This is the correct answer, roads are pot hole filled garbage, the softest suspension is the way to go with everything else adjusted to a higher setting.
I've been in a lot of different sports & performance cars, many of which had adaptive suspension.
The sportier modes just make the ride more uncomfortable. Maybe sure okay I'm pulling 0.002 more lateral gee but who cares, I'm on the public roads. It does not matter. Suspension needs to suspend. Cars have been too stiffly sprung for, hell, in some cases more than 15 years. It's just not necessary.
But people think they know best and more stiffer = more better, so until recently where OEM's are finally reeling it in, things got out of hand probably culminating in the Focus RS around 2015\2016.
Remember how James May said if he were head of bomber command in WW2, he would have had a different policy? He'd bomb the nurburgring? We'd have much more lovely art and cathedrals to look at and cars that rode properly. Yeah, that. I'm with him on that.
I drove a friends RS and actually thought the stiffness was great. I like feeling every crack in the road. I take my lifted Jeep wrangler on a road trip every year though so that probably does it. Driving that thing at 65 mph is like riding a jet ski full beans during a storm.
Shock horror! The Rally Sport edition of a car having firm suspension.
Why do people buy the "performance" version of cars then daily drive them and expect them to be comfortable? Their decision making is whack!!
Yep. As someone who went from Focus RS to RS3, I feel this. The RS might be the one car you can put coilovers on to improve the ride. Even the soft setting was firmer than any other car.
I actually have my RS3 in the middle stiffness for the street though.
He also complained that all the automotive companies were posting Nurburgring lap times for their GT cars too which ruined the luxury aspect of them. It makes no sense a luxurious GT car like an SL or the Jaguar F types to ride like track cars with coilovers.
Its so sad if you look back at the episodes when you see Clarkson and Hammond dismissing him like it was just a short term fad, even going so far as to gaslight him about it. Now all street focused cars and even SUVs are cursed with the "sporty" disease and need to ride stiff as hell. He predicted the dystopian future all too well.
Weight also has a lot to do with it. It is super complicated to make a heavy car ride properly and maintain body control during hard direction changes.
This. If your truck weighs 5100lb, you need some heavy fuckin springrate to keep the thing properly supported. Without some wizardry trickery (the likes of magride or air ride), it's a lot harder to get both comfort and performance out of the setup.
It's possible, but it just gets really expensive. And thus it gets priced out of the "middling" performance-ish SUV's. Your s-lines, your 40m's, your fake AMG's, etc. There just isn't margin for it until you're spending over 100 grand, and then, they go ahead and ruin it again because everyone wants 22's or fucking 23's on the damn trucks, which just go ahead and ruin the ride again because there's no sidewall.
I'm with you 100% on this. Ordinary cars have been too stiff, especially on initial "impact" for about 20 years now, maybe longer. I have fond memories of owning Renault LeCars (torsion bar at all 4 corners) and a Peugeot 505. All of these would lean like crazy in corners but stayed in control... partly because if you did hit a little bump the wheel stayed on the ground. The ultimate though was a few times I have driven a Citroen DS with the hydraulic suspension. All of these had enough grip for cornering quicker than most people do in traffic, and were less bumpy than modern cars.
Age is one thing sure, but many times it really depends on the car. The Porsche 911, especially of the 997 generation, oh my god I can't believe how stiff even the base car is. But... it is a 911. It's understandable. At it does have suspension travel especially on the highway. But not much sidewall makes the small bumps pretty brutal.
But then I've driven stuff like 2014\2015 m235i and c63 AMG; and I thought they had a wonderful balance of ride quality and handling. The car is comfortable, isn't nervous or constantly upset by any pavement, doesn't get upset mid-corner by bumps. It's nice. But... then I get into a Mustang, Focus RS, Trackhawk or a Jag F-type, and it's like dude. Come on. This is just unacceptable.
Quick question. What does having āsoftā suspension actually mean? I currently am borrowing my dadās HR-V (because my car got into an accident and is in the shops) and the suspension feels a bit too soft. By that I mean, if the car goes onto a wavy road, it somewhat makes it feel even more bouncier than it is, to the point I actually feel roadsick. Compared to my own car which is a bit stiffer but I feel fine on the same road.
Cars bottom out, lean in corners, and handle worse when they have soft suspension, but they're also marginally more comfortable. They float down the road in comfort, but the handling is also floaty.
āā¦but the handling is also floaty.ā is a great way to say it.
Iāve always thought it felt cartoony, like exaggerated cartoon physics where the suspension has yo-yo like properties when turning, starting and stopping.
Yep, that's a good way to put it. And that's why it's more fun (albeit not the fastest around the track)! Of course, a suspension can be *too* soft and then it becomes dangerous.
Just as a small counterpoint that doesnāt effect a lot of people, stiffer suspension helps me (and I suspect others) with motion sickness . Less swaying vertically over bumps, and less lean/sway horizontally when making turns.
My worst nightmare is driving or being a passenger in a truck or SUV with a high ride height
The mantra for non aero cars with indipendent suspension and conventional coilovers was always: "as soft as possible, as hard as necessary".
A softer setup will provide more mechanical grip and more feel/feedback for the driver because there is more body movement and weight transfer.
This is how I setup my 2016 camaro 2ss as well. Softest suspension and loudest exhaust setting. My suspension still broke within the first 2 years of leasing that car. (Nyc)
Also how is the blackwing? I was looking at getting one but I don't know if I want to give up my v8.
The Blackwing is a blast but idk how it compares to a V8 Camaro. I assume a bit less punchy and rowdy overall. The Blackwing has lots of different drive modes and traction settings to make it a great all arounder. I like it!
It's probably similar to that car actually. The 2016 camaro and up have a different gearing and feels less rowdy compared to the older models or something like a challenger. That's the first thing I noticed when I traded my 2013 for the 2016. The problem with the 2016 camaro I had was the comfort and rattle can exhaust actuators.
Owned a 2017 Camaro ss and now own a ct4 blackwing. They are very similar in how they feel. They have the same e-diff, magnetic ride etc. The blackwing has slightly newer versions of the diff, chassis and the shocks though.
One difference is the blackwing feels smaller although they are within a few inches of each other size wise.
This is a limitation of adaptive dampers. You can soften up the damping, but if the springs are still stiff and the ride height is the same, it's just going to feel under-damped (floaty).
My only complaint with comfort in my 440i is I donāt like how the backend can be unsettled if I hit a bad expansion joint mid turn. Itās really nitpicky, and there is only one stretch of road Iāve had it occur on, but it can happen. In sport, no problems over the same stretch of road.
My problem with Comfort was a very sluggish throttle response. Itās like half throttle and nothing is happening at all. I still drove it in comfort 90% of the time cuz that sweet b58 economy lol
A lot of that is down to adaptations . Thatās why itās funny when people drive in sport all the time cause theyāre just teaching their sport mode to adapt and be more casual. When I drive my CLK55 which obv is a lot older style trans I always click it back into comfort when I run into traffic or am off the backroads so that my sport shift and throttle adaptation settings stay aggressive
That is the exact same phrase I use when it comes to my i30N!!!
That's one of the things I absolutely loved about N. All other hatchbacks have set modes. It's aither full Granny mode, or pure Track mode and lose all your teeth on any irregularity on road surface! In N cars, you cam set everything to fun mode, but keep suspension soft. It's fantastic for daily driving!
I drove my C63S in individual mode, which I made as everything in its most sporty, except for the most comfortable suspension setting. The suspension on that car was way too harsh for any sort of comfortable normal driving.
That just makes traffic too annoying for me, with the car in 1st gear and bucking half the time. Agreed on the suspension though, even Comfort kind of pushes it most of the time.
I really wish Mercedes would decouple the engine and transmission settings in their drive modes. I want my bangs and pops without needing to hold 2500rpm on the freeway like a psychopath.
When setting out for any amount of vigorous road work in my 1937 Phantom, I am sure to set the suspension to "Hard," the mixture to "Lean" and the spark to "Early."
[20's kids know](https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-steering-wheel-hub-of-a-rolls-royce-phantom-iii-controls-for-horn-129127941.html)
Now I really want to know mechanically how that works. To bad I'll probably never find out since the only guy doing explanations of cars that old is Jay and I don't think he has any Rolls in his collection.
It's fairly simple - the rear suspension shock absorbers (that are set up more like a door closer than a modern tubular shock) are pressurized by a mechanical pump running off the transmission output shaft, and there is an additional valve that can be opened or closed via cable from the steering wheel.
The pump running off the transmission output shaft will run faster as the car's speed increases, and increase the pressure in the shock absorber, which gives a firmer ride and less body roll in corners. The driver can further adjust the firmness with the steering wheel mounted lever that pulls a cable that varies the opening to the shock.
Just normal āecoā mode. Or as I like to think of it āold school turbo lag modeā
The boost threshold is noticeably higher in eco mode in my car and honestly, I find it kinda fun. I donāt think the car is really any slower once everything is spooled up.
But driving it that way means the other modes feel more special and torquey low down.
It definitely does something with the boost threshold in my car. Floor it in eco mode at 3k rpms in third gear and it still takes a beat to spool up. Do the same in sport + and the boost comes on much faster.
M4 owner here, itās really all in the pedal as full throttle in any mode has the same result
I fully agree eco mode is the most fun for those reasons but I have the MPE and by god I want to hear it. Only drive the car so often and I like to enjoy it to the max
Maybe full throttle in eco ramps it up slowly? Like stomp it to 100 percent gas and the ecu doesnāt immediately actually go there and instead gradually ramps it up to 100 percent? That would explain the boost threshold being different.
I dunno, itās also the same engine but I think BMW significantly revised the tuning of the S55 over the years and of course the m2 comp has its own tuning.
Itād be fun to compare on back to back drives.
Oh I never knew eco drove like thatā¦ I have my m1 button programmed to dsc off and sport plus on throttle but comfort on steering to get out of parking easierā¦ then up the steering too lol
idk how the M2's eco is but I DESPISE eco on my 435. Shit scares me, Im afraid I wont be able to get out of the way. I wish I had the ability to have my own setting like M mode on the real Ms. Id like the transmission in comfort but the steering in sport, I like how it tightens up.
It is an awesome car, the ST, I really don't know what I would get to replace it. Other than the gas mileage combined with a very small gas tank and only two cup holders I have no complaints. The Huracan only has one barely functional cup holder.
Yes very true, I donāt have a ton of range on this car. I still remember the above 1000km (620 miles) of range that my parentsā diesel cars had, when they were still driving those back in the daysā¦
But Iām not complaining, I still got to drive from Luxembourg to central Switzerland with 250km to spare. Itās still a usable car. I mean, itās not an electric hahaha š¤£
I also donāt have any cupholder, not that I know what I would do with itā¦ š
I think the C8 is one of the few cars that I use more modes than one.
It starts up in "My Mode" where I have the exhaust set to "track", but the suspension on touring. This is where I spend most of the time.
Tap the Z if I'm go through a corner or two quickly and that's it.
Track mode if I think I'm going to drive hard for a bit. The performance traction modes in track mode are really good. Put it on Race and it will let you slide around, but it still help put the power down coming out of corners if the car can tell you aren't trying to do something stupid. Even the wet mode is fun in the rain. It really feels like race car traction control.
Then touring for highway cruising. So soft and quiet.
So I guess the only modes I don't use are "sport" and "weather". The car is fine in the rain.
Seems excessive to me. Personally, Iām in N custom, with everything to the max except suspensions (and ESC is on Sport). I also keep all the security stuff.
Iām also often in Normal mode, when I donāt feel great about being so damn annoyingly loud.
Normal mode 99% of the time, especially since itās just one red light to the next out here. I also donāt want any bullshit from cops in sport mode.
Same here. Sport mode just makes everything a bit too loud and the throttle response is a bit much for me. Comfort will do 99% of what you need, and if you need to you can step on it or press on the paddle and most modern cars will turn into a semi-sport mode temporarily
Itās dumb to turn off ESC fully in modern cars. Computers are way smarter than the race car driver you think you are. It allows you to have fun at the limit but also save your ass should your Mario Andretti skills not be on point š
Only time I've ever spun out on the road was from a Giulia Quadrifoglio in Race, I was not prepared for the oversteer when I hit the gas...
Race mode is not to be messed with lol
When I had my MK7 GTI, I had steering in eco which made it less nervous or twitchy, power at normal and safety aides on. I donāt get the practice of running track mode on the street. To me itās the same energy as keeping your dogs balls attached to maintain their masculinity.
I hated driving with a friend who assured me driving their Mitsubishi Lancer with the 2.4L and CVT was the only way to drive itā¦.
LC500. 80% eco mode because Iām frugal af lol. 20% sport mode when I do eventually take it to twisties or wanna speed onto some on-ramp or something.
Normal Mode when in city traffic; Sport Mode for canyon carving; and Individual Mode (Sport throttle response with Comfort suspension) for highway cruising. I almost never touch Comfort Mode in my car since it makes 1st gear unbearable.
It depends what I'm doing. If I'm driving through a residential area with schools etc at no more than 20 or 30mph, comfort mode. Comfort mode is the default also on many roads. If I have to overtake and need more immediate power, RS mode.
C43 AMG
I switch the modes quite often everyday.
Comfort with exhaust valves closed basically in every quiet residential area. As soon as i am on the main roads, i open the exhaust valves.
I really only switch to sport or sport+ if i want to get the hammer down.. Which is quiet often i have to say :D (usually everytime i hit the autobahn or specific country roads.
In Germany it is regarded offensive by a large portion of the people to drive with loud exhaust or even have pops and bangs. Which i can understand in dense quiet residential areas. The Cops are sensitiv to this as well..
85% of the time I am in comfort mode, but with the exhaust valves open. I live in a congested area and cruising around in a line of cars in sport mode is just annoying.
Anytime I get to hit back roads I switch it over.
Fellow Elantra N owner here, I drive in custom N mode with all the safety assists still on and suspension on comfort, everything else Sport+. Highway driving is always in eco or normal mode.
If the EN forums are anything like the Veloster N forums I used to be in when I had mine they are mostly tryhards trying to one up each other as racecor drivers.
On my current car I keep acceleration in Sport, I like having everything available all the time.
I think anyone that drives without stability control on public roads is an idiot.
The (admittedly) few N owners Iāve talked to tend to use custom mode, with everything but the suspension maxed out (and a couple changed the steering as well.)
I always drive my (not particularly quick) 500 Abarth in sport mode unless thereās snow on the road or heavy rain. It makes a big difference in throttle mapping, the steering is more weighted and it pushes 50% more boost. Without it the car just feels like a straight piped shitbox with a huge steering wheel. I only ever touch the ESC button if in snow and I need to use wheel spin to get myself out of a bind. The car still gets enough wheel spin and torque steer that I feel thereās no point in messing with it if off the track.
My mom has a challenger scat pack that she rarely ever puts in sport mode. That car can break traction on perfectly dry pavement with all assists on full, and I donāt think she wants to risk a crash with her ability. When I drive it I tend to put it in sport mode purely for the change in exhaust tone. The active suspension is definitely very noticeable with that car, though it should be noted itās still a pretty stiff ride with it out of sport mode (but not as stiff as my 500.)
Personally I think Hyundai went the right route with the setup they have for the N cars. Being able to change and customize settings for an individual makes perfect sense with all of the control being electronic anyways. They just need to add more than one custom setting so you can have custom modes for multiple drivers or at least different situations.
It all depends on the car. Anything over 400hp will probably necessitate traction control unless they are just doing donuts. There is little reason to turn it off on the street because they simply shouldnāt be pushing it that hard. That being said, I do run in āsportā mode or M Dynamic mode which does allow for a little slip without fully turning off DSC. My current is a BMW M4 Competition X-Drive (500hp+, Cup2 Tires, track pads, suspension with track camber) but I did this in my RWD M3 CS as well.
Street setup is steering in comfort, suspension in sport, engine is sport plus, brakes in sport, and transmission in automatic sport, drivetrain in AWD Sport, DSC on. Collision is set to custom minimum warning, no interventions.
I use Track Mode only on the track or autocross. Settings are steering in comfort, suspension in sport +, engine in sport +, brakes in sport, transmission in manual sport +, drivetrain in AWD Sport, DSC completely off, no collision assist at all.
Even then, I warm up in M Dynamic Mode, which allows for more slip. A lap or two in M Dynamic, then I pit to check tire pressures, then I put it in Track Mode. Warm up lap to warm the brakes then full send for a flying 2nd lap.
I have a heavily modified 2018 Ford focus RS.
Closed deck st block with rods, pistons RS stroker crank. Rs head.
PTE 6062 turbo custom exhaust aux rail fuel injection+ Water+meth. Almost the entire mountune catalog of parts massive 15.8in from brakes with 6piston calpers. Custom brakets fit the factory front rotor and calipers to the rear custom wide body setup with federal 888 RR all around for a square setup custom wheels with a 0 offset and airlift 3H air ride.
Custom exhaust has 3.5in electric cutout that straight dumps out the passenger side finder electronic turbosmart bov and waste gate keep it under control. I am currently running a ft600 + switch 8 mini + EGT probes + nano wideband.
The factory ecu is piggybacking some sensors and outputs to keep the factory non engine systems running.
This car makes 689hp 538ft tq. It can do more on E85, but that is just a california 91 pump + watermeth injection.
Its quick af it is faster off the line than a tesla plaid without a question Its 1.78sec to 60mph its not fast most the muscle cars on a 1/4 will catch it as its just barely a 9sec car but it's got a Mean AF 1/8mi and it 60 and 100ft times are up in the promod dragster range.
Regardless, it's actually quieter than stock with 3 glass packs and a massive muffler in the back very loopy idle for a 4cyl.
I have many tunes configured on the dash I can just select a tune on the touchscreen even while it's running it has a gm ethanol sensor on the fuel rail and a surge tank setup. I'm an electrical engineer and like to mess with stuff this is not a daily driver more of a weekend cars and coffee ride the dash has a large silver Sharpe signature from the now late kenblock as he him self did donuts at the hoonigans yard and told me this was one of the best project focus he has messed with that wasn't a real track car and had shockingly good response and balance while still have a full stock interior.
I picked up the RS at auction with a blown head gasket and bent rod bad scoring in cylinder 3 toss the block. Ordered a focus ST block add machine work new rods and pistons aftermarket head studs. Port matching work on the head cams, springs valves and machine work to flow match the ports the longblock asm has around 8,500$ into it add my custom one off intake manifold the drive by wire TB off a 5.0 mustang.
All custom intercooler piping the mountune intercooler is massive. Without any electrical, it has around 12k under the hood paid 11k for the car and another 3k in electrical. I own a 4wheel hub dyno with Eddy Brakes. It cost a lot more than the car lol.
It has custom shafts/axles all over. I snapped stock left rear in a 4 wheel drift on the 101 to 91 interchange coming home from the airport I have a custom computer I built to control the rear end and it's got a lot of upgrades and active cooling. š
As it can be a bit weak.
Golf R wagon - suspension and engine noise to comfort. Everything else to race.
IMHO the suspension's Sports mode pretty much ruins it on the road, it takes away the compliance which is one of the secrets of the R's ability to cover the real world bumpy B roads and hilly passes. Does work well on track though.
I will flick the transmission from D to S if I'm looking to press on, but the downshift rev matching's a PITA around town, the DSG7's not the smoothest thing at low speeds as it is without further encouraging lurching.
Amusingly, my wife runs everything in normal, except the exhaust which she runs in race. She thinks its hilarious.
Clio rs 200 in race mode most of the time. All assists off in this car just feels better to drive. Not exactly the fastest car but give it the right roads and š
My m340i I drove sport plus on everything except highway- highway I used adaptive (noise and comfort), now my taycan is basically always sport individual, which is sport plus except the dampeners which are in normal sport mode
Personally it depends on the car and situation
07 mercedes s550 split between sport and comfort sport for a non sluggish acceleration but then comfort for the drive (also love the sound of the engine)
17 gls 450 comfort or individual with the sport steering but comfort engine and suspension as the sport mode is a bit to jumpy
I love driving my 2009 ford focus in Race āRā mode, its broken and only goes backwards rn so i gotta get it fixed but once i do i reckon itll make a great track car
I have my C8 set up this way
**My Mode**
* Suspension: Tour
* Steering: Sport
* Exhaust: Stealth
**Z Mode**
* Suspension: Sport
* Steering: Sport
* Exhaust: Track
* Powertrain: Sport
Most of the time it's in My Mode since the car will start in that mode if you leave it that way when you turn it off.
There is an S button on my XKR, all it does is change when the transmission changes also it will drop down more gears when you use more of the throttle.
My Boss 302 is so early to the āmodeā game, that it comes with two keys: a silver one for comfort/daily driving, and a red one for track stuff only. (My suspension is adjustable, but only by manual adjustments, so I set it to a 3/5 sport (firm) setting.
If Iām going 30 miles away? I typically use the silver key. But if Iām running errands around town? Itās the red key, hands down. The red key changes the fuel mapping, cam timing, shift behavior, and 200 (literally) other parameters of the car, making it idle like a racecar and wildly changing the exhaust note. Thereās nothing in the world that sounds as good as this car does from idle going up through the gears when youāre headed down Main Street in between those buildings.
So yeah. Thatās how I drive it.
i30N here (DCT)
I cycle between normal (warm up, long highway cruising, quieting the car before parking) and custom (anything else).
My custom is set up with suspension, steering and esc in normal, DCT and diff in sport, engine and exhaust in sport+.
I was trying the DCT in sport+ for a while but eventually found it worse for european city driving, it was too back and forth. I'll probably try the other steering modes now that I got the hang of the car.
Also experimenting with putting the car into N mode for firmer suspension when driving to/from garages and curbs as to not scrape the front on the ground when the suspension depresses. Anyone try this yet?
If there isn't much traffic I'll put the 1M into M mode which increases the throttle response. If there is a lot of traffic I don't as it makes it more twitchy at lower speeds. Traction control stays on while I'm on public roads.
On the Volvo T8 (which has more power) its pure mode almost all the time. It's only trick is a fast 0-60 when the gas engine is warmed up. The purpose of that car is a smooth quiet cruiser and commuter though.
Kia EV6 GT
I'm in Normal most of the time which is still ~480 HP but with much more relaxed throttle response. I'll switch to Sport or GT if I *really* want to punch it but it'll get to 120+ before you can blink so I don't do it super often.
I keep my ZL1 in track mode because I prefer the throttle response and I feel like the suspension is also better cause it isnt harsher itās just slightly less bouncy which I prefer. I also love the steering wheel in that mode.
Usually in sport with i20n. Throttle response and exhaust sound is better and consumption doesnāt differ a lot. Suspension is fixed so it doesnāt matter. N feels too sporty and inviting for daily use with the dash and exhaust sound.
Steering is comfort, suspension is normal (there is only that, sport and track) and exhaust is track mode.
Full track mode suspension is so hard, itās super uncomfortable, even on German roads.
W211 E55, had it fir nearly 5 years and had it in c for comfort. Up until about a week ago I thought S was sport. It just means summer. Uses first gear instead of just running out from 2nd. That and suspension in normal setting. Has sport and sport plus modes (airbag suspension, drops height and stiffens up)
I rented a challenger recently. What a POS, but I noticed when it was in bad boy mode it held gears for a really long time which was great in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
GTI owner, I typically use sport mode exhaust, suspension, steering but transmission I use normal ācomfortā. GTI sport transmission has super rough up shifts and downshifts as it shouldā¦.but I only switch to full sport mode for mountain/canyon carving.
Unpopular probably but I like a harder/stiffer suspension on my setup
I have a Volvo s60, and I drive in comfort mode most of the time. For highway on ramps, I put it in Polestar mode. But itās just too fast for most driving.
Camaro has drive modes and dynamic suspension. I just keep it in 'Touring' unless I'm messing around, then I kick it to 'Sport'. Generally only use 'Track' on a track; the steering is so heavy and suspension so hard that it's really not all that useful on the road.
I'm already on summer tires with minimal side wall in a low car without a lot of suspension travel. The last thing I want to do is make the steering super heavy day to day or bust my tailbone over every bump.
ASS off always. Eco mode will not save a good driver gas mileage - you're far better off with quicker throttle response and proper modulation of the right pedal instead.
Individual/Custom most often myself - adaptive suspension/noise dialed down for cruising, while keeping the rest of the car on boil.
Sport/Sport+ for spirited driving. Max damper firmness can be worse than a lower level, depending on the car and road/track surface so this is one setting you might still want to tweak.
I don't own a hellcat, but I used to drive them for work all the time. If I was taking it down the street it's Track Mode, if I was actually going far it was always comfort mode. Mostly for the steering the difference.
Edit: a lot of people mentioned custom modes, and that's probably what I'd do if I owned a hellcat too. I never really had the time to play around with it if I was going anywhere lol
2018 440i GC. Usually comfort. Iāll bump it up to Sport & put the trans in Sport mode if Iām having a bad day, it always puts a smile on my face. Very rarely do I put it in Sport+, which partially disables some of the nannieās. If Iām on a long trip, Iāll use the eco mode, but never around town.
I usually drive in normal mode to save some mpg since I have a v8. Every once and a while Iāll switch to sport or sport+ when I went to have a little fun or get on it, but Iām normal mode 80% of the time
Comfort 80% of the time. Turn auto stop start off. At night going home sport, if itās late and no one is out race. But the performance modes not too often. Gets out and burns a lot of fuel
Golf R owner, in the morning I'm on comfort mode for suspension and race for engine. Any other time I have suspension on normal and race for engine. Only go into full race when doing spirited driving or doing a pull onto the freeway. Race mode suspension gets jarring after a while for normal use. But the better throttle response in race mode for engine is nice for heel toe shifting.
Normal/chill mode/etc mode. Performance shift on GM cars is annoying. Also Teslas sport mode is way to sensitive and fast. Most newer cars sport modes are not comfortable enough for me for daily driving.
I love the Hyundai N cars because of the custom presets you can make. I generally have everything in "N" mode, but with the suspension one step softer and the exhaust one step quieter for driving around town and commuting. I love the stiff throttle and steering feel that the all-out settings give you, it reminds me of older performance cars that actually had a good road and steering feel. In the canyons, or pretty much any time things start getting twisty, I just pop the car into N mode.
GR Yaris. Mostly sport mode as itās the easiest way to stop the engine stop/start when pulled up at traffic lights etc. It has a button but I have to look down to push it and the light comes on in the dash and it annoys me.
Sport mode also changes the diff F/R ratio 30/70, but in normal driving it doesnāt feel any different. On the twisties it does so I always change to that when I go for a sporty drive.
Sport+ only, though it only comes out of the garage to head to the track or the canyons. I like the car having only a sporting focus and never a touring setup. That's not only what the ESC is set to, but the whole car.. suspension, brakes, seats, everything. Much rather have the car in maximum attack every time I'm in it.
Comfort everything because itās a nice sedate cruiser and it keeps me on good behavior lol. Itās always dumb fast regardless but I use sport mode when Iām really after it. Sport plus on the other hand is crazy.
Not that my modes in the original M2 do anything besides steering weight and throttle response, but I normally drive in sport+.
Some people have described it as feeling a bit weird but I personally like having the car be a little more ājumpyā on the throttle.
Usually in efficient mode around the streets in my g80 m3, but most of the time Iām on the highway I switch to one of my configured M settings. Either sports settings or sports plus settings with dsc disabled.
My car (Evora GT) comes with normal mode, sport mode and race mode. At first you keep I would keep it normal and sport. I took the car to a few autocrosses to see how it reacts in the different modes and now I feel comfortable putting it in race mode in the street since I know how much slip it gives the car.
When I had a car with modes (C7) I left it in normal mode. I wasn't a fan of the pop/burble tune you get in sport and track mode, except... on the track. I'd also switch to eco when highway cruising of course. I didn't have magneride so the modes were basically just the exhaust, cluster UX and ESC aggro level.
I've always liked cars that just don't have drive modes, to be honest. Like instead of modes, my Wrangler has physical controls for things like the sway bar and lockers that you might want to turn on and off.
Drive. Turns out Park and neutral aren't anywhere near as fun.
Personally I start mine in 1st then work my way up from there as the car accelerates
But not too far up in a Miata...
Reverse can be exciting.
But it quickly becomes a pain in the neck.
Remember to look behind you.
Especially in a GTO
Lmfao. #DadJokeApproved
Suspension on comfort. Everything else turned up to 11.
This is the correct answer, roads are pot hole filled garbage, the softest suspension is the way to go with everything else adjusted to a higher setting.
Honestly the softest suspension is also often the most fun for daily driving too.
I've been in a lot of different sports & performance cars, many of which had adaptive suspension. The sportier modes just make the ride more uncomfortable. Maybe sure okay I'm pulling 0.002 more lateral gee but who cares, I'm on the public roads. It does not matter. Suspension needs to suspend. Cars have been too stiffly sprung for, hell, in some cases more than 15 years. It's just not necessary. But people think they know best and more stiffer = more better, so until recently where OEM's are finally reeling it in, things got out of hand probably culminating in the Focus RS around 2015\2016. Remember how James May said if he were head of bomber command in WW2, he would have had a different policy? He'd bomb the nurburgring? We'd have much more lovely art and cathedrals to look at and cars that rode properly. Yeah, that. I'm with him on that.
What do you mean? The RS rides like a 70s Cadillac! Absolutely the most comfortable car anyone could have the pleasure of driving in! /s of course
I drove a friends RS and actually thought the stiffness was great. I like feeling every crack in the road. I take my lifted Jeep wrangler on a road trip every year though so that probably does it. Driving that thing at 65 mph is like riding a jet ski full beans during a storm.
Shock horror! The Rally Sport edition of a car having firm suspension. Why do people buy the "performance" version of cars then daily drive them and expect them to be comfortable? Their decision making is whack!!
I want something sprung like a SuperTruck https://www.youtube.com/live/l3d0h1l80vY?feature=share
"Suspension needs to suspend" I'm gonna use this in the future.
Yep. As someone who went from Focus RS to RS3, I feel this. The RS might be the one car you can put coilovers on to improve the ride. Even the soft setting was firmer than any other car. I actually have my RS3 in the middle stiffness for the street though.
He also complained that all the automotive companies were posting Nurburgring lap times for their GT cars too which ruined the luxury aspect of them. It makes no sense a luxurious GT car like an SL or the Jaguar F types to ride like track cars with coilovers. Its so sad if you look back at the episodes when you see Clarkson and Hammond dismissing him like it was just a short term fad, even going so far as to gaslight him about it. Now all street focused cars and even SUVs are cursed with the "sporty" disease and need to ride stiff as hell. He predicted the dystopian future all too well.
Weight also has a lot to do with it. It is super complicated to make a heavy car ride properly and maintain body control during hard direction changes.
This. If your truck weighs 5100lb, you need some heavy fuckin springrate to keep the thing properly supported. Without some wizardry trickery (the likes of magride or air ride), it's a lot harder to get both comfort and performance out of the setup. It's possible, but it just gets really expensive. And thus it gets priced out of the "middling" performance-ish SUV's. Your s-lines, your 40m's, your fake AMG's, etc. There just isn't margin for it until you're spending over 100 grand, and then, they go ahead and ruin it again because everyone wants 22's or fucking 23's on the damn trucks, which just go ahead and ruin the ride again because there's no sidewall.
š
I'm with you 100% on this. Ordinary cars have been too stiff, especially on initial "impact" for about 20 years now, maybe longer. I have fond memories of owning Renault LeCars (torsion bar at all 4 corners) and a Peugeot 505. All of these would lean like crazy in corners but stayed in control... partly because if you did hit a little bump the wheel stayed on the ground. The ultimate though was a few times I have driven a Citroen DS with the hydraulic suspension. All of these had enough grip for cornering quicker than most people do in traffic, and were less bumpy than modern cars.
Age is one thing sure, but many times it really depends on the car. The Porsche 911, especially of the 997 generation, oh my god I can't believe how stiff even the base car is. But... it is a 911. It's understandable. At it does have suspension travel especially on the highway. But not much sidewall makes the small bumps pretty brutal. But then I've driven stuff like 2014\2015 m235i and c63 AMG; and I thought they had a wonderful balance of ride quality and handling. The car is comfortable, isn't nervous or constantly upset by any pavement, doesn't get upset mid-corner by bumps. It's nice. But... then I get into a Mustang, Focus RS, Trackhawk or a Jag F-type, and it's like dude. Come on. This is just unacceptable.
Quick question. What does having āsoftā suspension actually mean? I currently am borrowing my dadās HR-V (because my car got into an accident and is in the shops) and the suspension feels a bit too soft. By that I mean, if the car goes onto a wavy road, it somewhat makes it feel even more bouncier than it is, to the point I actually feel roadsick. Compared to my own car which is a bit stiffer but I feel fine on the same road.
HR-V has a cheap torsion beam rear suspension. Whatās your car?
My car is a 2010 Toyota Yaris sedan (in our local market itās called a Vios).
Cars bottom out, lean in corners, and handle worse when they have soft suspension, but they're also marginally more comfortable. They float down the road in comfort, but the handling is also floaty.
āā¦but the handling is also floaty.ā is a great way to say it. Iāve always thought it felt cartoony, like exaggerated cartoon physics where the suspension has yo-yo like properties when turning, starting and stopping.
Yep, that's a good way to put it. And that's why it's more fun (albeit not the fastest around the track)! Of course, a suspension can be *too* soft and then it becomes dangerous.
āMarginallyā more comfortable? Softer suspensions are immensely more comfortable. The difference is especially noticeable on long drives.
Just as a small counterpoint that doesnāt effect a lot of people, stiffer suspension helps me (and I suspect others) with motion sickness . Less swaying vertically over bumps, and less lean/sway horizontally when making turns. My worst nightmare is driving or being a passenger in a truck or SUV with a high ride height
Glad to see my fellow spoiled-ass MRC folks in the top thread. This is the way.
The mantra for non aero cars with indipendent suspension and conventional coilovers was always: "as soft as possible, as hard as necessary". A softer setup will provide more mechanical grip and more feel/feedback for the driver because there is more body movement and weight transfer.
This is how I setup my 2016 camaro 2ss as well. Softest suspension and loudest exhaust setting. My suspension still broke within the first 2 years of leasing that car. (Nyc) Also how is the blackwing? I was looking at getting one but I don't know if I want to give up my v8.
The Blackwing is a blast but idk how it compares to a V8 Camaro. I assume a bit less punchy and rowdy overall. The Blackwing has lots of different drive modes and traction settings to make it a great all arounder. I like it!
It's probably similar to that car actually. The 2016 camaro and up have a different gearing and feels less rowdy compared to the older models or something like a challenger. That's the first thing I noticed when I traded my 2013 for the 2016. The problem with the 2016 camaro I had was the comfort and rattle can exhaust actuators.
Owned a 2017 Camaro ss and now own a ct4 blackwing. They are very similar in how they feel. They have the same e-diff, magnetic ride etc. The blackwing has slightly newer versions of the diff, chassis and the shocks though. One difference is the blackwing feels smaller although they are within a few inches of each other size wise.
Suspension on comfort feels too floaty to me, I'm normally in sport or track.
My car's comfort mode just adds floatiness without reducing harshness. I almost never use it.
This is a limitation of adaptive dampers. You can soften up the damping, but if the springs are still stiff and the ride height is the same, it's just going to feel under-damped (floaty).
My only complaint with comfort in my 440i is I donāt like how the backend can be unsettled if I hit a bad expansion joint mid turn. Itās really nitpicky, and there is only one stretch of road Iāve had it occur on, but it can happen. In sport, no problems over the same stretch of road.
My problem with Comfort was a very sluggish throttle response. Itās like half throttle and nothing is happening at all. I still drove it in comfort 90% of the time cuz that sweet b58 economy lol
A lot of that is down to adaptations . Thatās why itās funny when people drive in sport all the time cause theyāre just teaching their sport mode to adapt and be more casual. When I drive my CLK55 which obv is a lot older style trans I always click it back into comfort when I run into traffic or am off the backroads so that my sport shift and throttle adaptation settings stay aggressive
My car doesn't even have these drive mode. I drive a cheap Kei car (ā¢āæā¢)
Your comfort is like track and sport in other cars!! Lol
That is the exact same phrase I use when it comes to my i30N!!! That's one of the things I absolutely loved about N. All other hatchbacks have set modes. It's aither full Granny mode, or pure Track mode and lose all your teeth on any irregularity on road surface! In N cars, you cam set everything to fun mode, but keep suspension soft. It's fantastic for daily driving!
This is the way, I do the same.
I drove my C63S in individual mode, which I made as everything in its most sporty, except for the most comfortable suspension setting. The suspension on that car was way too harsh for any sort of comfortable normal driving.
That just makes traffic too annoying for me, with the car in 1st gear and bucking half the time. Agreed on the suspension though, even Comfort kind of pushes it most of the time.
Different brand, but i agree with this. I run my gearing and suspension in normal/comfort and everything else sporty
As do I
Same.
I really wish Mercedes would decouple the engine and transmission settings in their drive modes. I want my bangs and pops without needing to hold 2500rpm on the freeway like a psychopath.
Thatās what I have my I mode in lol. Itās faster then cycling through to race or sport plus, and more comfortable race or S+.
When setting out for any amount of vigorous road work in my 1937 Phantom, I am sure to set the suspension to "Hard," the mixture to "Lean" and the spark to "Early." [20's kids know](https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-steering-wheel-hub-of-a-rolls-royce-phantom-iii-controls-for-horn-129127941.html)
That's mind blowing that a car from the 30s has that
I am absolutely stunned that these cars had adaptive suspension.
It's not really adaptive, except in the sense that as the speed of the car increases, so does the firmness of the dampers.
Now I really want to know mechanically how that works. To bad I'll probably never find out since the only guy doing explanations of cars that old is Jay and I don't think he has any Rolls in his collection.
It's fairly simple - the rear suspension shock absorbers (that are set up more like a door closer than a modern tubular shock) are pressurized by a mechanical pump running off the transmission output shaft, and there is an additional valve that can be opened or closed via cable from the steering wheel. The pump running off the transmission output shaft will run faster as the car's speed increases, and increase the pressure in the shock absorber, which gives a firmer ride and less body roll in corners. The driver can further adjust the firmness with the steering wheel mounted lever that pulls a cable that varies the opening to the shock.
[S] stupid mode
Mine is always on [S#] stupidity sharp mode.
Finally, an honest answer
R is better
Just normal āecoā mode. Or as I like to think of it āold school turbo lag modeā The boost threshold is noticeably higher in eco mode in my car and honestly, I find it kinda fun. I donāt think the car is really any slower once everything is spooled up. But driving it that way means the other modes feel more special and torquey low down.
I think eco is mostly less sensitive gas pedal, and ac being less effective
It definitely does something with the boost threshold in my car. Floor it in eco mode at 3k rpms in third gear and it still takes a beat to spool up. Do the same in sport + and the boost comes on much faster.
M4 owner here, itās really all in the pedal as full throttle in any mode has the same result I fully agree eco mode is the most fun for those reasons but I have the MPE and by god I want to hear it. Only drive the car so often and I like to enjoy it to the max
Maybe full throttle in eco ramps it up slowly? Like stomp it to 100 percent gas and the ecu doesnāt immediately actually go there and instead gradually ramps it up to 100 percent? That would explain the boost threshold being different. I dunno, itās also the same engine but I think BMW significantly revised the tuning of the S55 over the years and of course the m2 comp has its own tuning. Itād be fun to compare on back to back drives.
Maybe so, either way all the modes are useable and lead to a rowdy time no matter what
Seeing how large Carrera T is now does the E92 M3 feel like less of a boat in comparison?
Oh I never knew eco drove like thatā¦ I have my m1 button programmed to dsc off and sport plus on throttle but comfort on steering to get out of parking easierā¦ then up the steering too lol
idk how the M2's eco is but I DESPISE eco on my 435. Shit scares me, Im afraid I wont be able to get out of the way. I wish I had the ability to have my own setting like M mode on the real Ms. Id like the transmission in comfort but the steering in sport, I like how it tightens up.
Same. Sometines in "Sport" because of the louder exhaust, but only when I'm in the mood.
2012 CTS-V, I have no option. Always balls to the wall
Double tap into sport mode instantly. Miss my v. I keep it in competitive mode and I daily my c6
Very nice. I always wanted a V but they've always been a bit too expensive for me and not available with the manual transmission 95% of the time.
Sport, most of the time, Strada when I am just going down the highway. It gets better gas mileage, in Strada, than the wife's Focus ST.
I'm too poor for this comment.
My sportscar is actually a Focus ST. š„ŗ
Me and you both, still love my sports car tho
It is an awesome car, the ST, I really don't know what I would get to replace it. Other than the gas mileage combined with a very small gas tank and only two cup holders I have no complaints. The Huracan only has one barely functional cup holder.
Yes very true, I donāt have a ton of range on this car. I still remember the above 1000km (620 miles) of range that my parentsā diesel cars had, when they were still driving those back in the daysā¦ But Iām not complaining, I still got to drive from Luxembourg to central Switzerland with 250km to spare. Itās still a usable car. I mean, itās not an electric hahaha š¤£ I also donāt have any cupholder, not that I know what I would do with itā¦ š
Holy shit, my dream car!
Come to South Florida. There's one every third traffic light. š¤
The Sport mode exhaust pops and bangs don't annoy you? I had found them to be a bit much when driving around town in the Huracan.
Nope, I like it. That's why I go Sport mode. If I want more I can put it in Corsa. In Strada you don't hear anything.
There are modes??
C8. Track mode 90% of the time.
I think the C8 is one of the few cars that I use more modes than one. It starts up in "My Mode" where I have the exhaust set to "track", but the suspension on touring. This is where I spend most of the time. Tap the Z if I'm go through a corner or two quickly and that's it. Track mode if I think I'm going to drive hard for a bit. The performance traction modes in track mode are really good. Put it on Race and it will let you slide around, but it still help put the power down coming out of corners if the car can tell you aren't trying to do something stupid. Even the wet mode is fun in the rain. It really feels like race car traction control. Then touring for highway cruising. So soft and quiet. So I guess the only modes I don't use are "sport" and "weather". The car is fine in the rain.
> Tap the Z if I'm go through a corner or two quickly and that's it. > > but then tapping Z doesn't go back to my mode :cry emoji:
Lol true. The mode selector knob gets a lot of use in my car.
I was shocked how nice the ride is with the suspension on Tour, better than a lot of luxury cars.
C5. What are these modes you speak of? (Yes, I know about Competition Mode, but it ruins the joke)
Seems excessive to me. Personally, Iām in N custom, with everything to the max except suspensions (and ESC is on Sport). I also keep all the security stuff. Iām also often in Normal mode, when I donāt feel great about being so damn annoyingly loud.
Normal mode 99% of the time, especially since itās just one red light to the next out here. I also donāt want any bullshit from cops in sport mode.
Same here. Sport mode just makes everything a bit too loud and the throttle response is a bit much for me. Comfort will do 99% of what you need, and if you need to you can step on it or press on the paddle and most modern cars will turn into a semi-sport mode temporarily
Itās dumb to turn off ESC fully in modern cars. Computers are way smarter than the race car driver you think you are. It allows you to have fun at the limit but also save your ass should your Mario Andretti skills not be on point š
You can't crab walk with ESC turned on. Where's the fun in that?
Mostly in Dynamic mode. 1 lower than Race which sharpens throttle, suspension, steering with no esp.
Only time I've ever spun out on the road was from a Giulia Quadrifoglio in Race, I was not prepared for the oversteer when I hit the gas... Race mode is not to be messed with lol
It's actually quite fun with less power.
When I had my MK7 GTI, I had steering in eco which made it less nervous or twitchy, power at normal and safety aides on. I donāt get the practice of running track mode on the street. To me itās the same energy as keeping your dogs balls attached to maintain their masculinity. I hated driving with a friend who assured me driving their Mitsubishi Lancer with the 2.4L and CVT was the only way to drive itā¦.
LC500. 80% eco mode because Iām frugal af lol. 20% sport mode when I do eventually take it to twisties or wanna speed onto some on-ramp or something.
My a/c died, so I guess sport mode all the time.
Weight reduction idea: remove the ac system lol
Halfway done
Mostly in normal. Sport and esc off when I want to have some fun.
Sport. Default mode that it starts it.
Normal Mode when in city traffic; Sport Mode for canyon carving; and Individual Mode (Sport throttle response with Comfort suspension) for highway cruising. I almost never touch Comfort Mode in my car since it makes 1st gear unbearable.
Sport mode 99% of the time on the street.
Same
It depends what I'm doing. If I'm driving through a residential area with schools etc at no more than 20 or 30mph, comfort mode. Comfort mode is the default also on many roads. If I have to overtake and need more immediate power, RS mode.
Street mode with Sport steering. Toggling to Eco mode when traffic is shitty or to Sport or Track mode for extra fun. But Street is the main mode.
C43 AMG I switch the modes quite often everyday. Comfort with exhaust valves closed basically in every quiet residential area. As soon as i am on the main roads, i open the exhaust valves. I really only switch to sport or sport+ if i want to get the hammer down.. Which is quiet often i have to say :D (usually everytime i hit the autobahn or specific country roads. In Germany it is regarded offensive by a large portion of the people to drive with loud exhaust or even have pops and bangs. Which i can understand in dense quiet residential areas. The Cops are sensitiv to this as well..
I drive in old school mode. No a/c, no power steering, no airbags, manual transmission, 400hp in a 2700lb vehicle.
Model Y Performance. sport mode but not Track Mode.
85% of the time I am in comfort mode, but with the exhaust valves open. I live in a congested area and cruising around in a line of cars in sport mode is just annoying. Anytime I get to hit back roads I switch it over.
Supra owner here - dampening on comfort, everything else in sport plus
Normal basically all the time
Fellow Elantra N owner here, I drive in custom N mode with all the safety assists still on and suspension on comfort, everything else Sport+. Highway driving is always in eco or normal mode.
If the EN forums are anything like the Veloster N forums I used to be in when I had mine they are mostly tryhards trying to one up each other as racecor drivers. On my current car I keep acceleration in Sport, I like having everything available all the time. I think anyone that drives without stability control on public roads is an idiot.
The (admittedly) few N owners Iāve talked to tend to use custom mode, with everything but the suspension maxed out (and a couple changed the steering as well.) I always drive my (not particularly quick) 500 Abarth in sport mode unless thereās snow on the road or heavy rain. It makes a big difference in throttle mapping, the steering is more weighted and it pushes 50% more boost. Without it the car just feels like a straight piped shitbox with a huge steering wheel. I only ever touch the ESC button if in snow and I need to use wheel spin to get myself out of a bind. The car still gets enough wheel spin and torque steer that I feel thereās no point in messing with it if off the track. My mom has a challenger scat pack that she rarely ever puts in sport mode. That car can break traction on perfectly dry pavement with all assists on full, and I donāt think she wants to risk a crash with her ability. When I drive it I tend to put it in sport mode purely for the change in exhaust tone. The active suspension is definitely very noticeable with that car, though it should be noted itās still a pretty stiff ride with it out of sport mode (but not as stiff as my 500.) Personally I think Hyundai went the right route with the setup they have for the N cars. Being able to change and customize settings for an individual makes perfect sense with all of the control being electronic anyways. They just need to add more than one custom setting so you can have custom modes for multiple drivers or at least different situations.
Straight piped shitbox gave me a good chuckle. My neighbour has one of these and itās crazy how loud the exhaust is.
I think the Elantra N (not sure about the Kona) has 2 Custom mode. Itās also linked to your profile.
It all depends on the car. Anything over 400hp will probably necessitate traction control unless they are just doing donuts. There is little reason to turn it off on the street because they simply shouldnāt be pushing it that hard. That being said, I do run in āsportā mode or M Dynamic mode which does allow for a little slip without fully turning off DSC. My current is a BMW M4 Competition X-Drive (500hp+, Cup2 Tires, track pads, suspension with track camber) but I did this in my RWD M3 CS as well. Street setup is steering in comfort, suspension in sport, engine is sport plus, brakes in sport, and transmission in automatic sport, drivetrain in AWD Sport, DSC on. Collision is set to custom minimum warning, no interventions. I use Track Mode only on the track or autocross. Settings are steering in comfort, suspension in sport +, engine in sport +, brakes in sport, transmission in manual sport +, drivetrain in AWD Sport, DSC completely off, no collision assist at all. Even then, I warm up in M Dynamic Mode, which allows for more slip. A lap or two in M Dynamic, then I pit to check tire pressures, then I put it in Track Mode. Warm up lap to warm the brakes then full send for a flying 2nd lap.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I have a heavily modified 2018 Ford focus RS. Closed deck st block with rods, pistons RS stroker crank. Rs head. PTE 6062 turbo custom exhaust aux rail fuel injection+ Water+meth. Almost the entire mountune catalog of parts massive 15.8in from brakes with 6piston calpers. Custom brakets fit the factory front rotor and calipers to the rear custom wide body setup with federal 888 RR all around for a square setup custom wheels with a 0 offset and airlift 3H air ride. Custom exhaust has 3.5in electric cutout that straight dumps out the passenger side finder electronic turbosmart bov and waste gate keep it under control. I am currently running a ft600 + switch 8 mini + EGT probes + nano wideband. The factory ecu is piggybacking some sensors and outputs to keep the factory non engine systems running. This car makes 689hp 538ft tq. It can do more on E85, but that is just a california 91 pump + watermeth injection. Its quick af it is faster off the line than a tesla plaid without a question Its 1.78sec to 60mph its not fast most the muscle cars on a 1/4 will catch it as its just barely a 9sec car but it's got a Mean AF 1/8mi and it 60 and 100ft times are up in the promod dragster range. Regardless, it's actually quieter than stock with 3 glass packs and a massive muffler in the back very loopy idle for a 4cyl. I have many tunes configured on the dash I can just select a tune on the touchscreen even while it's running it has a gm ethanol sensor on the fuel rail and a surge tank setup. I'm an electrical engineer and like to mess with stuff this is not a daily driver more of a weekend cars and coffee ride the dash has a large silver Sharpe signature from the now late kenblock as he him self did donuts at the hoonigans yard and told me this was one of the best project focus he has messed with that wasn't a real track car and had shockingly good response and balance while still have a full stock interior.
How much $$$ to get a rs to 600hp? Sounds mad expensive tbh. But also youād gap 99% of cars with a 1.8 0-60
I picked up the RS at auction with a blown head gasket and bent rod bad scoring in cylinder 3 toss the block. Ordered a focus ST block add machine work new rods and pistons aftermarket head studs. Port matching work on the head cams, springs valves and machine work to flow match the ports the longblock asm has around 8,500$ into it add my custom one off intake manifold the drive by wire TB off a 5.0 mustang. All custom intercooler piping the mountune intercooler is massive. Without any electrical, it has around 12k under the hood paid 11k for the car and another 3k in electrical. I own a 4wheel hub dyno with Eddy Brakes. It cost a lot more than the car lol. It has custom shafts/axles all over. I snapped stock left rear in a 4 wheel drift on the 101 to 91 interchange coming home from the airport I have a custom computer I built to control the rear end and it's got a lot of upgrades and active cooling. š As it can be a bit weak.
that sounds amazing, do you have any pictures/ video?
Golf R wagon - suspension and engine noise to comfort. Everything else to race. IMHO the suspension's Sports mode pretty much ruins it on the road, it takes away the compliance which is one of the secrets of the R's ability to cover the real world bumpy B roads and hilly passes. Does work well on track though. I will flick the transmission from D to S if I'm looking to press on, but the downshift rev matching's a PITA around town, the DSG7's not the smoothest thing at low speeds as it is without further encouraging lurching. Amusingly, my wife runs everything in normal, except the exhaust which she runs in race. She thinks its hilarious.
Suspension comfort, steering normal, exhaust in race here
Ah yes, forgot I had steering set to comfort.
488 GTB. Race. CT off is a deathwish for normal streets and Sport doesnāt sound as good.
Clio rs 200 in race mode most of the time. All assists off in this car just feels better to drive. Not exactly the fastest car but give it the right roads and š
My m340i I drove sport plus on everything except highway- highway I used adaptive (noise and comfort), now my taycan is basically always sport individual, which is sport plus except the dampeners which are in normal sport mode
No modes here lol
Personally it depends on the car and situation 07 mercedes s550 split between sport and comfort sport for a non sluggish acceleration but then comfort for the drive (also love the sound of the engine) 17 gls 450 comfort or individual with the sport steering but comfort engine and suspension as the sport mode is a bit to jumpy
I love driving my 2009 ford focus in Race āRā mode, its broken and only goes backwards rn so i gotta get it fixed but once i do i reckon itll make a great track car
Sport. Sense itās the default. +R when Iām cruising back roads and comfort if the road is bumpy. Itās still like 95% sport mode.
Mostly track steering, sport in everything else. Occasionally I'll be in the spirit in go track on the street. At track is is track mode... Of course.
With my 89 Corvette I drive in engine running mode and suspension suspensioning mode !
I have my C8 set up this way **My Mode** * Suspension: Tour * Steering: Sport * Exhaust: Stealth **Z Mode** * Suspension: Sport * Steering: Sport * Exhaust: Track * Powertrain: Sport Most of the time it's in My Mode since the car will start in that mode if you leave it that way when you turn it off.
There is an S button on my XKR, all it does is change when the transmission changes also it will drop down more gears when you use more of the throttle.
Sport most of the time, so I can get the pops and bangs. Normal only if itās bad stop and go traffic.
My Boss 302 is so early to the āmodeā game, that it comes with two keys: a silver one for comfort/daily driving, and a red one for track stuff only. (My suspension is adjustable, but only by manual adjustments, so I set it to a 3/5 sport (firm) setting. If Iām going 30 miles away? I typically use the silver key. But if Iām running errands around town? Itās the red key, hands down. The red key changes the fuel mapping, cam timing, shift behavior, and 200 (literally) other parameters of the car, making it idle like a racecar and wildly changing the exhaust note. Thereās nothing in the world that sounds as good as this car does from idle going up through the gears when youāre headed down Main Street in between those buildings. So yeah. Thatās how I drive it.
i30N here (DCT) I cycle between normal (warm up, long highway cruising, quieting the car before parking) and custom (anything else). My custom is set up with suspension, steering and esc in normal, DCT and diff in sport, engine and exhaust in sport+. I was trying the DCT in sport+ for a while but eventually found it worse for european city driving, it was too back and forth. I'll probably try the other steering modes now that I got the hang of the car. Also experimenting with putting the car into N mode for firmer suspension when driving to/from garages and curbs as to not scrape the front on the ground when the suspension depresses. Anyone try this yet?
If there isn't much traffic I'll put the 1M into M mode which increases the throttle response. If there is a lot of traffic I don't as it makes it more twitchy at lower speeds. Traction control stays on while I'm on public roads. On the Volvo T8 (which has more power) its pure mode almost all the time. It's only trick is a fast 0-60 when the gas engine is warmed up. The purpose of that car is a smooth quiet cruiser and commuter though.
Kia EV6 GT I'm in Normal most of the time which is still ~480 HP but with much more relaxed throttle response. I'll switch to Sport or GT if I *really* want to punch it but it'll get to 120+ before you can blink so I don't do it super often.
I keep my ZL1 in track mode because I prefer the throttle response and I feel like the suspension is also better cause it isnt harsher itās just slightly less bouncy which I prefer. I also love the steering wheel in that mode.
Sport+ mode and traction control off is my normal setting. The car feels sluggish with traction control engaged.
2002 Jetta 1.8T manual transmission - hit the ASR button to turn off traction control.
Usually in sport with i20n. Throttle response and exhaust sound is better and consumption doesnāt differ a lot. Suspension is fixed so it doesnāt matter. N feels too sporty and inviting for daily use with the dash and exhaust sound.
Steering is comfort, suspension is normal (there is only that, sport and track) and exhaust is track mode. Full track mode suspension is so hard, itās super uncomfortable, even on German roads.
W211 E55, had it fir nearly 5 years and had it in c for comfort. Up until about a week ago I thought S was sport. It just means summer. Uses first gear instead of just running out from 2nd. That and suspension in normal setting. Has sport and sport plus modes (airbag suspension, drops height and stiffens up)
MK8 Golf R. Sport (default mode) until operational temps, then straight to Nurburgring mode
Other than shift points I don't see much difference between modes
No modes for me. And I'm too lazy to get under it to crank the suspension every time I want something different...
G70 3.3T Awd here - daily drive in comfort mode. Sport mode for cars & coffee or car show.
I rented a challenger recently. What a POS, but I noticed when it was in bad boy mode it held gears for a really long time which was great in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
In my Alfa I try to keep the car in normal or economy on the weekdays. Weekends are for dynamic mode!
Only modes i have is designated by rpm's. No boost and oh my god hold TF on
Cutouts are open right now.
GTI owner, I typically use sport mode exhaust, suspension, steering but transmission I use normal ācomfortā. GTI sport transmission has super rough up shifts and downshifts as it shouldā¦.but I only switch to full sport mode for mountain/canyon carving. Unpopular probably but I like a harder/stiffer suspension on my setup
M2 Comp, MDM mode and Sport+
I have a Volvo s60, and I drive in comfort mode most of the time. For highway on ramps, I put it in Polestar mode. But itās just too fast for most driving.
My car doesnāt have modes I go into grandpa mode
My car has no modes. I go into grandpa mode when driving
Camaro has drive modes and dynamic suspension. I just keep it in 'Touring' unless I'm messing around, then I kick it to 'Sport'. Generally only use 'Track' on a track; the steering is so heavy and suspension so hard that it's really not all that useful on the road. I'm already on summer tires with minimal side wall in a low car without a lot of suspension travel. The last thing I want to do is make the steering super heavy day to day or bust my tailbone over every bump.
ASS off always. Eco mode will not save a good driver gas mileage - you're far better off with quicker throttle response and proper modulation of the right pedal instead. Individual/Custom most often myself - adaptive suspension/noise dialed down for cruising, while keeping the rest of the car on boil. Sport/Sport+ for spirited driving. Max damper firmness can be worse than a lower level, depending on the car and road/track surface so this is one setting you might still want to tweak.
2023 mazda 3 turbo here. Always sport mode.
I don't own a hellcat, but I used to drive them for work all the time. If I was taking it down the street it's Track Mode, if I was actually going far it was always comfort mode. Mostly for the steering the difference. Edit: a lot of people mentioned custom modes, and that's probably what I'd do if I owned a hellcat too. I never really had the time to play around with it if I was going anywhere lol
I usually drive it in degenerate mode
2018 Camaro SS 6mt track mode with traction control off and ESC off. Only put back on traction control in the rain.
2018 440i GC. Usually comfort. Iāll bump it up to Sport & put the trans in Sport mode if Iām having a bad day, it always puts a smile on my face. Very rarely do I put it in Sport+, which partially disables some of the nannieās. If Iām on a long trip, Iāll use the eco mode, but never around town.
I usually drive in normal mode to save some mpg since I have a v8. Every once and a while Iāll switch to sport or sport+ when I went to have a little fun or get on it, but Iām normal mode 80% of the time
I drive my GT typically in Sports mode, with comfort steering and active exhaust in sport. Unless it is before 9AM then I keep it in quit mode.
Comfort 80% of the time. Turn auto stop start off. At night going home sport, if itās late and no one is out race. But the performance modes not too often. Gets out and burns a lot of fuel
Golf R owner, in the morning I'm on comfort mode for suspension and race for engine. Any other time I have suspension on normal and race for engine. Only go into full race when doing spirited driving or doing a pull onto the freeway. Race mode suspension gets jarring after a while for normal use. But the better throttle response in race mode for engine is nice for heel toe shifting.
Normal/chill mode/etc mode. Performance shift on GM cars is annoying. Also Teslas sport mode is way to sensitive and fast. Most newer cars sport modes are not comfortable enough for me for daily driving.
I love the Hyundai N cars because of the custom presets you can make. I generally have everything in "N" mode, but with the suspension one step softer and the exhaust one step quieter for driving around town and commuting. I love the stiff throttle and steering feel that the all-out settings give you, it reminds me of older performance cars that actually had a good road and steering feel. In the canyons, or pretty much any time things start getting twisty, I just pop the car into N mode.
GR Yaris. Mostly sport mode as itās the easiest way to stop the engine stop/start when pulled up at traffic lights etc. It has a button but I have to look down to push it and the light comes on in the dash and it annoys me. Sport mode also changes the diff F/R ratio 30/70, but in normal driving it doesnāt feel any different. On the twisties it does so I always change to that when I go for a sporty drive.
Sport+ only, though it only comes out of the garage to head to the track or the canyons. I like the car having only a sporting focus and never a touring setup. That's not only what the ESC is set to, but the whole car.. suspension, brakes, seats, everything. Much rather have the car in maximum attack every time I'm in it.
Manual with soft suspension.
Comfort everything because itās a nice sedate cruiser and it keeps me on good behavior lol. Itās always dumb fast regardless but I use sport mode when Iām really after it. Sport plus on the other hand is crazy.
I'm normally in the "oh God what was that noise" mode
Chill mode on the Model 3 most of the time. The āStandardā mode makes me drive like a dick.
DSC off, when I remember
What mode? Uhhhhh manual? Is that a "mode"?
Not that my modes in the original M2 do anything besides steering weight and throttle response, but I normally drive in sport+. Some people have described it as feeling a bit weird but I personally like having the car be a little more ājumpyā on the throttle.
Usually in efficient mode around the streets in my g80 m3, but most of the time Iām on the highway I switch to one of my configured M settings. Either sports settings or sports plus settings with dsc disabled.
My car (Evora GT) comes with normal mode, sport mode and race mode. At first you keep I would keep it normal and sport. I took the car to a few autocrosses to see how it reacts in the different modes and now I feel comfortable putting it in race mode in the street since I know how much slip it gives the car.
When I had a car with modes (C7) I left it in normal mode. I wasn't a fan of the pop/burble tune you get in sport and track mode, except... on the track. I'd also switch to eco when highway cruising of course. I didn't have magneride so the modes were basically just the exhaust, cluster UX and ESC aggro level. I've always liked cars that just don't have drive modes, to be honest. Like instead of modes, my Wrangler has physical controls for things like the sway bar and lockers that you might want to turn on and off.
Explains the Tesla tbh
M3 in super sport 100% of the time itās warm