please can i have feedback on when i should use sports mode on a td4 auto hse 2008.
is it for use on motorways/dual carriage ways only.
or is it just for use when needed for overtaking.
i have a friend who has told me that using sports mode means the gears hold for longer therefore uses more fuel and that i should not use this mode??

regards

i have a friend who has told me that using sports mode means the gears hold for longer therefore uses more fuel and that i should not use this mode??

A) use it whenever you want

B) get new friends

useful when stuck behind a caravan At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

On a recent LRE day the instructor had heard from owners who said their ecomomy was actually better in sport mode.

I tend to use it when I want some extra welly like overtaking or joining from a slip road and want to get up to speed asap.

It's a personal choice when to use it in normal driving. Use it and enjoy it.

Every journey!

Don't need it in the FFRR but it is there if I do  ______________________
2011 Full Fat RR 4.4 TDV8
2012 FL2 SD4 Auto HSE
2013 Kawasaki Versys 650

with sand setting on the TR system and sport mode enabled , you can experience very rapid progress around town, getting away from the lights etc

as the others say just use it when you want to hustle along a bit without the bother of "command shifting" of course you will use more fuel but getting your foot down always will. it's no problem to shove the stick in and out of sport mode as the opportunity arises to make a bit of progress etc. 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

As others say, its up to you. I use it for acceleration when overtaking (yes CG, caravans.....) but also if I want to hoon around on some winding country roads. It really is up to you and the fuel economy will not be that much worse. In Sport it does hold the gears longer so is more 'natural' if you're an enthusiastic driver.......

'Drive' will change up into a higher gear as soon as possible and 'Sport' will hold onto a gear much longer.

I use 'Sport' for 'B' roads as it makes smoother/quicker progress as in 'Drive' you will find as you lift your foot off the accelerator before a sharpish corner it will change up, and as you accelerate out of the corner it will change down again. 'Sport' allows you most of the time to enter and exit these corners in the same/appropriate gear.

Driving in 'Sport' mode won't use much, if any more diesel as it can be a more efficient way to drive on some roads and even in this mode, if it senses a light throttle for a period of time it will go into a higher cruising gear. It can be a more efficient mode for towing also.

So basically if you find the gearbox going up and down on certain roads, put it into 'Sport'. Again if you are behind a vehicle waiting for an opportunity to overtake then dropping into 'Sport' will cause the box to change down in readiness.

I'm really repeating what others have said, only you will know that the Auto box is unhappy with the road conditions and your options of 'D', 'S' or 'Command shift' should make it an easier drive.

If you're on a road accelerating and decelerating just a few mph, but it's causing the transmission to 'hunt' between gears, that's a good time to use it. TBH I never use it for overtaking as once your foot's burried it doesn't change until gone 4k anyway, and the torque is more that adequate and makes up for the power interruption during changes (which you get more of if you are in sport mode whilst nailing it!)

Good rule of thumb, if you're getting lots of unnecessary changes in Auto, try Sport/Manual. Mine: 2012 Golf GTI Edition 35
Family's: 2009 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Auto, Stornoway

Yorkshire - God's County

thank you every one for your replies.
i now understand what sport mode is and when i should use it
thankyou

The manual recomends using sport mode when towing.

Certainly helps with the van on the back. Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

Andy131 wrote:

The manual recommends using a hotel/holiday cottage when holidaying.

Certainly a good idea after driving with the van on the back

 At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Andy131 wrote:

The manual recomends using sport mode when towing.

Certainly helps with the van on the back.