Sports Mode?

[Dustydog]

Towing a caravan? Activate sports mode! - CaravanTimes

After a week of judging towcars for the Caravan and Motorhome Club, Dan Cartwright shares a top tip for handling tricky corners.

www.caravantimes.co.uk

Not sure what brought this article about. Towing I am always in D mode. On my SUV , S mode is for fast acceleration, hanging onto lower gears etc. Nothing to do with towing imo.
I’m very happy with the performance towing in D mode. Is this article accurate?

 

[RogerL]

Towing a caravan? Activate sports mode! - CaravanTimes

After a week of judging towcars for the Caravan and Motorhome Club, Dan Cartwright shares a top tip for handling tricky corners.

www.caravantimes.co.uk

Not sure what brought this article about. Towing I am always in D mode. On my SUV , S mode is for fast acceleration, hanging onto lower gears etc. Nothing to do with towing imo.
I’m very happy with the performance towing in D mode. Is this article accurate?

Depends on the power compared to the all-up weight of the outfit - outfits with less engine power would benefit from using Sport mode as it will keep the engine in the power band more of the time whereas outfits with more power are best in Normal/Eco mode to reduce wear/tear and improve economy - especially those towing a mere fraction of their towing limit.

My Touareg will change up to top gear (8th) at just under 50 mph, just over 1,200 rpm, even when towing and will hold it except on hills steep enough to be signed - when it's not changing gear, it doesn't matter whether it's in D or S.

Some cars won't go into top gear in Sport mode, solo or towing.

Most cars with sport mode don't alter suspension setting but the article seems to emphasise this as if it's universal - if suspension settings can be altered, that can usually be done without reference to the transmission.

I do switch the air suspension on my Touareg to Sport when towing as it lowers the ride height and stiffens the dampers - but most cars don't have that facility.

 

[otherclive]

My Subaru Forester XT 238 bhp petrol advised towing in Sport mode. But even in Eco mode the engine provided more than enough torque and power to tow without any fuss.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I'm certain that it will depend on the make and model of car, and the weight of the trailer etc, so I could not suggest it is always going to be the mode to be in.

However in many "Sports" modes often things like variable suspension and steering feel may stiffen up and auto boxes may change up at higher revs, which might help when towing, but if cars have that level of adjustability, most will auto detect its towing and will probably already have made adjustments without any need for te driver to engage sports mode.

 

[Mel]

Hmmm. I get these feeds from Caravan times. Not entirely sure about them all. The best one I read opened with “ modern caravans don’t get damp” 😂😂.
Still drying the underwear.
mel

 

[Beachball]

When we were towing our last caravan my car auto box use to choose between eco and normal mode what was needed for towing never tried it in sport mode

 

[Paullus1959]

Is this a joke?
Dan Cartwright seems to be an advocate of sport mode to improve the car's handling and engine response when cornering with a caravan attached. So, he feels safe and secure behind the wheel of his car because the car has less body roll and a more sensitive throttle response which might in turn encourage higher cornering speeds. Isn't that what "Sports" mode is all about, being able to drive and corner at higher speeds? But, what about the caravan? Caravans don't have sophisticated suspension, some don't even have shock absorbers. So, he might be happy in the car but he could be pushing the limits of his caravan's handling capability.
I think he just needs to remember that he's towing an unwieldy box and slow down for bends!
My KIA Sorento has "Sports" mode but I very rarely use it and never when towing. I tend to use the "Eco" or "Smart" modes.

 

[Paullus1959]

I'm not going to edit my post above again.
However, this bloke has really got my goat. I think my Police Driver Trainer mode has kicked in.
In the article he says quote:

"As you begin to move around the corner, your caravan is still travelling in a straight line behind you. To change that direction, a certain level of force is required and it needs to be applied by your towcar. Otherwise, your leisure vehicle will continue its original trajectory, causing instability, or even an accident.
Pressing the sports mode button will tighten your car’s suspension, meaning less body roll and improved traction. A faster throttle response will allow you to gently accelerate to change the direction of your caravan. Ultimately, this means that your car is driving the caravan, as opposed to your caravan pushing the car".

Dan Cartwright may be an expert but It's a case of a little information taken out of context being dangerous to people with little knowledge or experience.
His explanation of the cornering forces are simple but basically correct.
However, he then talks about how A faster throttle response will allow you to gently accelerate to change the direction of your caravan.
To accelerate means increasing speed.
You do not want to increase speed when cornering especially when towing, you should aim to maintain a constant speed throughout the curve as far as possible. This is achieved by gentle and accurate application of the throttle to overcome the physical forces acting on the vehicle which cause it to slow down.

So, on the approach to a bend you achieve the appropriate speed you wish to negotiate it at. As you enter the bend you apply sufficient throttle, not to increase speed but to maintain it. This ensures maximum stability throughout the curve. Equally, entering a bend too quickly and taking your foot off the accelerator suddenly or braking will cause the car to slow down and if a caravan is attached the caravan will then push the car, again causing instability.
A very simplistic explanation and it takes practice but, entering a bend too quickly and/or accelerating around bends with or without a caravan attached is a recipe for disaster.
I'm off my soapbox now.

 

[Guzzilazz]

Typical rubbish motoring correspondent. When I bought the XC40 the reviews said words to the effect that "the touch screen is rubbish". Not ONE OF THEM recognised that you don't need to use the touch screen, voice control does everything you need!

I suspect also that stiffening suspension is a feature only available on a very limited number of cars

 

[Buckman]

I was always taught to accelerate out of a bend. He may have 12 years experience in the caravan and motorhome industry, but does that make him a professional driver?

Using sport mode may tighten the suspension, but also increases your fuel consumption. Anyway when towing you should not be going into any bend on any A road at high speed. I doubt if any of our motorways have tight bends?

His testing was done at Millbrook so not restricted to 50 or 60mph so his advice may then apply in those circumstances. If I remember correctly from my last visit to Milbrook they have a huge oval or circular track that has a very smooth surface and it is sloped.

When towing, the stop start is deactivated and the car set to Eco. In Eco on the motorway the car automatically lowers itself to make it more streamline? Towing in Eco we get about 23mpg. Although I have had my vehicle almost a year I think I have used the Sport mode once.

 

[otherclive]

I’ve had XC70, Foresters, Superb and Kia. All had a Sports mode but none had had suspension that could be be electronically adjusted. Moving into Sports mode sharpened throttle response, and if it did anything to steering feel I couldn’t tell.

 

[Dustydog]

All the replies so far confirm my initial thought. Dan Cartwright has brown ears😜
We all set up our loads correctly before departure ensuring as safe a tow as possible. Why do I want to further stiffen the suspension once moving?
VW in my case spent millions developing the ideal engines gearboxes software for an easy relaxed tow with best economy.
Why do I want the engine staying in lower gears and revving higher for no gain? Need instant power? There’s kickdown, the dusty unused paddles. But not for towing.
Kickdown will hold the lower gears almost to maximum rpm if I need the thrill.
Is it boys and their toys or just a report from a journalist who is clearly not a seasoned caravanner.

 

[Parksy]

On my 2013 Kia Sorento, the only sport mode that's available is for the steering, which has sport, normal and relaxed modes.
I set the steering to sport mode when using motorways whether towing or solo.
The sport mode stiffens the steering slightly, which helps to prevent any tendency for the steering to wander.
I always tow in eco mode for the engine and auto gearbox.

 

[Paullus1959]

I was always taught to accelerate out of a bend. He may have 12 years experience in the caravan and motorhome industry, but does that make him a professional driver?

No it clearly doesn't and you are right, you accelerate as you are exiting the bend not while negotiating it.

 

[trevormonty]

I use Sport mode on windy hilly roads as it holds gears between corners instead of always kicking up and down gears with throttle changes. Other plus is it sends 20% power to rear instead of 100% to front unless it detect slippage. Holding the gears also helps on downhill with engine braking.

Found on wet hilly sections snow mode is better as split is 50:50 and feels more planted.
NB alot of AWDs are predominately front wheel drive and only send power to rear if slippage is detected.

 

[Buckman]

I use Sport mode on windy hilly roads as it holds gears between corners instead of always kicking up and down gears with throttle changes. Other plus is it sends 20% power to rear instead of 100% to front unless it detect slippage. Holding the gears also helps on downhill with engine braking.

Found on wet hilly sections snow mode is better as split is 50:50 and feels more planted.
NB alot of AWDs are predominately front wheel drive and only send power to rear if slippage is detected.

Although we have not had the issue of windy hilly roads, I would simply select the appropriate gear by switching to manual mode.

 

[trevormonty]

Although we have not had the issue of windy hilly roads, I would simply select the appropriate gear by switching to manual mode.

Did try manual mode couple times before reverting back to Auto in Sports mode. Found gearbox does pretty good job of picking right gear. Will on occasionally us paddle shifts especially on descents for extra engine braking.

 

[Dustydog]

I must be losing it. Long gone are my days of pushing the rev counter into the Red . 😎

 

[Lutz]

I must be losing it. Long gone are my days of pushing the rev counter into the Red . 😎

In the days when I was towing a 1300kg caravan with a 90bhp Vectra it was regularly in the red. I distinctly remember a long climb not far from where I lived where I was doing 50mph in second gear.

 

[trevormonty]

In the days when I was towing a 1300kg caravan with a 90bhp Vectra it was regularly in the red. I distinctly remember a long climb not far from where I lived where I was doing 50mph in second gear.

Thats the joy of Vitara 1.4T with 230nm torque at 1500, rarely sees 4000rpm even with 1000kg in tow. On the other hand 1.6 with 156nm at 4400 would be spending a lot time >4000rpm if it was asked to tow 1000kg.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Before advocating using sports mode or any other setting in car please bear in mind that what the mode actually does in one vehicle is not universally replicated in all other vehicle's, even the same model of car, the mode ( if its offered) may depend on the trim level (e.g. S or GT or M et) and even the model with the same trim some may have had a software update which changes what's available to the driver.

If you have options available, just find the one you like and use it, and if you do want to post about ir please include the Make Model, Trim and year.

 

[GaryB]

Never found any advantage using sports mode in my previous V90, but Volvo have dropped that feature (along with others) in the later models so it’s “Drive” to select and that’s it! A previous car was a 2016 BMW520D and from memory, selecting Sport mode also changed the suspension and steering (firmed them up)?

 

[GaryB]

Typical rubbish motoring correspondent. When I bought the XC40 the reviews said words to the effect that "the touch screen is rubbish". Not ONE OF THEM recognised that you don't need to use the touch screen, voice control does everything you need!

I suspect also that stiffening suspension is a feature only available on a very limited number of cars

What model year is your Volvo? My 2022 V90’s “infotainment centre” (Google based) is nowhere near as good as the Volvo Sensus system in my previous 2018 V90 in my experience.