Hey, what do you guys think of the Sport Drive mode on our automatics? I am used to driving manual (I had a 3 series for a while), and I finally went auto with my E60. I find that the Sport Drive function gives the car a little more pickup.

Does anyone else use the Sport Drive?

 

My only observations are that the Steptronic in the SD position lets the car shift up at a higher RPM, and shift down sooner as the speed decreases. It may also start off from a stop in first gear, but I'm not sure about that. Maybe the manual has something about it?

 

I often flick to SD if needing to make a quick exit from a junction or away from the lights, as there is a noticeable lag in D.

Rarely use cross country, as if in cruise mode use D and if in pace mode use the manual shift mode.

 

I have used it quite often to get that snap your neck feeling when you nail it and get from the wife for scarring the crap out of her. I love manual transmissions, but just got sick and tired of shifting in traffic. A nice alternative from either SMG or manual (for my wife that is ).

 

yes there is more "pickup" in sport mode. i barely ever use it though. im always usually in manual mode. more fun in my opinion plus i wanted a manual transmission to begin with..

 

me too and only way to drive in my eyes....little more umf

 

Perversely, in EU, this position is marked DS.

ABC

 

DS is just a lil bit different from D, but it doesn't do me justice as i found that most of the times when cronering hard or powersliding or whatever the gearbox even in DS will change into a higher gear at the slimest lift off the accelerator. The software isn't doing it's math right since i'm pulling alot of latteral G when i do that (or at least much more than normal) and it shouldn't allow it to change into a higher gear.

The scenario is this and frankly i'm tired of having it (hence i use M mode when i really drive fast):

DS approach a corner at high-medium revs, get it to drift slightly while feathering the accelerator, lift off at some point--->gearbox changes into the next gear---> a very idiotic sensation as you would expect the revs to be like just 2 seconds before into highs and you now sit into lower revs with lower power than expected. It's like vrooooooooM and then VROOOOOM after you already mashed your foot into the kickdown sensor. It's weird and for sure looks and sounds dumb.

Conclusion: Wana drive fast? Use Manual mode.

 

On the new LCI box they also appear have remapped the throttle response in DS mode much like the Sport buttonin the M3. The only way I can describe it is that in normal mode 100% power is at 100% depression prior to the kick down notch. IN DS mode I reckon full power comes in at around 25%-40% throttle movement.

It certainly gets round the original lag problem and caught me out when I first flicked my new one onto Sport mode.

Fatlab

 

I had a 650i with Step before I bought the 550i for the wifey and I am sorry to say that I miss the Sport button on my old 650i dearly. There is a DS and Sport button on the 650i and while the DS works as it does on the 5-series, the Sport button just turns the 650i into a beast!