You do know what sport mode is for right?
Hint: Its not for fuel economy purposes......

 

You do know what sport mode is for right? Hint: Its not for fuel economy purposes......

Yes, I know what it's for. I'm just surprised on how they implemented it. Why do an automatic downshift when the engine isn't being called on to do anything extraordinary? As I said, my Jag didn't implement it that way, and that sport mode worked great without wasting a bunch of gas waiting for a signal that extra power was needed.

 

Thats not how it works.....

 

I was driving normally yesterday with a steady foot on the gas. For the heck of it, I flipped sport mode on in the car and I noticed that the car's RPM jumped up significantly, as if the car had down-shifted. I turned sport-mode off and it then appeared that the car upshifted two gears, returning the RPM to a more normal range.

My old Jaguar X-type had a sport mode and when I turned that on, it never did an automatic down-shift (or upshift). It just adjusted the RPM speed at which the gears would then either upshift or downshift based upon a change in the acceleration.

I find Mazda's implementation of sport mode odd at best, and a huge waste of gas at worst (due to the downshifting when it wasn't needed). Am I missing anything here? Any comments?

Mazda's implementation methodology is identical to some other Mfrs. They figure to avert an extra downshift (or two) to get into a more-amenable-to-sport-driving rpm range - they do it automatically for you. If you want Sport, you don't want additional lag or delay... Also, every additional shift of the A/T produces wear... so they avert that. Behaviour of a car that seeks too high a gear for good response is, for me, off-putting.

 

Yes, but they aren't getting rid of any shifts. They are just changing when the shift occurs (either when sport mode is turned on versus an aggressive accelerator press). If they just waited for when the accelerator was pressed, they would save gas because the car would be running in a higher gear for a longer period.

 

Well, the button is for SPORT mode. For like when you're in the mood for driving around a bit sporty. Works fine for me.

 

Sport mode is about faster response, not saving fuel. That's what the default normal setting is for. Yes it saves shifts because Mazda assumes you are actively engaging in sport-driving... and while in sport-driving you avert those extra shifts repeatedly... and when you're done you go back to Normal mode.

My Mazda is a 6MT. Though there are many plusses with the 6AT, just like any A/T - programming cannot surmount the fact that the driver has eyes and can see and has a brain; the A/T cannot fathom the driver's intent. So my point is that A/T programming can be good, but never 100% perfect.

 

Though there are many plusses with the 6AT, just like any A/T - programming cannot surmount the fact that the driver has eyes and can see and has a brain; the A/T cannot fathom the driver's intent. So my point is that A/T programming can be good, but never 100% perfect.

I don't think its anything to do with transmission programming. From the way the Sport switch operation is described - ie accelerator response is enhanced - it sounds more like all it does is use a different set of tables for the pedal position sensor, not unlike aftermarket throttle response boxes such as the Pedal Commander.

 

"It also talks about how the the turbo cars sport mode also runs a different G Vectoring program as well." per Sinistriel. This is the reason I use Sport mode, but drive the car like a manual with the shifter to the left. I get the handling/steering improvement and shift gears where/when I want. I believe part of the G Vectoring deals with power ratio front/rear wheels on the AWD.

Please feel to correct this assumption and provide any documentation to further educate me!!

 

Just tried my sport mode yesterday, when I got back into town. Hollleeeeshet def is different from the fords. The fords accelerate the same, just upshift at higher rpms. Which the Mazda does too, but the engine def changes, it PULLS. I don’t know what else it does but def is niiiiice. Def can see sport mode usage gobbling up more gas. Def for fun on the back roads, not cruising.