mondster

Was wondering... Does anyone here drive more using sport mode than normal?

Art unique

I just came from an Si and I have to say it is the most pointless thing in the world. It is definitely nothing like driving manual. I dont know why it's there. The only reason I see myself using it will be to put it in 2nd gear during snow storms.

Edward'TLS

No, because our 6AT isn't a dual-clutch semi-auto tranny.

Only the 6MT can give us more control in gear selection.

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

it doesnt respond fast enough to use it all the time

Edward'TLS

^^^^^

Agree. Especially in gear downshifts.

mondster

I meant without using the paddle shifters. Just in sport mode all the time for more power.

Franco2112

I love putting the TL into sport mode without using the paddles. My wife was thinking about selling the TL because the transmission was not smooth in normal drive position. She thought something was wrong until I ask if she had driven it in sport mode. She loves it now and thinks it is bad to the bone! I drive the TL about 10% of the time and use sport mode always. Gas consumption has not changed either. The ride, power, handling, all changes in sport mode. It's like a whole different car. All should try it!

hyh

The shifts are pretty responsive for my 10 TL SH-AWD. At least the paddle shifters mode allow you to rev all the way up to redline and I believe is the easiest way to make VTEC kick in.

By the way in normal sports mode without paddle shifters my car feels a little bit strange. The first two shift points doesn't differ much from the D but it holds third gear until up to freeway speed. I never go fast enough to make it upshift to 4th (my 10 has 5 speed A/T). For the behavior I think the S gear is more similar to an overdrive off mode rather than true "Sport" mode...

Franco2112

My 2012 is smooth as butter in normal sports mode. It even gets excited! No paddles necessary.

mondster

Any downside to driving in sport mode all the time? Engine stress im guessing?

Franco2112

I would not use sport mode for prolong periods on the hwy while cruising. The downside is fuel consumption and higher engine revs. As far as wear it could heat up your transmission temp a little causing you to change your transmission fluid more sooner than later but will not ruin your transmission or engine.
Have fun with it!

FireAtWill

I think they may have changed it a bit after the 5AT from 09, but mine only autoshifts up until 3rd gear before just letting the RPMs keep climbing in S mode...so if you're on the freeway at all you kinda have to use the paddles otherwise there's no cruisin to be had

23109VC

i use it sometimes... i mostly notice that in sport mode it holds the gears longer and stays in a lower gear..so it's at a higher rpm.. also, once you touch a paddle, it won't change gears UNLESS you manually input it with the paddles...

i actually find myself using the paddles a lot - in standard mode... so that if I want the car to downshift quicker.. I just hit the downshift paddle...a nd make it do what I want..and then rely on the car ot revert back to "auto" mode once my need for the lower gear is gone... i like the ability to grab the paddle at ANY time and make it downshift. on my prior car, a 06 RL.. you couldn't do that.. if would only respond to the paddles if you clicked the gear shift into manual mode... which made the paddles far less useful...

i do put the car in sport mode sometime and hammer it.. if I am about to take off from a stop light and know I am goign to run the car through fist and second and want the car to run to redline... i'll leave it in sport mode .. and at times I drive around fo ra while with it in sport mode..but once things calm down i put it back to regular mode as it would waste gas to leave it in sport mode when you are just cruising since you will be in a lower gear / higher rpm.... if you need more resopnsiveness to the throtle.. then sport mode is great...

i don't thinkt eh car feels more poweful in sport mode.. but since it's in a lower gear, and the revs are higher, it's more responsive when you punch it...and you can forc eit to stay in gear...

if I am about to go into a turn and I want to .. lets say.. stay in 2nd gear during the turn and really utilize SH-AWD... maybe I go to sport mode and manually select 2nd.. then hammer it through teh turn... that avoid the possiblity of downshifting to 1st...which is too low of a gear..and it avoids upshifting to 3rd to soon.. there are a few turns wher eholding 2nd i a turn is perfect...so I do it for that...

hyh

My 10 does the same. According to the owner's manual though in S mode "only gears from 1 to 4 are selected" which mean at certain point it will auto shift to 4th we just didn't go fast enough

Jackieee_TL

Franco2112

The 2012 TL sport mode has a fifth gear which makes the driving experience sweet. If you have a 2011 and lower go test drive a 2012/2013 and put it in sport mode. Things have changed with the six speed transmission!

dnd2984

iTrader: (6)

I don't think it change any of those characteristics, only the shift points.

Placebo effect?

Franco2112

Dnd2984 that is your perception. My take is performance in normal D vs Sport Mode and the change is clear. You said it yourself. Shift points, is a change and not a placebo effect. Sport mode is real not just a gimmick. The engine to transmission transfer is different, the demand is different and the fun is different. Apparently you haven't used sport mode enough.

dnd2984

iTrader: (6)

Explain to me how the sport mode (which all it does is hold the gear longer) changes the characteristics you stated in your prior quote? "The ride, power, handling, all changes in sport mode. It's like a whole different car. All should try it!"

Booya4139

I use it occasionally because it holds the gear and allows a quick pass or something on the highway. I use the paddles more in regular mode because I like it going back to auto if you aren't being aggressive

Franco2112

Dnd2984 go take your TL and test sport mode vs. D drive. If you say your TL is the same experience in both other than the shift pattern, I would take it to the dealership for an evaluation. You should be feeling a difference in all stated above in sport mode. Have fun!

dnd2984

iTrader: (6)

There is no difference in handling or ride in S mode, we can argue your opinion all you want but thats a fact. Other luxury cars like Audi do change ride and handling in sport mode(S-Line models I think), Acura does not do that with the TL.

Edward'TLS

^^^^^

Audi has the "Drive Select", and BMW has the "Sport Mode".

It's really too bad that Acura has decided to drop the driver adjustable suspension feature from the latest 3G MDX.

Acura_Swag

I dont like to mess wit the sport mode on my car. Its not the same as driving manual and plus i find the sport mode very sensitive and i wouldnt want to mess that up and have to get a new tranny. I leave it on drive all the way f-thatt

BEAR-AvHistory

It just raises the shift points a little. If you want to change the ride, engine maps, traction/stability intervention limits etc you need to spend Corvette Z-51 or BMW M3 money. My 7DCT has no effect on the suspension or engine maps, separate controls for those. It just raises the shift points & increases the clutch pressure while speeding up the shift.

Franco2112

Apparently I'm having more fun with my TL!

JT4

I do the same thing.

gibbyisgibby

Having a misconception about what sport mode does not equate to having more fun

dnd2984

iTrader: (6)

BINGO!

We are all having fun, but your logic is not supported by any facts.

DefMunkie

Sport Mode only changes shift points, unless you use the paddle shifters then you can hold gears even banging on redline while accelerating. The only time the car will shift when in sport mode and paddles are engaged is when the car comes to a stop then it goes back to first gear. No suspension or ECU adjustments are made.

I only use sport mode when on a spirited hill country drive, Autocrosss, or for the rare occasion I need to be constantly in the powerband while negotiating with the horrible traffic in the area.

jason60050

Honestly haven't touched it yet...maybe I will try it tonight.

omgitzchris

To be honest, during the test drive, was the only time I used it (almost a year of ownership.)

AND for the past 2/3 months, after I had my muffler deleted; I want to use it almost all the time.. except highway and traffic..

BEAR-AvHistory

For what its worth (different system) I DD most of the time in sport mode (non sport button) & let it shift for itself. Good trade off that sits between normal & full sport.

When I feel like playtime I move to sport button pushed (higher/harder shift points than soprt) & move to the manual shift control program, requires stick or paddles to shift.

I also drive TC off but stability on all the time. My JB4 is programed to shut off the TC on start-up. Button push can reset it to on.

TJ Zooker

It will shift into 4th, just have to push it hard enough to get it there.

JDMaccord3.5

Yes! day and night difference in Sport mode (on the loaner I've got). I'm always driving on S mode

Treblig

Tried it yesterday on some twisties on my route home. It sure added some pep and fun to the drive.

jim_c

What does that mean? I vote for dnd2984, lol.

Let's keep in mind here that we are talking about a sedan that weighs 4,000 lbs. with driver and heavy metal Cds included. It's not a sports car. It's not a muscle car. I love my TL too, but let's be realistic here.
BTW, just to play devil's advocate, I think some might say that shifting your TL at the redline on a frequent basis would constitute abuse. It's not built to do that. That is very stressful on all the mechanicals and the suspension and even the body and under frames (cradles).

BEAR-AvHistory

I would not call it outright abuse but in most cases its the slow way to accelerate.

Most people think "red line" is the power shift line. Its not. Red line is what the manufacturer deems to be the "do not exceed" or damage may occur line. In modern cars there is a safety margin built in backed up by a fuel shutoff.

You really need to test to see what the optimum shift point or points are. My car has a red line of 7200rpm but the best 1/4 mile times are generated shifting at 6250RPM. Its all about maximizing "power under the curve"

The max horsepower points for the TL's are about 1000rpm below red line & torque is 2200rpm below red line. The cams switch profile about 4900rpm IIRC. This would suggest the optimum shift point is someplace between 6200 & 7200rpm.

jim_c

Well said. Perhaps you posted this already but could you repeat or send me a PM? What times did you get and how is your car set up? Are you talking about a TL or a different car? Last time I raced at the dragstrip I got 102 mph and 14.2 sec but that was not in a TL! Interestingly, I think the performance of the 4th gen TL is close to that, but it probably won't exceed 100 mph in stock trim. (?) Another useful fact (!) is that the 1/4 mile time will correlate very well with the actual power to weight ratio, so that makes me wonder if the HP rating of the TL is understated. (?)

BEAR-AvHistory

My old '06 TL 6MT was low 14 high 90's car, nothing special. Don't think the stock 4G is any faster but its hard to find anyone who runs it. The best at Drag times is 14.4/99 so I don't think the car is underrated

Car is set differently now than when it was timed. Its a BMW 335is 7DCT coupe that had a JB4 using 93 octane stock RFT when it was timed. Map 2 was used which enables about 14.5psi boost. Car chassis dynoed at 370whp on a DynoJet machine.

Did a one day trip to Rockingham Raceway with a 12.5/114 shifting at 6250. Shifting at redline was 12.8/113.

Have not run the current setup yet. JB4/ISO BMS back end flash, 50/50 93/100 mix with custom Map 6 enabling 17psi boost, FMIC & Conti DW 245/275 - 19's. DynoJet shows 403whp. Similar cars are running very high 11 low 12 second times @ 118mph.

The top 335is are adding meth injection & more aggressive tires, the best are in the 11.1/11.2 129/133mph range. Shifts points on the BMS 335 N54 shop car are set to 6100rpm & it runs 11.1/129. The N54 135 does 11.0/129. Both are standard Steptronic automatics.

The quickest N55 engined 135/335 cars are shifting at 5900/6000 rpm against a 7100rpm redline.

My 135is is a 6mt & lightly tuned N55. No times or dynos for the car. The 6MT cars are quite a bit slower than the 7DCT's but with the extra power from the tune it should nose out a stock 335is. Someday will run the 335is on map 0/4 (stock) against the 135is & see what happens.