New to the forum - Drive mode question

[STLien]

What's up everyone, I'm new to the forum. I just got a 2016 Q70L 5.6 AWD and was wondering if it's safe to drive in sport mode all the time or should I switch back to normal occasionally.

Thanks!

[Ilya]

My car never leaves sport mode in good weather. Only time it goes out of sport is snow mode in the winter and even then I sometimes leave it in sport for some fun lol.

[STLien]

Great! Appreciate the quick response too! I love this car and driving it in sport mode makes it that much better!

[Larz]

For some reason, I rarely used the sport mode because of the rev matching effect. I a**-umed it was stressing the engine and gear box. BUT ... I checked with the service tech at the dealer and did a fair amount of research and I found the opposite. The computers adjust everything to drive in whichever mode you use and there is no extra stress or wear on any part of the drivetrain. The only negative is that you will burn more fuel in sport mode. Nobody actually states how much more, they just say 'more'.
However, if you drive like a maniac 100% of the time, squealing from traffic lights, taking all turns at high speeds, etc you will cause extra wear on everything from suspension to steering to tires - regardless of sport mode or regular mode.

[Ilya]

For some reason, I rarely used the sport mode because of the rev matching effect. I a**-umed it was stressing the engine and gear box. BUT ... I checked with the service tech at the dealer and did a fair amount of research and I found the opposite. The computers adjust everything to drive in whichever mode you use and there is no extra stress or wear on any part of the drivetrain. The only negative is that you will burn more fuel in sport mode. Nobody actually states how much more, they just say 'more'.
However, if you drive like a maniac 100% of the time, squealing from traffic lights, taking all turns at high speeds, etc you will cause extra wear on everything from suspension to steering to tires - regardless of sport mode or regular mode.

Here is my Fuelly. 98% of this mileage record(s) is in sport mode:

http://www.fuelly.com/car/infiniti/m56/ ... ine/934935

[kmiles]

Great conversation about something that I've wondered about. I hate Eco mode, especially in stop and go freeway traffic when you're trying to slip into a gap in another lane. I use the Snow mode when it is icy and snowing. Like Larz, I had similar thoughts and rarely put it in Sport mode - saved that for the weekends and when traffic was light. This has inspired me to leave it in Sport mode for awhile and see what happens to my gas mileage. I've been averaging 19.2 MPG since January. I love my car and it is great fun to drive. I might as well enjoy it!

Thanks for asking the question!
Kerry

[STLien]

Yeah, that was my main concern, putting extra strain on the transmission by driving in sport mode full-time. Thank you Larz for providing that info from the dealer! And IIya, I'm getting about the same gas mileage!

[STLien]

No problem kmiles! This question had been on my mind since I got this car a month ago.

[kmiles]

I make a quick trip to Seattle to a couple of hospitals on pill hill today and on a 130 mile round trip in Sport mode was able to get 29.4 MPG and averaging 65 MPH on I-5. Luckily there is no heavy traffic right now.

[STLien]

Wow almost 30 mpg! That's amazing! And you have the 3.7 V6?

[CRV_33]

If you have the technology package, I wouldn’t recommend driving it in Eco mode especially if you value your life.

[STLien]

Lol, I've had my Q70L for over a month now and haven't driven in Eco mode yet!

[CRV_33]

Lol, I've had my Q70L for over a month now and haven't driven in Eco mode yet!

Just be prepared, you may upset the traffic behind you.

[Malbec 56 Beast]

Had my 13 M56xS (RIP) and ACCIDENTALLY put it in eco mode, while I was cleaning up the interior and rotated the knob unknowingly and thought the engine blew up.

I usually left mine in normal mode but if there was a potential victim on the road sport mode it is.

You got a great car

Congrats

Andy

[STLien]

Hey Andy thanks, I love this car! Sorry about your M56xS. I've been a Nissan/Infiniti fan for awhile. I had a 96 Maxima in college, then a 2002 I35, then a 2007 Maxima (that was totaled), and now this awesome Q70L 5.6 that is a beast!

[kmiles]

Andy - I laughed when I read your comment on eco mode. I don't think you could beat an old Prius off the line in ECO mode! I'm into my third day in nothing but Sport mode and wondering why I didn't do this a long time ago. I'm watching my MPGs to see where they go.

[Malbec 56 Beast]

Thanks guys
The only thing I didn't like about it was that when I want wanting to drive in a " spirited" fashion it always held the gear before shifting to the next gear. Love how the revs increase in a downshift situation.
Other than that the response is wonderful
I always wondered what changed for the people that did the uprev flash to the car.
I'm really missing the car
I bishez about some things about the car, hated the speaker buzzing cuz the noise canceling and the battery issue of you do constant short trips, it doesn't charge the battery so it slowly becomes dead of that makes sense.

There is a "hack" for it that works not sure if the newer cars have this problem.

[DFW2011M56S]

Thanks guys
The only thing I didn't like about it was that when I want wanting to drive in a " spirited" fashion it always held the gear before shifting to the next gear. Love how the revs increase in a downshift situation.
Other than that the response is wonderful
I always wondered what changed for the people that did the uprev flash to the car.
I'm really missing the car
I bishez about some things about the car, hated the speaker buzzing cuz the noise canceling and the battery issue of you do constant short trips, it doesn't charge the battery so it slowly becomes dead of that makes sense.

There is a "hack" for it that works not sure if the newer cars have this problem.

I never had the battery charging issue on my 2011. I used it for alot of short trips. My daily commute for almost a year was 7 miles to work and 5 miles home. I did however go on 100+ mile trips every other weekend. Maybe that was the saving grace. Probably kept moisture from building up in the fluids by getting them to operating temp regularly as well.

[Malbec 56 Beast]

DFW

That's why you didn't have the issue
I would say that about 80% of my weeks driving is about 10mi or less. It's a very gradual thing and it takes quote a while to start to wear the battery down little by little then the battery gets weaker and weaker.
I'm glad you don't have the issue, I don't either anymore lol.

[85sport]

The only use that I have found for ECO mode is when my 15 year old is driving. He is just starting to learn.

Otherwise it is in Sport mode.

[Malbec 56 Beast]

Smart
I didn't think of that

[DFW2011M56S]

The only use that I have found for ECO mode is when my 15 year old is driving. He is just starting to learn.

Otherwise it is in Sport mode.

I always had to use Eco mode in the rain when I was moded. Any other mode resulted in the car wanting to spin through 3rd gear with the lightest throttle.