Clicking joystick left to "S". Is this different than "Sport" button?

OK I know I should "read the manual" but I just discovered I could click my joystick to the left!

I notice it revs higher and is more responsive, but does it do anything additional to clicking the button to Sport Mode? If it does then DAMN I have more fun in store for me. I can't imagine how responsive this car will feel with BOTH ticked.

The sport button also adjusts suspension and steering. Moving the shifter to the left only changes the transmission and gear ratios.

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW

The sport button also adjusts suspension and steering. Moving the shifter to the left only changes the transmission and gear ratios.

THANK YOU! I figured that would be the case.

So I assume on a 2013 M Sport with the new M Steel Suspension, it would just leave out the sportier steering feel? I'd assume improved throttle response would be tied to the the Joystick-to-the-left. Also, I therefore also assume that clicking the joystick to "S" mode (left) WHILE having the Sport button already pressed, wouldn't do anything additional?

Oh, and is this only a feature that comes with Sport Auto Transmission?

Learning something new about this car every day. Between the button, the joystick right/left click, the joystick manual mode, and the paddle shifters, there's an insane amount of ways to customize the feel of your car.... and so many ways to engage a quicker/more powerful response when you have to safely beat a light or pass someone, that it almost gets confusing.

You should also be aware that placing the transmission in sport mode prevents the transmission from upshifting to the 8th gear. This applies whether you make the selection using the stick or iDrive. If you use iDrive you can disable the sport shifting and retain the sport steering if you make the appropriate selections. At least this is how it works on the 2011 models.

Originally Posted by radarguy

You should also be aware that placing the transmission in sport mode prevents the transmission from upshifting to the 8th gear. This applies whether you make the selection using the stick or iDrive. If you use iDrive you can disable the sport shifting and retain the sport steering if you make the appropriate selections. At least this is how it works on the 2011 models.

Wow, okay that's more interesting stuff. Separating the steering with the Trans would be something I'd be interested in, since a lot of times it's just pointless to rev the engine up (though it feels cool) during normal driving, but I would really like to be able to have whatever the Sport steering does differently (still haven't been able to notice a difference, but I haven't payed close enough attention).

Anyone know if you can do this with 2013's? I haven't been able to find anything like that on iDrive.

Still wondering if having the Sport button pushed WITH the joysick to the left does anything different (or more "sportily") than simply having the Sport button pushed on its own. Also wondering if non SAT cars can click the joystick to the left.

Thanks for the responses.

Look under iDrive, settings, SPORT mode.

K-A, I prefered to drive my 535s like this: Always move the shifter to the left when coming to a stop and not move it back to D until I reached cruising speed. After a short while this becomes 2nd nature and makes the car a lot more enjoyable. It eliminates many complains about the tranny and isn't much extra work. Try it, I think you might like it. On the F10 I configured the Sport button to chassi only and activated it everytime I drove the car, this of some reason felt more like a pita maneuver.

Originally Posted by K-A

...
Anyone know if you can do this with 2013's? I haven't been able to find anything like that on iDrive.

It looks like this setting was disabled in the I-drive for 2013...I have tried and could not
find it. Instead, I just put the car in Sport mode and move the shifter to manual to control
the shift points. Plus, I can still get 8th gear for highway cruising.

This is also a question of mine. So the Sport/Comfort button focuses on suspension and steering settings, while the Sport/Manual shifter mode focuses on drivetrain settings, but the Sport/Comfort button can also change drivetrain settings. By placing the shifter into Sport mode, does it go above and beyond what the Sport button does with regard to drivetrain settings or is it duplicitous (I have a 6 speed transmission)? Thanks!

Originally Posted by dbs600

This is also a question of mine. So the Sport/Comfort button focuses on suspension and steering settings, while the Sport/Manual shifter mode focuses on drivetrain settings, but the Sport/Comfort button can also change drivetrain settings. By placing the shifter into Sport mode, does it go above and beyond what the Sport button does with regard to drivetrain settings or is it duplicitous? Thanks!

It's duplicous. There is only one sport setting for throttle response and shift points. You can activate it either by moving the shifter to the left "S" or the mode button to Sport ( if configured ) or Sport+. Doing both will not change the throttle/tranny to a more agressive mode. At least it didn't on my 2011.

Thanks! Funny thing is I'm not sure why someone would want a tighter suspension mode without the added 'power'. Also seems 'cooler' (more interactive) to drop the shifter to the left than to press the Sport button. Happy BMW walked back the 'attenuated' steering wheel mounted shifter on the E65; whether or not it's all drive by wire these days...

Originally Posted by dbs600

Thanks! Funny thing is I'm not sure why someone would want a tighter suspension mode without the added 'power'. Also seems 'cooler' (more interactive) to drop the shifter to the left than to press the Sport button. Happy BMW walked back the 'attenuated' steering wheel mounted shifter on the E65; whether or not it's all drive by wire these days...

Because the sport transmission mode holds the gears too damn long for normal driving. I don't want every upshift to occur at 4,000 rpm when I'm commuting in traffic or just tooling around, but often times I want the sportier ride.

Funny thing is I've noticed I get better city/town MPG's in Sport mode at times, as my turbos are continually spools, instead of spooling on and off when needing to accelerate. Highway MPG's are always better in Normal mode, however (obviously)…

Now my question is this. when you move this shifter to the left and you engage in manual mode with the paddles is there any way to go back into sport mode without moving the shifter back to the right and then back to the left?

Alan

Originally Posted by Alan L.

Now my question is this. when you move this shifter to the left and you engage in manual mode with the paddles is there any way to go back into sport mode without moving the shifter back to the right and then back to the left?

Alan

I have the same question. I haven't been able to figure it out on either my wife's 2009 335i or my 2013 550xi.

Annoyingly - no.

Originally Posted by sky

It looks like this setting was disabled in the I-drive for 2013...I have tried and could not
find it. Instead, I just put the car in Sport mode and move the shifter to manual to control
the shift points. Plus, I can still get 8th gear for highway cruising.

GREAT idea! I will be using that one for fun for sure. Sucks that they took that option out for 2013's. I'd love to get the sportier steering and throttle response without the higher shift points. Looks like our only alternative to get that is by going "Manual". BTW, do non-SAT cars have the option of going into "Left/S Mode"?

Originally Posted by Alan L.

Now my question is this. when you move this shifter to the left and you engage in manual mode with the paddles is there any way to go back into sport mode without moving the shifter back to the right and then back to the left?

Alan

That's weird. So even though it's to the left, when it reverts back to "D", it goes into normal mode?

BTW, does BMW have an option where you can hold the paddle down and it takes the car into the most optimal gear to get you into your peak powerband? Mercedes does, where you hold the paddle down to the left, and it gets you right into the sweet spot. With my car, I have to click down rapidly and sometimes either get it too "soft", or one time I even over-downshifted and my motor all of a sudden screamed up to redline.

You could never separate the throttle response and the shift points settings. Only the M-DCT has this option. The M3 has a separate "Power" button for throttle response and then 6 settings for shift points. What you can do with the F10 is to separate throttle/ tranny from suspension/steering mode by configuring one or the other or both in I-drive for the Sports mode. I prefered to activate only suspension/ steering and control the throttle/tranny with the shifter. That way as decaf say you can keep the chassi and steering in sport all the time and just change the throttle/tranny when you want it which for me was at every start from stop until I reached cruising speed. I drove my E60 the same way minus the Sport mode since it was a constant sports setup.

Originally Posted by K-A

GREAT idea! I will be using that one for fun for sure. Sucks that they took that option out for 2013's. I'd love to get the sportier steering and throttle response without the higher shift points. Looks like our only alternative to get that is by going "Manual". BTW, do non-SAT cars have the option of going into "Left/S Mode"?



That's weird. So even though it's to the left, when it reverts back to "D", it goes into normal mode?

BTW, does BMW have an option where you can hold the paddle down and it takes the car into the most optimal gear to get you into your peak powerband? Mercedes does, where you hold the paddle down to the left, and it gets you right into the sweet spot. With my car, I have to click down rapidly and sometimes either get it too "soft", or one time I even over-downshifted and my motor all of a sudden screamed up to redline.

Yes. Non SAT has the left d/s mode. Even the e60 had it.

Forget about the paddles.

Originally Posted by K-A

That's weird. So even though it's to the left, when it reverts back to "D", it goes into normal mode?

This is what happens in my car. I set the toggle switch to sport mode whenever i drive and that doesn't change in this situation.

When i have the shifter in just D mode (normal) and if i use the paddles to downshift (manual mode) it would and after a couple of seconds the car switches back to D mode on it own. Occasionally i drive with the shifter to the left (Trans Sport Mode) and if i then use the paddles to downshift it does and switches to full manual mode. The difference here is that once you are in manual mode while the shifter is to the left you can't get out of it unless you move the shifter back over to D mode. If i want to stay in sport mode i would then have to move it back over to the left. Seems stupid and annoying because i rarely use my paddles but occasionally do when i need to pass or merge aggressively but seems dumb that the only way to get out of it is to move the shifter. It would seem logical that i should be able to pull on both paddles or upshift all the way up to get out of it but you can't.

Alan

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW

The sport button also adjusts suspension and steering. Moving the shifter to the left only changes the transmission and gear ratios.

No. Gear ratios are the gears, and the number of teeth in them. That's not changed. The shift pattern is changed, though, and an effort is made by the car to keep higher revs to maintain boost.

Originally Posted by K-A

Still wondering if having the Sport button pushed WITH the joysick to the left does anything different (or more "sportily") than simply having the Sport button pushed on its own. Also wondering if non SAT cars can click the joystick to the left.

Thanks for the responses.

Maybe it is just me, but I noticed that if I use the DS mode ( Joystick to left ) it holds gears longer than the iDrive Sport mode. In real aggressive driving I used both, but in other cases I just use iDrive Sport.

This was just my observation, maybe I am wrong.

^^ I agree.

Shifter to the left holds gears longer than just the toggle switch in sport mode. It might actually shift firmer/faster too.

Alan

hi all
been lurking the F10 forum lately
and just thought i'd chime in from perspective of e93 335.
i rarely if ever use "DS" preferring greatly to either keep the car in M
using both paddles and/or stick (the ZF 6AT in this car is really nice)
or i just hit the paddles when needed in D and let the car revert back to D.
i have an audi A8 that behaves in same manner.

Originally Posted by Sam-F10

Maybe it is just me, but I noticed that if I use the DS mode ( Joystick to left ) it holds gears longer than the iDrive Sport mode. In real aggressive driving I used both, but in other cases I just use iDrive Sport.

This was just my observation, maybe I am wrong.

Want to add to my post that I somehow prefer the the iDrive Sport mode more. It seems to have a slightly different configuration rather than just holding gears longer ( which is what the Joystick sport/DS mode seems to do )

However when doing real aggresive driving I use them both!