Normal vs. Sport Mode = totally different car

[BoostRabbitGT]

If you have any open road areas in your area, and at time frames where there is less traffic on the road. Maybe set up a track day at your nearest race track or road course. You can have a little fun on the open road in sport or track mode with getting to crazy. The snappiness of the throttle is quite enjoyable.

I tried track going to work today and sport+ on my way back. I could probably get used to the "snappiness" given enough time and regular experience with it. I don't know about driving without traction control though. I'd rather not end up in a Mustang Crash Compilation video. Then again, I lean towards excessively cautious when it comes to my style of driving. Anyone got tips on how to enjoy driving without traction control for a relative new guy to "spirited driving"?

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[Andy13186]

If you have the paddles engaged and are at like 30% throttle then switch to sport mode , the throttle will increase to like 50% it feels

 

[bjblackout]

Reading all the comments has me wondering if the feel in different modes is also present on manual mustangs. Mine is a manual and I haven't switched modes enough to tell a difference.

Actually what happens in the car when switching modes. Mechanically or electronically??

 

[S550VertCS]

With my 2018 A10, Sport + is borderline unbearable as it feels like I'm hitting a pothole every time the damn thing shifts. I've been planning to go to the dealer and see if they can update the software. In normal mode it's frustrating because it wants to jump to 10th at low speed unless you are really stabbing the pedal and holding it. When I want spirited driving, I generally put the gear selector in S and shift with the paddles. I like the better responsiveness of S+ but it's ridiculous how it bangs into gear. Too annoying for me really. Maybe an update will smooth it out. I bought it used, so don't know if it's had an update or not.

So I have had my new 2020 just under a month, and 25 miles away from 1k and first oil change. The one issue I have been considering getting checked out is when I am in Sport+ mode, and give it some spirited acceleration, the car shifts really hard from 4th to 5th. Like really hard, with a thunk and u are a bit jarred in ur seat.

But that's the only gear shift that does it. Interesting that u feel it in all of the gears. I am not a wrench of any sort so I will have to cosult the dealer.

 

[Tacswa]

Reading all the comments has me wondering if the feel in different modes is also present on manual mustangs. Mine is a manual and I haven't switched modes enough to tell a difference.

Actually what happens in the car when switching modes. Mechanically or electronically??

I have a manual and I can tell. That is why I started this thread.

 

[Tacswa]

I tried track going to work today and sport+ on my way back. I could probably get used to the "snappiness" given enough time and regular experience with it. I don't know about driving without traction control though. I'd rather not end up in a Mustang Crash Compilation video. Then again, I lean towards excessively cautious when it comes to my style of driving. Anyone got tips on how to enjoy driving without traction control for a relative new guy to "spirited driving"?

Don't punch the throttle around turns or making a turn or on wet roads. Just play with the throttle when your moving along at a constant speed. Punch it half throttle for a couple hundred hundreds yards, get a feel for it .

 

[Bikeman315]

Reading all the comments has me wondering if the feel in different modes is also present on manual mustangs. Mine is a manual and I haven't switched modes enough to tell a difference.

Actually what happens in the car when switching modes. Mechanically or electronically??

The changes are electronic. Here are some of the differences.

What Are the Different Drive Modes?
Each drive mode serves a separate function, allowing you to make the most of your Mustang as a daily driver and a track toy, all rolled into one. There are four different selectable drive modes, available through the toggle switches on premium models. The four different drive modes are Normal, Sport , Track, and Snow/Wet.
Normal driving mode is the default factory setting and gives you the most balanced settings for stability, handling, and AdvanceTrac. Normal mode is perfect for daily driving.
Sport mode stiffens up the steering feel, giving you a more responsive car and transmits more feedback to the steering wheel. AdvanceTrac is left alone in this mode, so the car is still able to help you keep it away from curbs and crowds. Sport is best reserved for spirited driving on the street.
Track mode is supposed to be for the track only according to Ford, but we all know that's not going to happen! It adjusts steering feel to be more aggressive than Sport , changes the AdvanceTrac calibration to allow for more hooning without interference from the nannies, and ramps up the throttle input, giving you more control of your sideways experience. Track mode should be used at the track only, but can be used on spirited blasts on winding roads, when you really want to let your Mustang fly.
Snow/Wet mode is meant to be used in inclement weather and dumbs down the power from the car and changes AdvanceTrac settings as well. Engine power is cut to prevent traction loss on slippery surfaces, while AdvanceTrac is relaxed to allow more wheel spin before engaging. This may sound counterintuitive, but some wheel spin will help your car dig out of the snow.

What Are the Different Steering Modes?
Like the drive modes, each steering mode will change the dynamics of the vehicle, however, they’re not as far reaching as the drive modes. Steering modes are available on all EcoBoost and GT Mustangs, not just the premium models. The available steering modes are Normal, Sport, and Comfort.
Normal is the default setting and splits the difference between Sport and Comfort modes. Normal mode is a good option for daily driving and makes steering effort easy, without making the car feel numb.
Sport mode firms up the steering wheel, making it slightly more difficult to turn the wheel, but offers more feedback. Along with stiffer steering input comes more road force being fed back through to the steering wheel. For enthusiasts, this is probably the perfect setting for daily driving who find normal to be too squishy.
Comfort mode softens up the steering feel and the amount of road force fed back into the car. The steering will be plush and lazy, making the steering wheel take no effort to turn. The is the mode of choice for long cruises on the highway.

 

[Bikeman315]

Anyone got tips on how to enjoy driving without traction control for a relative new guy to "spirited driving"?

If you're on the street leave the traction control on. You can get pretty deep into "spirited" driving before it makes its presence known. Want to test the limits without it, go to a track. Safer for everyone.

 

[3rdRGR]

So I have had my new 2020 just under a month, and 25 miles away from 1k and first oil change. The one issue I have been considering getting checked out is when I am in Sport+ mode, and give it some spirited acceleration, the car shifts really hard from 4th to 5th. Like really hard, with a thunk and u are a bit jarred in ur seat.

But that's the only gear shift that does it. Interesting that u feel it in all of the gears. I am not a wrench of any sort so I will have to cosult the dealer.

I'll have to say that I haven't really focused on which gears I'm feeling it and due to the hard shifts, I haven't spent much time in Sport mode. When I have, I'm getting on it and I have a lot of curvy roads around me, so that is what I'm paying attention to. Finding out it was the 4-5 shift isn't helpful from a ditch lol! As I recall most of the shift points are very firm. In normal mode they are much smoother, which is why I know the transmission can do it. I've got to take it in. Maybe when it gets colder out and I'll be driving it less. Although maybe that's a bad plan. Letting a dealer test drive it with Summers on in 20 degree weather....

 

[3rdRGR]

I bet Roush just didn't have 7400RPM faces made yet and just stuck a 6500RPM face on their early 2018 builds. They could easily put a new face on your cluster if you sent in the cluster. You can take the cluster out easily, tell them to give you a next day call tag and you could have your cluster back in hand in 3 days.

Well, I did go through their CS department on this issue. I would think if they made the new ones, it would have been a solution they presented to me. What I got was... Hmm really, you're the first one to ever ask about this... does the car go to the higher redline? I checked and yes it did. From there no solution was presented. My take is that since the transition to the digital cluster happened about the same time, they did not make an analog 7,400 at all. I did push the issue as I was a little frustrated that something as important as a redline on a 60K 460+HP car was blown off. I mean, probably a car enthusiast.. who'll notice? But I'm not going to put a GT face on my Roush over it...

 

[Bikeman315]

Well, I did go through their CS department on this issue. I would think if they made the new ones, it would have been a solution they presented to me. What I got was... Hmm really, you're the first one to ever ask about this... does the car go to the higher redline? I checked and yes it did. From there no solution was presented. My take is that since the transition to the digital cluster happened about the same time, they did not make an analog 7,400 at all. I did push the issue as I was a little frustrated that something as important as a redline on a 60K 460+HP car was blown off. I mean, probably a car enthusiast.. who'll notice? But I'm not going to put a GT face on my Roush over it...

Looked at a number of 18’ Roush RS2‘s on Google
They all look like this. Does your have a Roush emblem on it?

 

[Norm Peterson]

I like revs. I'm coming off 3 back to back Infiniti G37's that have a 7K redline. I've never had a car that feels like you are hitting something when it changes gears. I love speed and performance, but it shouldn't feel like a speedbump when it changes gears. "Positive" changes are fine. This is poor design/quality IMHO. There is a TSB for harsh gear changes so I don't think it's a positive feature that is indicative of a sports car.

Harsh gear changes and exaggerated tip-in response are NOT true sports car characteristics. Both of those things get in the way of smooth driving by upsetting tire grip or by throwing away throttle modulation down where it shows up in lower speed driving. The latter in particular can probably be linked to many of the Cars & Coffee hall-of-shame videos where too much throttle too soon gets too far out past the driver's skill set too quickly.

I'd be perfectly fine with one or at most two throttle modes, the main one being basically linear with possibly an optional one having reduced throttle response for truly slippery conditions. Don't need or want anything else, and I'd really rather not have TC for either. Having easy throttle modulation that doesn't get interfered with is what impresses me, unexpected dulling of throttle response and chirping tires on the upshift do not.


Norm

 

[3rdRGR]

Looked at a number of 18’ Roush RS2‘s on Google
They all look like this. Does your have a Roush emblem on it?

Yes that is what I have. It doesn’t have an R on it like the Speedo but it’s the same font which I believe is different from the standard GT.

 

[Bikeman315]

Yeah the font is different. It also says, "revolutions per minute x1000" Depends on which is more important to you.

 

[crimson_crowd_eater]

I generally never leave it in automatic shifting. I don't really use Sport+ or any of the other modes, just Sport and then the paddles. I find the automatic shifts to be imprecise and never what I'm looking for.

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