Sport Driving Mode Question?

[CletusVanDam]

There are a couple stretches I drive that are great for sport mode. Particularly a spot where, from a stop sign, I've got to merge onto a 60mph road. Also I occasionally drive sport mode just for fun.

Note: Put the screen on the Intelligent 4WD display next time you use sport mode, and notice how often it goes full 4wd to assist with accelerating.

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[johnardsg]

IMO i'm not a fan of the Sport Mode compared to Pedal Max which really improves Throttle Response and doesn't hang in the lower gears and higher RPM like Sport Mode!! And i hope i hear no complaints about me bringing up the Pedal Max since i think it applies in this Thread!!

I was always driving the highways with sport mode for the past 3years until i hit the turbocharger failure. I switched to normal mode to isolate the failure and I had no problems driving with normal mode even with the failed turbocharger. Now i can drive it like how the sportmode is just apply more pedal to it like what Blueovalracer said above. Just a matter of getting used to it right

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

I was always driving the highways with sport mode for the past 3years until i hit the turbocharger failure. I switched to normal mode to isolate the failure and I had no problems driving with normal mode even with the failed turbocharger. Now i can drive it like how the sportmode is just apply more pedal to it like what Blueovalracer said above. Just a matter of getting used to it right

Do you know what Drive By Wire means on these newer Vehicles like late 2000's and up?

 

[Mark S.]

Do you know what Drive By Wire means on these newer Vehicles like late 2000's and up?

Drive by wire means there is no direct mechanical connection between the accelerator pedal and the engine. In the past a cable ran between the pedal and the throttle; when you stepped on the pedal you opened the throttle. In a drive-by-wire setup the pedal is attached to a potentiometer (or a digital equivalent). Stepping on the pedal changes the electrical signal output by the potentiometer which the computer interprets as power demand. The computer then commands the servo connected to the throttle to open the throttle.

 

[johnardsg]

I am still getting used to how the Bronco Sport works and what is normal. I am coming from a 20 Escape that has the same driving mode features including Sport Mode but is a very different vehicle. While the Escape did take longer to shift in to the next gears and the RPM's increased more before shifting I do not recall it reving so high before shifting like the Bronco does so it just didn't feel right to me. I am happy this forum is so full of knowledgable people that I can come to with questions. I really appreciate everyone on this forum.

Yeah it does sound and feel not normal as it is a computer trying to behave like the foot of an experienced driver.
What I can say is that one can really just stay using the normal mode and just punch the gas a few millimeters more for the power response you need. You can actually match the speed (60/70 even 80mph) that sport mode achieves and it will only stay around 2800rpm when trying to rev up. Then it just cruises with 2000rpm to maintain your speed. Sport mode minimum to rev up is 3000rpm plus and you can hear the engine crying hehe but thats normal (but since it’s just 1.5L i think it’s too much to have doing constantly). I’ve seen my BB hit 5000 and redline at 6500 but do that constantly is too much i guess.

 

[johnardsg]

Do you know what Drive By Wire means on these newer Vehicles like late 2000's and up?

Not really no but it should still be haptic response to the resistance you applied to the pedal. How they implemented that im not sure (someone correct me please as i learned driving with Drive-by-cable cars)

 

[DWG]

Yeah it does sound and feel not normal as it is a computer trying to behave like the foot of an experienced driver.
What I can say is that one can really just stay using the normal mode and just punch the gas a few millimeters more for the power response you need. You can actually match the speed (60/70 even 80mph) that sport mode achieves and it will only stay around 2800rpm when trying to rev up. Then it just cruises with 2000rpm to maintain your speed. Sport mode minimum to rev up is 3000rpm plus and you can hear the engine crying hehe but thats normal (but since it’s just 1.5L i think it’s too much to have doing constantly). I’ve seen my BB hit 5000 and redline at 6500 but do that constantly is too much i guess.

Thank you for the response. I wasn't expecting the way it behaved when I put it in Sports mode. I think I was expecting more of a feel similar to the Escape. A little bit more feeling of power when stepping on the gas and a little longer between shifts. With the 8 speeds on the transmission I try to accelerate someone lightly on the gas to keep from feeling the shift points to a minimum.

 

[Davenorton]

Yep. I love it when I'm in hilly or curvy areas. Fun. But definitely feels revved.

I love being in sport mode, when in hilly or curvy areas....my girlfriend agrees!

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

Drive by wire means there is no direct mechanical connection between the accelerator pedal and the engine. In the past a cable ran between the pedal and the throttle; when you stepped on the pedal you opened the throttle. In a drive-by-wire setup the pedal is attached to a potentiometer (or a digital equivalent). Stepping on the pedal changes the electrical signal output by the potentiometer which the computer interprets as power demand. The computer then commands the servo connected to the throttle to open the throttle.

Correct but from the factory when you give it 1/2 throttle the computer might only be letting it get 1/4 throttle that's where the Pedal Max helps out!!And the 1/2 and 1/4 throttle part that i was talking about is what a guy on the F-150 site said that has a Z06 Corvette!! I doubt the drive by wire on these BS are any different than his Corvette is!! He said the throttle response was horrible from the factory and used a pedal commander to help with the throttle response!!When cars actually had a throttle cable if you gave it 1/2 throttle you got 1/2 throttle!!

 

[Mark S.]

When cars actually had a throttle cable if you gave it 1/2 throttle you got 1/2 throttle!!

That's not necessarily true. It depends on how the linkage is configured. Some designers used a cam on the throttle actuator to modulate throttle change rate at different pedal positions.

Like just about everything involving engineering, throttle response is compromise. In this case you have to choose between performance and economy. If you want to increase the rate of acceleration you must increase the amount of energy–i.e. power–used.

 

[Bluesteelworx]

Yes David it’s normal to hang around 3000 rpm. Redline is at 6500 rpm so no need to worry. In Sport Mode

Yes, the high ripm's is what makes it feel like a rabbit kicked in the ass.

 

[Jparadacen]

I am still getting used to how the Bronco Sport works and what is normal. I am coming from a 20 Escape that has the same driving mode features including Sport Mode but is a very different vehicle. While the Escape did take longer to shift in to the next gears and the RPM's increased more before shifting I do not recall it reving so high before shifting like the Bronco does so it just didn't feel right to me. I am happy this forum is so full of knowledgable people that I can come to with questions. I really appreciate everyone on this forum.

As far as I remember the Escape has a different engine and transmission (depends on the model year), so the driving experience will be different. The 1.5L engine on the BS is smaller so it has to rev more.

 

[BSBB4Les]

Since the topic is about sport mode, I have a story to tell about an experience I had just a few days ago. Coming home from an appointment out of town, I got caught in a merge lane where it ended about 300 feet past the light I was stopped at. There were a number of vehicles in the through lane and, well, I just didn't want to be stuck behind that line. The vehicle next to me was a BMW suv about the same size as the BS. I put her in sport mode, anticipated the green light by slightly rolling then stabbing the gas pedal. No turbo lag and a jerk back in the seat and we were off! Now I know the beamer started to stay with me but I was hitting 6 grand on the tach and he was in my rear view at the merge point, I was doing 65 by that time, and I kept the pedal to the metal until I caught traffic up the road. When the driver of the BMW caught up behind he tapped his horn a couple of times. I don't know if it out anger or respect. I suspect the former but I know 2 things happened after that. One, my wife, who was with me, didn't speak to me the rest of the way home and 2, I was smiling inside all the way home!

 

[NMhunter]

Loved that story BBBS$Les.

I use Sport mode in the winter when I have a short drive to visit my grandkids and the drive isn't long enough to properly warm up the engine in cold weather. Putting it in Sport mode warms it up quickly.

I usually drive in ECO mode, and when I tromp on the accelerator to merge on the interstate, I have no complaints.

I had a drive-by-cable Karman Ghia in college, and it wasn't a great experience when the cable broke on the freeway. Hope the potentiometer holds up.

 

[DWG]

As far as I remember the Escape has a different engine and transmission (depends on the model year), so the driving experience will be different. The 1.5L engine on the BS is smaller so it has to rev more.

I have a 20 Escape Titanium and a 24 Bronco Sport Badlands. As far as I am aware both vehicles have the 2.0L engine and 8F35 Transmission.

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