Discussion
My BMW has 3 engine modes; efficiency, sport and sport plus. So far as I can tell, the engine’s performance is identical in all 3 modes, Sport and Sport Plus add artificial noise, open a couple of exhaust flaps and shorten throttle travel. I find that a longer throttle travel adds significantly more control to the extent that it negates the need for traction control even on ice, so I use efficiency especially when pressing on. Am I wrong about any of that?
Depends on the car.
Auto, of course, are their own bag as they'll be twiddling with transmission settings at the same time.
I think in most cases the maps only change, or reportedly only change the throttle mapping - I know the Comfort / Sport / +R Mode does this on the CTR, but what is less known is that the torque tables for each mode are actually different, giving you an extra few Nm of torque in +R mode:- So it seems there can be a real difference in engine performance to go with.
Auto, of course, are their own bag as they'll be twiddling with transmission settings at the same time.
I think in most cases the maps only change, or reportedly only change the throttle mapping - I know the Comfort / Sport / +R Mode does this on the CTR, but what is less known is that the torque tables for each mode are actually different, giving you an extra few Nm of torque in +R mode:- So it seems there can be a real difference in engine performance to go with.
Bweber said:
My BMW has 3 engine modes; efficiency, sport and sport plus. So far as I can tell, the engine’s performance is identical in all 3 modes, Sport and Sport Plus add artificial noise, open a couple of exhaust flaps and shorten throttle travel. I find that a longer throttle travel adds significantly more control to the extent that it negates the need for traction control even on ice, so I use efficiency especially when pressing on. Am I wrong about any of that?
I think you are right about what the settings do - if your car is manual and without adaptive suspension. As to which setting you prefer for what type of driving - that is entirely subjective. Eco Pro mode will just dull the throttle response so that you press harder to feel any effect; the converse is true for Sport Plus, meaning that it feels faster than it really is.
The traction will be most intrusive in Eco Pro mode, so not sure about the comment about not needing it? Unless you switch it off separately, it will just be doing its thing in back ground.
I imagine normal is the best compromise for most situations.
The traction will be most intrusive in Eco Pro mode, so not sure about the comment about not needing it? Unless you switch it off separately, it will just be doing its thing in back ground.
I imagine normal is the best compromise for most situations.
MikeM6 said:
I imagine normal is the best compromise for most situations.
By normal what setting do you mean? Obviously the name of the available settings varies from model to model, but I am not familiar with any being called normal.One manufacturer does make a recommendation - Bentley, their cars have a setting which they call Bentley.
As I said before, preferences are entirely subjective. Personally, I was quite happy before we had all these choices, but virtually all modern performance cars seem to offer multiple modes. And they still don't let you choose exactly what you want. My M2 Comp won't let me have a setting which I would choose - auto rev matching off, without fully turning off the stability programme.
The wife's 220i has three modes, 'Eco Pro', 'Comfort', & 'Sport'.
Eco Pro - laggy, retarded throttle response, gearbox upshifts as soon as it can, and the car freewheels when you lift off the gas
Comfort - kind of normal, much better throttle response, holds gears longer. No freewheel.
Sport - much sharper throttle response, holds gears longer still - delays upshifts even where you're not accelerating, changes down enthusiastically the moment you give it some gas. Still no freewheel.
I'd prefer it if the freewheel was available in Comfort mode too, but doesn't seem possible to code this in.
The you can move the gearshift into 'Sport' mode instead of 'D', which seems to cause the car to drive one gear lower for any given speed than when in 'D'.
Eco Pro - laggy, retarded throttle response, gearbox upshifts as soon as it can, and the car freewheels when you lift off the gas
Comfort - kind of normal, much better throttle response, holds gears longer. No freewheel.
Sport - much sharper throttle response, holds gears longer still - delays upshifts even where you're not accelerating, changes down enthusiastically the moment you give it some gas. Still no freewheel.
I'd prefer it if the freewheel was available in Comfort mode too, but doesn't seem possible to code this in.
The you can move the gearshift into 'Sport' mode instead of 'D', which seems to cause the car to drive one gear lower for any given speed than when in 'D'.
Bweber said:
My BMW has 3 engine modes; efficiency, sport and sport plus. So far as I can tell, the engine’s performance is identical in all 3 modes, Sport and Sport Plus add artificial noise, open a couple of exhaust flaps and shorten throttle travel. I find that a longer throttle travel adds significantly more control to the extent that it negates the need for traction control even on ice, so I use efficiency especially when pressing on. Am I wrong about any of that?
Mine has 4 modes - Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport and Sport+, mated to adaptive suspension and an auto. For the bulk of driving, the car stays in Comfort which means it's not too noisy, suspension is comfortable and it's a good balance between economy and responsiveness (I'll use the paddles instead of kickdown). On the right road, the car gets put in Sport/Sport+ where the controls become much more sensitive/responsive, the exhaust gets louder and the car holds onto each gear for longer (and doesn't use 8th), making it feel much more alive and engaging.I've used Eco Pro a couple of times and it does save a bit of fuel, but it only really makes sense on the motorway as it dulls the responsiveness of controls too much plus it switches off the air con which is just plain annoying
Chris
waremark said:
By normal what setting do you mean? Obviously the name of the available settings varies from model to model, but I am not familiar with any being called normal.
One manufacturer does make a recommendation - Bentley, their cars have a setting which they call Bentley.
As I said before, preferences are entirely subjective. Personally, I was quite happy before we had all these choices, but virtually all modern performance cars seem to offer multiple modes. And they still don't let you choose exactly what you want. My M2 Comp won't let me have a setting which I would choose - auto rev matching off, without fully turning off the stability programme.
I guess in yours it might be comfort. One manufacturer does make a recommendation - Bentley, their cars have a setting which they call Bentley.
As I said before, preferences are entirely subjective. Personally, I was quite happy before we had all these choices, but virtually all modern performance cars seem to offer multiple modes. And they still don't let you choose exactly what you want. My M2 Comp won't let me have a setting which I would choose - auto rev matching off, without fully turning off the stability programme.
In mine I have set the M button (so individual mode) to:
the softest suspension (otherwise it's too firm for country roads), the more more powerful and sharper engine mapping, gearbox in its more aggressive manual setting (it always stays there as it shifts faster then) and Traction to on.
It feels quite different to having the M mode off, and much more suited to day to day driving. I therefore quite like the option to tweak the car to the road I'm on.
MikeM6 said:
I guess in yours it might be comfort.
In mine I have set the M button (so individual mode) to:.......
So having suggested that Comfort is probably the best compromise, actually you prefer something different! My BMW defaults to normal, M1 is set to Sport, and M2 to Sport Plus. I use them all but probably M1 most.In mine I have set the M button (so individual mode) to:.......
My DB11 has the suspension modes completely separate from the power train modes, which I think is sensible. The changeover buttons are under your thumbs like BMW M1 and M2 buttons. It uses the terminology GT, Sport and Sport Plus.
Ferrari calls what others would call Comfort suspension 'Bumpy Road' setting - which is what we need in the UK.
waremark said:
So having suggested that Comfort is probably the best compromise, actually you prefer something different! My BMW defaults to normal, M1 is set to Sport, and M2 to Sport Plus. I use them all but probably M1 most.
My DB11 has the suspension modes completely separate from the power train modes, which I think is sensible. The changeover buttons are under your thumbs like BMW M1 and M2 buttons. It uses the terminology GT, Sport and Sport Plus.
Ferrari calls what others would call Comfort suspension 'Bumpy Road' setting - which is what we need in the UK.
Haha no, I do prefer comfort setting for day to day use. Explaining the M settings was more about the dual personality that can be dialled in with adjustable settings, as you were saying it would be better with just one setting. My DB11 has the suspension modes completely separate from the power train modes, which I think is sensible. The changeover buttons are under your thumbs like BMW M1 and M2 buttons. It uses the terminology GT, Sport and Sport Plus.
Ferrari calls what others would call Comfort suspension 'Bumpy Road' setting - which is what we need in the UK.
In any event, suspension in comfort and throttle mapping in comfort (or normal or whatever it is called) is best for day to day usage. Our Alfa always stays in normal (which equates to comfort) as it is a decent compromise.
I had the recent pleasure, if one can call it that, of driving a hired Vauxhall Mokka around Scotland, the Boxster having mechanically embarrassed itself.
Dead simple - 6 speed auto box with "D" and "M" with a gear selector. In "D" the car chose gears one or two higher than I would, and overtaking or acceleration was sluggish to say the least.
In "M", different matter. Used the buttons to choose the gear *I* wanted, and is was possible to drive the car in quite a sporty manner, and to safely overtake multiple vehicles at a time because I chose what the car did.
Suspension wise, the comfort setting depended on how sporty I was
Dead simple - 6 speed auto box with "D" and "M" with a gear selector. In "D" the car chose gears one or two higher than I would, and overtaking or acceleration was sluggish to say the least.
In "M", different matter. Used the buttons to choose the gear *I* wanted, and is was possible to drive the car in quite a sporty manner, and to safely overtake multiple vehicles at a time because I chose what the car did.
Suspension wise, the comfort setting depended on how sporty I was
dvenman said:
Dead simple - 6 speed auto box with "D" and "M" with a gear selector. In "D" the car chose gears one or two higher than I would, and overtaking or acceleration was sluggish to say the least.
I presume that consumption and emissions figures are tested in cars default settings.The gutless (but otherwise charming) 1 litre courtesy car which I was driving today had a recommended gear indicator. It wanted 5th at 30, whereas I felt the engine was lugging in 4th. Does anyone know how the official tests deal with gear selection in manual cars? Do they use the gear recommended in the instrument panel?
waremark said:
By normal what setting do you mean? Obviously the name of the available settings varies from model to model, but I am not familiar with any being called normal.
My Hilux has 3 modes - Eco, Power and normal. As far as I can tell, all it does is adjust the throttle mapping. Power - ridiculously aggressive to the point of making it difficult to drive at all smoothly.
Eco - ridiculously conservative to the point of making it feel broken.
Normal - perfect!
waremark said:
I presume that consumption and emissions figures are tested in cars default settings.
The gutless (but otherwise charming) 1 litre courtesy car which I was driving today had a recommended gear indicator. It wanted 5th at 30, whereas I felt the engine was lugging in 4th. Does anyone know how the official tests deal with gear selection in manual cars? Do they use the gear recommended in the instrument panel?
It’s for the fuel economy test. If the car does not have a change point indicator, the test driver has to change gear at (rather high) engine speeds. If the car has one, he or she can change at the point indicated. Be happy it’s there (less tax) and then ignore it.The gutless (but otherwise charming) 1 litre courtesy car which I was driving today had a recommended gear indicator. It wanted 5th at 30, whereas I felt the engine was lugging in 4th. Does anyone know how the official tests deal with gear selection in manual cars? Do they use the gear recommended in the instrument panel?
Bweber said:
My BMW has 3 engine modes; efficiency, sport and sport plus. So far as I can tell, the engine’s performance is identical in all 3 modes, Sport and Sport Plus add artificial noise, open a couple of exhaust flaps and shorten throttle travel. I find that a longer throttle travel adds significantly more control to the extent that it negates the need for traction control even on ice, so I use efficiency especially when pressing on. Am I wrong about any of that?
That's all correct. The modes are really there for cars with the ZF auto gearbox, which is now mandatory across much of the range. The modes affect the way the box both selects and changes gears, plus in Eco mode you have an optional coasting mode.Gassing Station | Advanced Driving | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff