What does sport mode really do

[FSETH]

Originally Posted by Mdorphin

Most of these answers are wrong...

Sport mode basically makes the gas pedal LESS linear. The gas pedal feels more sensitive because nearly all throttle input is moved to the front of the pedal hence why the car feels more powerful in light driving.

It begs to be mashed on, and is unsafe when driving hard. The car is not more powerful in sport mode. 100% throttle with the sport button on/off is the same as 100% throttle to the engine.

Pointless button IMO because it just makes you FEEL faster. Plain and simple.

I think you are partially right as well.

Sport mode actually holds gears longer and revs higher before shifting into a higher gear. Accelerate normally in Sport mode and regular Drive and you will see that the car will shift at different RPM's. It is actually faster to accelerate in sport mode over regular drive as long as you do not activate "kick down". However, I agree that if you go pedal to the metal and activate "kick down" mode, then they are all the same. "Kick down" mode overrides all the programs and 100% throttle is 100% throttle.

[Mdorphin]

Originally Posted by FSETH

I think you are partially right as well.

Sport mode actually holds gears longer and revs higher before shifting into a higher gear. Accelerate normally in Sport mode and regular Drive and you will see that the car will shift at different RPM's. It is actually faster to accelerate in sport mode over regular drive as long as you do not activate "kick down". However, I agree that if you go pedal to the metal and activate "kick down" mode, then they are all the same. "Kick down" mode overrides all the programs and 100% throttle is 100% throttle.

False. The setting/button is about as useless as a fat one armed midget trying to do a cartwheel.

All it does is give a higher throttle response by remapping the throttle pedal position sensors. For example, if your using 15% of throttle w/o sport mode, in sport mode that would calculate to say 35% (made up numbers).

Of course it FEELS faster to accelerate in sport mode than w/o it....but that's about it.

It does not add any horsepower, increase torque, or do anything else to boost the car's performance. It feels faster because it takes less pedal input to push more fuel into the engine.

You are not getting any extra power. Keep dreaming

[Cole]

Originally Posted by Mdorphin

False. The setting/button is about as useless as a fat one armed midget trying to do a cartwheel.

All it does is give a higher throttle response by remapping the throttle pedal position sensors. For example, if your using 15% of throttle w/o sport mode, in sport mode that would calculate to say 35% (made up numbers).

Of course it FEELS faster to accelerate in sport mode than w/o it....but that's about it.

It does not add any horsepower, increase torque, or do anything else to boost the car's performance. It feels faster because it takes less pedal input to push more fuel into the engine.

You are not getting any extra power. Keep dreaming

I disagree with your suggestion that all Sport mode does is re-map the throttle position and that it is therefore useless.

On My '06 3.0D it clearly changes the gearbox change points and the gear box's behaviour in terms of holding gears on throtle lift off and down shifting as you brake. The car then feels more responsive because it is normally in a lower gear in any particular situation. If you are travelling at a steady speed the moment you push the lever across to Sport mode the gearbox will usually drop a gear if it can.

I agree that there is no extra power coming from the engine, but I maintain that the perception of extra power is coming from more agressive management of the gearbox change points, not fiddling with the throttle mapping....

IMO the changes to the gearbox setting are useful in performance orrientated driving situations (i.e. thrashing it around the twisty bits)! If you approach a corner fast in D mode and lift off the throttle the car will tend to shift to a higher gear, when you then floor it to power out of the corner the gear box will waste time downshifting again. In S mode when you lift off it will hold the gear you are in, and then when you brake it will downshift in anticipation of take off. Way better than in D mode! And lets face it if you are not into performance of the X5 then you should have bought a Ford!

[X5Sport]

Originally Posted by Mdorphin

False. The setting/button is about as useless as a fat one armed midget trying to do a cartwheel.

All it does is give a higher throttle response by remapping the throttle pedal position sensors. For example, if your using 15% of throttle w/o sport mode, in sport mode that would calculate to say 35% (made up numbers).

Of course it FEELS faster to accelerate in sport mode than w/o it....but that's about it.

It does not add any horsepower, increase torque, or do anything else to boost the car's performance. It feels faster because it takes less pedal input to push more fuel into the engine.

You are not getting any extra power. Keep dreaming

On my 2005 X5 3.0D 6spd Auto shifting to Sport does make a difference to all of the shift points and also brings 1st gear into use. Normal driving only uses 2nd to 6th and the gears shift at about 3,000rpm depending upon throttle application. Put the car into Sport mode and 1st is now used at pull away, all gears will only shift at the red line and 6th is not available below 110mph. In 'D' you're in 6th gear at 50mph and the gearbox will not go to the red line in any gear until you're in 6th.

If you think it's a useless button you either have never used it or have a faulty gearbox. It worked exactly the same way on our E46 5sp auto too.

The only comment I can agree with is that you certainly get no extra power - the engine's max torque and bhp don't change as they're fixed, but the way in which the engine and gearbox use it does indeed change.

[Cole]

Originally Posted by Mdorphin

Pointless button IMO because it just makes you FEEL faster. Plain and simple.

Beer makes me feel faster, and more clever, does that make it pointless too

[bgsquad]

Originally Posted by Cole

I disagree with your suggestion that all Sport mode does is re-map the throttle position and that it is therefore useless.

On My '06 3.0D it clearly changes the gearbox change points and the gear box's behaviour in terms of holding gears on throtle lift off and down shifting as you brake. The car then feels more responsive because it is normally in a lower gear in any particular situation. If you are travelling at a steady speed the moment you push the lever across to Sport mode the gearbox will usually drop a gear if it can.

I agree that there is no extra power coming from the engine, but I maintain that the perception of extra power is coming from more agressive management of the gearbox change points, not fiddling with the throttle mapping....

IMO the changes to the gearbox setting are useful in performance orrientated driving situations (i.e. thrashing it around the twisty bits)! If you approach a corner fast in D mode and lift off the throttle the car will tend to shift to a higher gear, when you then floor it to power out of the corner the gear box will waste time downshifting again. In S mode when you lift off it will hold the gear you are in, and then when you brake it will downshift in anticipation of take off. Way better than in D mode! And lets face it if you are not into performance of the X5 then you should have bought a Ford!

Very accurate description

Mdorphin, I am really astonished at how some people have that confidence combined with so little knowledge... you advise people to stop dreaming, while a 3 y.o kid doesn't buy what you are saying... so you seriousely think that BMW will create the S mode just to make you "feel" that it's different? wow! that's impressive!! Read Cole's repl, learn something, and call it a day

[Weasel]

Maybe Mdorphin is thinking of E46 M3s and E39 M5s with manual transmissions... no manual transmissioned M models the sport "button" next to the shifter does actually remap the throttle. Just press it and you feel the difference as you are driving. On the E60 M5s it actually brings you from 400 to 500hp.

But for any of the X5s to date (since the X5 M isn't out just yet) it is pushing the shifter over to the left, and it changed the shift points/characteristics as we are all trying to point out to him. Gets real aggressive with the 4.6is in sport mode, very fun.

[anerbe]

Originally Posted by Mdorphin

False. The setting/button is about as useless as a fat one armed midget trying to do a cartwheel.

All it does is give a higher throttle response by remapping the throttle pedal position sensors. For example, if your using 15% of throttle w/o sport mode, in sport mode that would calculate to say 35% (made up numbers).

Of course it FEELS faster to accelerate in sport mode than w/o it....but that's about it.

It does not add any horsepower, increase torque, or do anything else to boost the car's performance. It feels faster because it takes less pedal input to push more fuel into the engine.

You are not getting any extra power. Keep dreaming

BIG

Weasel is right. You're confusing "sport" mode shifting with the sport button on M models.

My M3 had a sport button w/ throttle remapping.

Sport mode (on the X5) thru the shifter just changes shifting parameters, allowing higher revs for a given gear before shifting.

Neither button provides more power. The E60 M5 has the P500 mode for the additional power.

[LIONEL1234554321]

I THINK THAT S MODE PUT ALL THE TORQUE ON THE REAR WHEELS.LOL MADE UP THIS INFO.

[FSETH]

X5Sport, Cole, weasel, anerbe, and bgsquad I agree with all of you. It definately changes shift points and helps acceleration over regular drive as long as "kick-down" isn't depressed in either mode, which over rides it.

Mdorphin, I never said it increases power, but changing shift points can affect acceleration for sure. Like weasel said, you may be confusing it with the sport button in other BMW's.

In the X5, it does not remap the throttle pedal position sensors and no, it does not add any horsepower or increase torque. Of course it takes less pedal input to accelerate. That is because of the transmission holding the gearls longer and keeping the engine at higher RPM's. You are giving the changed pedal feel as a cause, when it is actually the affect of the transmission change. I think that is also where you are a little confused.