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Drive Modes - Normal, Sport, Track - What Do They Do?

11K views 44 replies 19 participants last post by  Jules59 
#1 ·
Hi,

I've just bought an ST-2 a couple of days ago. Love it! My first ST. Just curious as to what changes the different drive modes do? Normal, Sport and Track. You Tube videos say different things about what they do. Some say the suspension changes, others say it doesn't? I know Sport adds some pops and bangs to the exhaust sound, and track turns off traction control, but is there any official guidance on exactly what changes? Steering feel for each mode? Suspension changes? Throttle response? Etc?

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Andy
 
#3 · (Edited)
Sports adds pops like you say plus tightens steering and sharpens throttle and allows a little more slip in the stability control.
Track adds even more slip to the back end and drops of the traction control too.

Suspension remains the same through out but car feels tighter due to steering and throttle adjustments.

Most car journalists don't seem to know their filler cap from their dip stick.
 
#12 ·
Never owned an ST before so not really experienced torque steer. The salesman at dealership said its normal for the ST due to the high torque and light weight of the Fiesta.

So to get a more truer line on the road under acceleration do i opt for Sport not Normal mode?

Also how much difference will uneven tyre wear make? , as I find the car is harder to control than any others I have ever driven ( my last being Leon FR with only 130bhp) . I got free tyre and brake check at Halfords ( yeah I know! but it was free and easy and quick to arrange) and they report my tyres range from 3mm to 8mm so wonder if that's a factor?
 
#16 ·
But how we get pops and bangs in Sport and Track?

More fuel used or what kind of setup do they use for this?

Thanks!
 
#23 ·
I find the car when in sport and track mode pretty difficult to control on acceleration on a B road say,the car just pulls and tugs away going up the gears my gearbox ain't the smoothest either bit notchy
Seat at its lowest setting is still too high
To be honest l prefer driving the 95 bhp 1-0 ecoboost Mk8 st-line we have as the gear change and seating position is better, slower yes but better to drive maybe its me as l dont like a manual box
 
#24 ·
I find the car when in sport and track mode pretty difficult to control on acceleration on a B road say,the car just pulls and tugs away going up the gears my gearbox ain't the smoothest either bit notchy
Seat at its lowest setting is still too high
To be honest l prefer driving the 95 bhp 1-0 ecoboost Mk8 st-line we have as the gear change and seating position is better, slower yes but better to drive maybe its me as l dont like a manual box
Do you have the performance pack fitted to your car? The lsd will provide more punch to the wheel with the most grip but in turn makes it a bit twitchy and unpredictable. Just something you have to adjust to I believe
 
#35 · (Edited)
The ST-Line appears to be able to just be pressed full throttle with no issues, whereas the ST needs you to actually drive it and adjust your inputs more accurately.
I think there's something in that. I had a 140 ST-Line for the last 5 years and you could pretty much chuck it into corners with impunity. The limiting factor was more the lack of lateral support in the seat than grip from the PS4s!

The ST does need " actively driving" a little more, particularly in Sports mode which gives you more adjustability when cornering.

Similarly you do need to be aware of the action of the LSD when booting it down an especially poor road, but that's the case with any LSD equipped FWD car in my experience. I still remember a "vigorous" test drive in an LSD-equipped R53 Cooper S which was very reluctant to go in a straight line when accelerating. The ST is much better than that!
 
#31 ·
yep, as soon as I picked my ST up i thought " that gearlever is a wee bit too far forwards and a bit 'low' , I got the seat base in correct position for the pedals, the steering wheel in right place for 'reach' and the seat backrest quite upright really. I get in the Yaris and the gearlever is perfect position, mounted a bit higher and a bit further back so I dont need what feels like a straight arm to put it into first or third. I've got used to it now though. Second gear synchro was quite notchy felt like you were just crunching it a bit and thats with me taking it real easy and changing gear smoothly and not rushing the upchange to 2nd, its got a bit better but I still consciously take care every time I change up 1-2, its better changing down 3-2 thats fine. I havnt had the guts to rush a full bore 1-2 change yet !!
 
#42 ·
This guy also has issues with the gearbox
Yes, having watched the vid in full, pretty much agree with his comments, which are very positive on the whole, apart from the gearlever positioning/change quality. I'd add the caveat that, in terms of "notchiness", mine's still under 700 miles (his test car was only on 500 iirc) and they could well loosen up a bit, but I suppose you either get on with the position of the gearlever or you dont!😃

Mind you, I take for ever to really settle into a different car and get everything positioned just as I like it, so I'm still fiddling with seat/steering column etc at present, so I'll reserve final judgement for a while.
 
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