Driving mode to use..

[Zahmed1094]

Forgive me if this question has been asked. It’s been 6 days since I took possession of my used 2019 GT2 with 10,083 miles. I just crossed 13,002 so, driven almost 3k miles. Mostly highway miles from Spokane, Washington to St. Louis, Mo.

So far, it’s been in “comfort” mode. I have read the differences in the different modes but want practical recommendations and how people drive their Stingers in.

Can you tell me what mode you have your car set at, roughly what percentage of your driving is in each mode. For example, so far I have been driving my car in

1. Comfort Mode 99%
2. Sport mode 1%.

 

[Snicklefritz]

I started out over six years ago using Sport for the first 600 "break in" miles. That was so that I could easily keep the RPMs between the recommended 2-4K, and I also used the paddle shifters to help out with that. For the first few years, nearly all of my driving was in Custom, with everything set in Sport except the engine mode which was Eco. But my favorite way to drive since then is in Eco 99% of the time. I will use Sport when I set up for a launch "in pole position" at a light, that's about it. I haven't used Custom for quite a while. In winter with bad roads, I select Smart and will use the Smart LCD screen to monitor my power output with the horizontal gauge at the bottom. That doesn't operate if you use the paddles, so, in Smart I have the trans in "D". The rest of the time I prefer to upshift with the paddles. Both of our Stingers have the "T" shifter with manual gate and that makes using the paddles very practical. Your GT2 will only remain in a selected gear if you stay in Sport, and then will revert to "D" each time that you stop. I have no use for Comfort mode.

 

[Thomby]

90% of the time I go straight to Smart mode, which will show green, white, or red based on your driving (for Smart-Eco, Smart-Comfort, Smart-Sport).

Lazing around town you get the better mileage of Eco (including Coasting in neutral when you're off throttle), but it'll automatically ramp up to Comfort or Sport if you drive more aggressively.

So I don't really use Eco any more, even on highway trips, and since I unplugged my active exhaust connectors (with the valves open), there's no real reason to put it in Sport any more either.

 

[Snicklefritz]

90% of the time I go straight to Smart mode, which will show green, white, or red based on your driving (for Smart-Eco, Smart-Comfort, Smart-Sport).

Except that Smart won't go into Sport unless you floor it. You don't have to hit the kickdown switch, just push to the floor and Sport is engaged. It backs off of Sport quickly if you are not WOT. This seems rather redundant to me, to have a Sport selection in Smart when in effect any and all drive modes are identical when WOT. Likewise, when you hit the kickdown switch all modes are identical, kickdown is simply kickdown and drive mode selected makes no difference.

 

[Thomby]

Except that Smart won't go into Sport unless you floor it. You don't have to hit the kickdown switch, just push to the floor and Sport is engaged. It backs off of Sport quickly if you are not WOT. This seems rather redundant to me, to have a Sport selection in Smart when in effect any and all drive modes are identical when WOT. Likewise, when you hit the kickdown switch all modes are identical, kickdown is simply kickdown and drive mode selected makes no difference.

Well identical in terms of gear kickdown, but throttle mapping (and steering ratio, and suspension, although I can't really tell the difference in the latter) should be different, right? Or are you just saying that it reverts to Smart Comfort so quickly that you're basically only ever in Eco or Comfort?

I put it in Sport occasionally if I want to show someone what the Stinger can do, but the main reason I don't leave it there is permanently being stuck in lower gears / at higher revs, which just kills mileage around town. I did try setting Custom to Sport for everything except drivetrain, but just ended up using Smart instead.

 

[BIG-D]

My tune is loaded into Comfort mode as a while ago i was getting a CEL every day because of my exhaust and once that happens you lose the Sports mode ability / shocks/ wastegate's etc ?

Since the default setting is Comfort it just seemed obvious to have all the Boooost available in that mode, plus with my Throttle Controller even in Comfort mode it is way more aggressive than the Factory tune in Sports mode

I use Sports when i feel like throwing my back out

Eco gets worse economy than my Tuned setting, best i have seen with 440rwhp is 6.6L/100km

I have owned my car for nearly a year and a half and i still havn't got a clue what Smart mode does?

 

[Snicklefritz]

Well identical in terms of gear kickdown, but throttle mapping (and steering ratio, and suspension, although I can't really tell the difference in the latter) should be different, right?

I don't believe so, when we are talking just about the engine/drivetrain. It's been too long since, but a forum member tested this at the drag strip, and his conclusion was that WOT is WOT and basically bypasses the drive modes. I know this, kickdown is identical no matter what drive mode. When I match someone, usually on an onramp setting, it doesn't matter if I have been using the paddles, in manual gate, because the instant I push the kickdown switch the car takes over shifting entirely and does a danged good job upshifting in kickdown mode.

 

[Landshark]

i do like that the Stinger Sport mode makes it feel like a different car ... keeps the revs up and turbos at full boil. previous cars sport modes you could barely tell the difference, aside from rev matching on downshifts.

i will use Smart on longer drives if i remember to, but usually just Comfort.

i have Custom set to "sport" steering and suspension (for tight handling), and "comfort" throttle so i'm not wasting gas. i should probably use this mode more often, but i usually forget lol.

 

[SanDiegoBlue]

I stay in:
ECO: 5%
Comfort: 60%
Sport: 35%

I don't use Custom because I have not found a configuration that is not there already (setting all to sport is redundant).

I don't use Smart because I like to set the mode -- not the car. Plus I just never got used to it (oh, and I don't like the 'coasting' behavior in smart -- it turns off with a car in front of you).

I find I cannot tell the difference to suspension in Sport mode -- maybe it changes things 'at the limit' that I do not see on a drive home. I do find that the shifts are noticeably faster in sport mode (really thumps it into gear). As noted earlier, the revs are kept higher, gear 8 is locked out (unless use paddles) and more aggressive downshifts when coming to a stop (though I believe re-match in all modes). Steering ratio the same, but ever so slightly heavier feel.

I like sport for various reasons:
- fast throttle response. I agree WOT is the same for all modes, but will get there more quickly with less foot movement - so 'seems' faster when you are driving less than 100%.
- even if not driving spiritly, with hills near my house it holds gears better -- otherwise is in a lower gear up the hill than I'd like.
- even when I want to just chill - manually setting 8th on the freeway and being soft on the throttle has achieved my highest mpg. Maybe because I am concentrating more on not mashing the go pedal, maybe because the exhaust is open.
- With a GT2, I don't have a manual gate - so this is the only way I can have it stay in manual mode. (btw, I really don't mind it dropping to automatic when I come to a stop - easy enough to shift when I want to go back to manual).
- The exhaust sound is better. I'm stock, so still lacking, but better than in comfort mode. I have played with the 'pumped in' sound (because I play with all settings sooner or later) and cannot hear ANY difference between none and full. Maybe it's just me...

I find I get used to sport -- and then it's a little less special -- so I'll 'slum it' for a while in comfort so I'll appreciate sport again!

 

[LordKOTL]

I usually do what @Snicklefritz has as custom: everything Sport except engine. I prefer the tighter steering and suspension feel.

Sometimes I'll do Eco, Sometimes when I want to really feel her I'll do Sport. If my family or others who prefer softer suspension are in the car I'll do comfort.

I'm not really ever in smart.

So, probably:

70% custom
15% sport
10% eco
4% Comfort
1% smart.

 

[Thomby]

The exhaust sound is better. I'm stock, so still lacking, but better than in comfort mode. I have played with the 'pumped in' sound (because I play with all settings sooner or later) and cannot hear ANY difference between none and full

I agree on both counts. I recently unplugged the valve connectors (with the car off, since valves go full open), so it sounds healthier in all modes. Haven't noticed any annoying drone on the highway so will probably leave it this way.

And I can't hear a difference in the artificial engine sound settings, even going from fully off to fully on while driving. Maybe it's more pronounced in certain modes?

 

[Grump]

I switch between custom and sport as needed. If there's a LOT of snow I'll use comfort.

Custom: Steering comfort, AWD eco, Engine eco, Suspension: Sport. The engine definitely changes pitch when you change AWD/Engine from comfort to eco. I like the soft steering wheel and stiff suspension while still getting eco mileage.

 

[Ah GetFd]

Use Eco 99.9% of the time and Coasting set provides best fuel consumption
Sport = Never. Steering too heavy. Suspension too hard. Exhaust too noisy.
Custom. 0.1% of the time Set to Sport Eng/Drivetrain, Comfort steering and suspension
This seems to be the best option for getting rid of
- V8 Mustang
- Porsche, Audi, BMW
- anything else people wasted their money on

 

[Ah GetFd]

""I find I cannot tell the difference to suspension in Sport mode""

Then it must be broken or completely different for AWD ie, hard suspension all the time if that's what you have.

There are no AWDs in Australia

The suspension goes from "comfortable" to rock solid when I change it to Sport

It's like riding a billy cart and with the subsequent heavier steering so "why bother"

If I want a sport feel I use Custom set to sport for the engine and comfort for steering and suspension

The price of petrol here is also $1.70 a litre , AUD$7.50 a gallon, (USD$5.15) so economy shoots to 18L/100kms (15.5MPG) in sport.

I drive mine in Eco/Coast mode all the time (13L/100km city driving and 8L/100km country driving) unless I want to blow the doors off someone then select custom and say bye bye

 

[Plakchup]

For the awd folks, have you guys found a difference in eco/comfort under the awd setting? I usually have it in sport where its supposedly 20% front/80% rear where comfort is 50/50? Not sure what eco does but i havent been able to find much information in the forum about this.

Regular long highway driving i am on eco with exhaust valves closed (i use an apr wireless valve controller). I get best mileage with this. Also i turn off the annoying coasting mode. Throws me off as if my tranny is slipping. Don't like it lol.

On streets I am almost always on custom:
Steering = soft (been using sport more lately)
AWD = sport (testing the different modes still)
Suspension = soft since the sway bars helpa lot already
Engine = sport

I don't really use sport mode or stiff suspension much. Stiff enough with eibach springs and sway bars. Los angeles road suck anyway.

 

[Snicklefritz]

For the awd folks, have you guys found a difference in eco/comfort under the awd setting?

I use Eco most of the time. The only difference, I believe, is more economical mapping. The upshifts come sooner in Eco. But, I use the paddles virtually all the time too, preferring to keep the revs a bit higher and shift less often than "D" in Eco would constantly be doing. My understanding is that only Sport splits 20/80 front/rear. All other drive modes are 40/60.

 

[Plakchup]

Yeah that's what I've pretty much picked up as well that in awd settings only sports setting does 20/80 and the other two modes are 40/60. You can tell when you are gunning it and going around corners. I remember first time test driving a 2022 stinger at dealer was all excited to see the options lol

 

[Thomby]

My understanding is that only Sport splits 20/80 front/rear. All other drive modes are 40/60.

only sports setting does 20/80 and the other two modes are 40/60

Someone here (maybe @D.J.?) read the signal going to the transfer case, which I believe showed constant adjustments in the pressure applied to the clutches, instead of just leaving it at a fixed value.

So it may be that the 80/20 and 60/40 numbers are general guidelines for how aggressively it routes power forward, rather than specific torque splits.

 

[Snicklefritz]

Someone here (maybe @D.J.?) read the signal going to the transfer case, which I believe showed constant adjustments in the pressure applied to the clutches, instead of just leaving it at a fixed value.

So it may be that the 80/20 and 60/40 numbers are general guidelines for how aggressively it routes power forward, rather than specific torque splits.

That would make sense. Because the GTS pushes 100% to the rear wheels when demanded by aggressive enough driving. Same programing, different values.

 

[D.J.]

Someone here (maybe @D.J.?) read the signal going to the transfer case, which I believe showed constant adjustments in the pressure applied to the clutches, instead of just leaving it at a fixed value.

So it may be that the 80/20 and 60/40 numbers are general guidelines for how aggressively it routes power forward, rather than specific torque splits.

Probably this video.... All the data is read directly through the OBDII port, and overlayed on screen, time synced.

I tried to include all the available relevant sensors, throttle position and gear etc...

The upper right gauge, must be a calculated value, but it's quite possibly accurate'ish

I will hopefully duplicate this "test" in the winter on a snow day. I will switch between drive modes to observe the differences with actual slip RPM front/rear.

I suspect that sport mode (20% front) will allow much more RPM difference between front/rear.

All the other drive modes, the transfer case should try to minimize the difference between front/rear but pressuring the clutch higher, while the wheels are slipping.

That would make sense. Because the GTS pushes 100% to the rear wheels when demanded by aggressive enough driving. Same programing, different values.

Pushing 100% to rear basically means - transfer case does nothing. A better phrasing would be, pushing 0% to the front.

The rear always gets all of the "available" torque. Obviously only the front can be varied through the transfer case multi-plate hydraulically actuated clutch.