Driving in heavy traffic with sport mode off makes a world of a difference (Phearable 1.5)

suhhh

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Not sure if I'm beating a dead horse with this.. probably am..

I've been a long time sayer of "YEAH I KEEP IT IN SPORT MODE ALL THE TIME EVEN FROM THE SECOND I TURN IT ON"

I've previously had a 2018 Si coupe before my current 2020 Si, and in total I've used regular mode maybe 1% of the time.

On my commute yesterday morning I was so tired that I forgot to put sport mode on, once I did I noticed the car being so much choppier in traffic. Oh my god does sport mode off make traffic 100000x more bearable. I feel like this should be already known since sport mode increases throttle response slightly, but I guess I didn't know any better and just wanted the stiffer suspension.

My painful commutes have suddenly become a lot less painful, it's tough being in NYC stop and go and having the car constantly jerking everytime I get on or let off the throttle.
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jlamb30

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Not sure if I'm beating a dead horse with this.. probably am..

I've been a long time sayer of "YEAH I KEEP IT IN SPORT MODE ALL THE TIME EVEN FROM THE SECOND I TURN IT ON"

I've previously had a 2018 Si coupe before my current 2020 Si, and in total I've used regular mode maybe 1% of the time.

On my commute yesterday morning I was so tired that I forgot to put sport mode on, once I did I noticed the car being so much choppier in traffic. Oh my god does sport mode off make traffic 100000x more bearable. I feel like this should be already known since sport mode increases throttle response slightly, but I guess I didn't know any better and just wanted the stiffer suspension.

My painful commutes have suddenly become a lot less painful, it's tough being in NYC stop and go and having the car constantly jerking everytime I get on or let off the throttle.
The ride quality is not near as harsh with Sport mode off, as well.
 

The Bad Guy

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The majority of my commute involves me catching the Express Lane from home, to work, then back. I don't hit bumper-to-bumper traffic until i'm heading home, so with that said, i do engage sport mode once i hit the interstate. GA traffic is stupid heavy, but most of it is due to people who have too much pride to move over for the faster drivers which forces you to pass them in the two slow lanes or make you dig deep into your bag of Michael Schumacher particular set of skills in order to navigate through to a clear path.
 

jlamb30

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I only notice the difference in ride quality once i hit a bump, wonky ramp entrance/elbow or a whoop.
On a perfectly smooth surface, it's fine. But there are not many of those where I am in south Georgia. The Si's dampers are already stiffer than other trims, and to me, with Sport mode engaged, every bump, ripple, crack, tar snake, etc., is greatly amplified.
 


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I’m ass backwards. I can never remember to turn the damn thing on when i wanna do some spirited driving, always think about it after hard driving.
 

The Bad Guy

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I’m ass backwards. I can never remember to turn the damn thing on when i wanna do some spirited driving, always think about it after hard driving.
I'm used to the higher rpm in Sport Mode and when it's off i'm like..."did i break something?" when i'm trying to boot and scoot, then it clicks that it's not engaged. :rolleyes:
 

The Bad Guy

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On a perfectly smooth surface, it's fine. But there are not many of those where I am in south Georgia. The Si's dampers are already stiffer than other trims, and to me, with Sport mode engaged, every bump, ripple, crack, tar snake, etc., is greatly amplified.
Agreed; i loathe the GA roads.
 
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suhhh

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The ride quality is not near as harsh with Sport mode off, as well.
might be because i'm young, but I much prefer the stiffer suspension and steering wheel

just makes me feel like a bad bitch, no other reason

The majority of my commute involves me catching the Express Lane from home, to work, then back. I don't hit bumper-to-bumper traffic until i'm heading home, so with that said, i do engage sport mode once i hit the interstate. GA traffic is stupid heavy, but most of it is due to people who have too much pride to move over for the faster drivers which forces you to pass them in the two slow lanes or make you dig deep into your bag of Michael Schumacher particular set of skills in order to navigate through to a clear path.
cant imagine dealing with those drivers, here in new york everywhere is a fast and slow lane. gotta time your merges and lane switches correctly here while driving aggressive or else you will suffer
 


jlamb30

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might be because i'm young, but I much prefer the stiffer suspension and steering wheel

just makes me feel like a bad bitch, no other reason
I wanted a stiff ride when I was young too. I'm old, so ideal for me would be a smooth, supple ride in normal, and stiff in Sport.
 
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suhhh

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LOL, you a riot bro
just me at 8am on my way to my 9-5 desk job blasting music about shooting and robbing people in my stiff suspension civic and left hand hanging out the window ?

I wanted a stiff ride when I was young too. I'm old, so ideal for me would be a smooth, supple ride in normal, and stiff in Sport.
yeah understandable i'll eventually get to that point but I'll enjoy it for now when i'm young. my older buddy who's in his 30's recently sold his 375whp Si because it was just too uncomfortable for him, opted for an A spec acura instead and loves the comfort
 

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I can't stand how my SI feels without sport on. Throttle response is terrible, brakes feel spongy & steering just feels...off.
When I don't turn it on, after 2-3 blocks I think somethings wrong with my car. Same thing in our MDX, wife drives in normal & I've never driven on anything other than sport.
Coming from my slammed DC2 the SI even on sport feels downright plush.

Even in bay area traffic sports on if the cars on.

But I can totally see why some would want to have the option.
 
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suhhh

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I can't stand how my SI feels without sport on. Throttle response is terrible, brakes feel spongy & steering just feels...off.
When I don't turn it on, after 2-3 blocks I think somethings wrong with my car. Same thing in our MDX, wife drives in normal & I've never driven on anything other than sport.

Even in bay area traffic sports on if the cars on.

But I can totally see why some would want to have the option.
exactly how I think, it just feels very numb compared to when sports mode is on. but after taking the george washington bridge almost everyday for a year, i've learned to appreciate the lower throttle response with sport mode off.

not sure if you have a 2020 but tunes with it are kinda wonky sometimes in traffic, lots of jerking
 

Miguel Tesla

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Appreciate this post, because I was the "always have sport mode on" guy and now I'm not. I have noticed how jerky it was in traffic in 1st gear but didn't think it was related to 'sport mode.' I have Phearable 1.5R tune and I tried city/traffic driving with sport mode off and damn, it's a world of difference - super smooth. Yeah, the throttle response isn't as crisp and the suspension isn't as tight with sport mode off, but with the tune it's improved a lot and I turn sport mode on right as I hit the on ramp for the highways and it's smooth sailing from there :)
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