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What's everyone's drive mode?

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#21
Do you guys find eco mode makes a difference on highway? I have a 10 hr trip coming up tomorrow and I always thought eco was mainly for city driving. But I’m seeing a decent amount of people say eco on highway so I’m curious.
Cruise control behaves differently in each mode, including accelerating upon resuming. It takes it easy on the gas in eco versus sport or normal. I use sport in town to accelerate from the stop lights.
 

st8

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#22
Cruise control behaves differently in each mode, including accelerating upon resuming. It takes it easy on the gas in eco versus sport or normal. I use sport in town to accelerate from the stop lights.
Ahhh makes perfect sense. Thanks for that. Never thought of that.
 

Dale5403

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#23
I feel Eco helps more on the highway than around town. Highway is the only place I use it. I could be wrong but do it any way.
 

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Columbus, OH, USA
#24
Do you guys find eco mode makes a difference on highway? I have a 10 hr trip coming up tomorrow and I always thought eco was mainly for city driving. But I’m seeing a decent amount of people say eco on highway so I’m curious.
I did a 140 mile round trip when I first bought mine, going I was on eco mode and got 28.1 mpg, drive back I got 26.7 in either sport or regular mode. Hard to say for sure that the root cause was the drive mode, there were lots of traffic light stops in both directions, but if it makes a difference, it is not huge. The biggest difference is how you use your right foot.
 

st8

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#25
All makes sense. My biggest thing is if I need t quickly speed around someone on the highway. But for example like my upcoming 10hr trip tomorrow evening, when I’m just following people, sounds like a perfect time for eco.

my original plan was to test between 93 heading down and 87 back up. Maybe I’ll do 93 eco and 93 normal lol
 

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#26
All makes sense. My biggest thing is if I need t quickly speed around someone on the highway. But for example like my upcoming 10hr trip tomorrow evening, when I’m just following people, sounds like a perfect time for eco.

my original plan was to test between 93 heading down and 87 back up. Maybe I’ll do 93 eco and 93 normal lol
Even in eco when you floor it, it goes.
 

st8

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#27
Even in eco when you floor it, it goes.
I guess in my experience, it’s just delayed. The get up and go is there, just a little delayed. I guess that’s the best way to put it. I’ll have to to give it another shot.
 

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Location
N. Florida
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2020 ST
#28
City driving needs quicker response to driver input. Highway driving is miles and miles of steady-state condition. My recent road trip was 2-5 hours at a stretch with minimal speed changes or quick need of the warp drive.
 

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#29
Do you guys find eco mode makes a difference on highway? I have a 10 hr trip coming up tomorrow and I always thought eco was mainly for city driving. But I’m seeing a decent amount of people say eco on highway so I’m curious.
If its coasting to a similar speed 99% of the time, the MPG between Sport, Eco and normal will pretty much be the same. Even on sport mode when cruising, itll go to its 10th gear.

I guess in my experience, it’s just delayed. The get up and go is there, just a little delayed. I guess that’s the best way to put it. I’ll have to to give it another shot.
Eco usually stays in lower RPMs in higher gears hence the hesitation vs Sport when you go WOT. But the main difference between the 3 modes is the throttle response and gear selection. All 3 modes make the same power all the time.

EX., The throttle opening on Sport if you tap 1/4 on the pedal would be 40% vs 10-20% on eco. Driving on normal mode using 3/4+ of the throttle is practically sport mode without the holding of gears.
There's no cylinder deactivation like on GM/Dodge nor fly tune changing.
 

TMac

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#30
I believe you're right on highway cruise. But for mixed driving Sport mode will absolutely hold gears much longer and upshift much later. You also don't get the coasting effect that you will from ECO or Normal modes. I'm amazed at how far this thing will coast for an auto trans! As such, you will definitely use more gas since there is a lot more engine braking going on combined with keeping the torque converter locked.
 

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Location
Minneapolis, MN, USA
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2022 Ford Explorer ST
#31
SPORT - the other modes don't exist for me.... Probably why I'm averaging 16 mpg :LOL:
 

CareerFiremanGuy

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#32
SPORT - the other modes don't exist for me.... Probably why I'm averaging 16 mpg :LOL:
I'm 100% Sport Mode and I'm getting a very consistent 20 mpg combined.(y)

P.S. What is this "Eco" mode people are talking about? ;)
 

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Minneapolis, MN, USA
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#33
I'm 100% Sport Mode and I'm getting a very consistent 20 mpg combined.(y)

P.S. What is this "Eco" mode people are talking about? ;)
I'd get 20+ as well BUT I have a heavy foot..... Probably due to that ZFG E50 tune
 

CareerFiremanGuy

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#34
I'd get 20+ as well BUT I have a heavy foot..... Probably due to that ZFG E50 tune
Okay, it has to be the tune then as I also drive in a spirited manner.

The formula remains unchanged: More HP = More Air + More Fuel
 

HGR

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Alberta, Canada
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Ford Explorer St 2022
#35
I did not buy this vehicle to drive it anything but SPORT
 

CareerFiremanGuy

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#36
I did not buy this vehicle to drive it anything but SPORT
Same here.

If I wanted to drive "Eco", I would've bought a Maglite-On-Wheels.
 

TwolIter

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Location
NY
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2022 Ford Explorer ST 401A Street Package
#37
Depends on where I'm going... Definitely like the sport mode, but some times in sport mode the transmission seams to hang after lifting @ higher RPMs & I have to use the paddle shift to manually switch to the next gear. 22 w/ 1,380 miles all stock. It has done this a few times where I feel it should have shifted by now so I lift @ 5500 or above... saw 6100 1 time.. & yes... I won...lol I have tried all the modes & find each to be unique in their own way. I can't wait to try the snow & ice & pull a 5K trailer. I have seen a 2-3 MPG gain using Eco on the run to & from work while using the adaptive cruise & staying in the right lane. We have a trip to the Ford performance driving school coming up in November so I'm sure to have some good data after.
 

GearHead_1

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Exploder
#38
Ditto on the transmission hanging for too long in Sports Mode. I run in Sports Mode more often than not but like you I'm no stranger to the paddle shifters.
 

st8

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#39
Ditto on the transmission hanging for too long in Sports Mode. I run in Sports Mode more often than not but like you I'm no stranger to the paddle shifters.
Exactly. Which is the point of that mode. But so I don’t know how people comfortably drive around like that all the time. Plus when you drive around in normal most of the time, and pop it into sport, it feels that much more special.
 

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#40
Exactly. Which is the point of that mode. But so I don’t know how people comfortably drive around like that all the time. Plus when you drive around in normal most of the time, and pop it into sport, it feels that much more special.
I like to use sport mode in more urban areas (stop and go) and eco mode on the highway, unless I want to go, go, go.
 



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