[Vlad Soare]

Not sure what you mean. Aside from throttle sensitivity (which itself is very noticeable), modes change the steering, suspension, exhaust, traction control. That's pretty substantial, so no, they modes are not just for automatic.

Those can be set independently of the drive modes. So they don't count. You can create a My Mode with your desired steering and exhaust settings, once with Normal mode and once with Sport+ mode. What would be the difference between them? And the answer, with a manual gearbox, would be "just the suspension, plus a very subtle change in the throttle mapping which is all but irrelevant".
Which is why I only use Sport+ when I want the suspension in Sport mode.
An automatic is, of course, a different story. I understand the Sport+ changes its behaviour considerably.

 

[shogun32]

but it can't guess on when you want it to shift

actually it 'can'. I worked up a detailed up and downshift schedule based on MPH and current gear and throttle threshold. I just haven't convinced a tuner to write the changes to the TCM.

Ford did a MAJOR disservice to A10 buyers, even those "poors" who can only buy 100/300A trims by removing the paddle shifters in 2021.

 

[JK XLR8]

Does anyone know offhand if the Roush Phase 2 SC tune also tunes the transmission?

 

[tosha]

Those can be set independently of the drive modes. So they don't count. You can create a My Mode with your desired steering and exhaust settings, once with Normal mode and once with Sport+ mode. What would be the difference between them? And the answer, with a manual gearbox, would be "just the suspension, plus a very subtle change in the throttle mapping which is all but irrelevant".
Which is why I only use Sport+ when I want the suspension in Sport mode.
An automatic is, of course, a different story. I understand the Sport+ changes its behaviour considerably.

The fact that you can mix and match some settings in My Mode doesn't make other modes "basically only for the automatic". I use them a lot and I have a manual.

The statement that "they do essentially nothing for the manual cars" is also incorrect, as they change the car manners quite noticeably. Sure, some cars may not come equipped with magneride or active exhaust, but same is true for automatic as well.

 

[Vlad Soare]

The fact that you can mix and match some settings in My Mode doesn't make other modes "basically only for the automatic". I use them a lot and I have a manual.

The statement that "they do essentially nothing for the manual cars" is also incorrect, as they change the car manners quite noticeably. Sure, some cars may not come equipped with magneride or active exhaust, but same is true for automatic as well.

Sure, if you put it like this.
But this isn't what Ryan meant, if I read him correctly. I'm sure he meant it the same way that I did.

 

[andrewtac]

Since I added active exhaust, it starts in quiet. When I leave the neighborhood I keep it in normal then sport or track; coming in I go normal then quiet.

 

[tosha]

Sure, if you put it like this.
But this isn't what Ryan meant, if I read him correctly. I'm sure he meant it the same way that I did.

Just to be clear, I'm not trying to nitpick and pull some statements out of context. I'm just saying that the modes are pretty useful in MT cars as well, and they are not centered just around the way transmission is shifting.

 

[njweatherman]

On my 2020 automatic GT California Special, I only use normal mode on the first start-up of the day until the car is fully warmed up. Then, I switch to Sport+.
Otherwise, the transmission is too jerky and hesitant:(
Two things I do not like about normal mode. First, it is always in too high of a gear. Second, because it is in too high of a gear, it takes away sound from the loud exhaust

 

[joe603]

I'm sure I'd agree if I had an automatic. With a manual, however, the only difference I can perceive at all between Sport and Normal is how the suspension feels. Everything else is the same.

I have a 2021 GT Premium PP and there's a huge difference between Snow/Wet, Normal and Sport+ modes. Throttle is much faster and REV matching seems more aggressive. I use Normal when the wife is in the car and she doesn't want to be jerked around. What I wish is that My Mode would be the default. It remembers when I have my heated steering wheel and seat warmer on...and keeps that into the next startup, but it will default back to normal mode. Also, if I put my exhaust to track while in My Mode, it changes the setting to Normal exhaust when I go back in it on another startup. The last thing is probably a software glitch...but the default mode deal is on purpose from Ford.

 

[food_fanaticz]

I can't be the only person here who finds Normal Mode in the A10 5.0 absolutely awful. I never drive in normal as I find it an insult to the Coyote. It might not bother me so much if it was called Conservation Mode and wasn't the default setting but it really is pathetic. Sport and Track mode are where the magic happens. The way the auto roars through the gears and rifles through rev matches before making a hard turn are what makes me smile. Even when driving in mellow situations normal mode feels bogged down, too quiet and just plain boring, Hell I might as well be driving a Ford Fairmont.

Yeah it's definitely more sluggish in the normal mode. I drove it in normal mode the first two months I bought my mustang..and have only been driving in sport+ for a few days and such a difference lol in a good way!

 

[RazorRS]

so, i always drive my 6spd in normal mode…i made a my mode where it’s normal, but with track exhaust. i have a thing in my head where this car is going to “learn” the tune just like my 2014 v6 definitely did whenever i tuned it, and over time, it got slower if you didn’t constantly run it hard….so i feel that my car has already learned me from normal, and if i use sport all the time, i’ll F that tune up bc i don’t drive it hard lol so the increased throttle response will go away.
I’m almost positive the manuals “learn” your driving just like the autos, bc in my old v6, i had to reflash my MPT tune every like 2 months for it to feel snappy again…it would just get slower over time. if the s550 is different, please let me know lol

I'm shocked, the 6SPD can learn can learn the driving habits?

 

[TrackMustang]

If I had to guess I would say normal mode is used the majority of the time with mustangs. Lest we forget the majority of mustangs are not GTs, they’re not driven to redline, they’re not really enjoyed. The majority are sold to people who like the look and don’t ever come near mustang6g.com or any other forum because their mustang is no different than the VW Jetta they traded in for it…