Are the 0-60 times the same for either mode? Anyone know? Nissan done a fantastic job with a placebo effect in Sport mode. Feels like a wild banshee unleashed and like a completely different car. It just feels so much quicker in sport mode as normal is lazy, calm mode etc.

 

Time testing with the 7th gen showed quicker elapsed times with normal than with sport. I haven't see any carefully controlled comparison with the 8th gen yet.

 

I think it feel more if you have a SR i test my friends SL it doesn't feel that same.

 

I think Light made, as always, a great point. I have the SR and although I prefer driving in "Sports Mode" with the heavier steering, I would bet the 0-60 times are either the same or within an "eyelash" in either mode. I have timed mine in both modes; with good conditions (dry, smooth roads and in the cool of an early morning/late evening), both modes are at/around 5.8 -6.0 seconds. I have also conducted the test allowing the car to shift and shifting the "gears" myself. Even though shifting the "gears" myself "felt" faster, it was not. There is, usually, a tenth of a second difference between manually shifting the gear selector or steering wheel mounted paddles and letting the car's transmission shift itself. My car, when manually shifted, has been in the 6.0 second range for 0-60 times. But, as always friends, "Your Mileage May Vary."

 

They way i drive my is sport mode on and traction off, of i have it on it kicks on all the time it cause to brake .

 

I would guess times are basically the same in either mode. The car will actually be fastest if the CVT does not simulate gear changes.

 

Surprisingly I use the sport mode a lot less than I thought I would. Mostly because the normal mode performs pretty darn good. Gotta admit the high revs and sound in sport mode are a heck of a lot of fun though, but I think it's more about perception than anything.

Probably, if you really want to hit those 5.x acceleration times, you may have to do it with the manual shift (or paddle shifters if you have it)

 

I was thinking the same thing, if they ever come out with a tune that can turn that off I might go for it.

 

sport mode is best for spirited driving because it uses engine braking much more effectively, and makes the steering heavier. Steering in normal mode is too light.

i don't think either mode is faster to 60 necessarily, but sport mode makes sporty driving more intuitive than normal mode.

 

Sport mode may not make the car any faster off the line vs a clock. It's really about rolling accelerations and engine braking deceleration that allows you to have more response from the car if you're constantly adjusting say around turns, or in and out of traffic. I'd say overall you can drive the car in normal mode 80% of the time, even in semi spirited situations and get great response. But if you're looking for an angry aggressive response, you gotta use sport and you will find it is quite effective when used aggressively.

 

Well said, I had the opportunity to give the girl a few good slaps in sport mode on RT 41 in western Massachusetts last week and she definitely picked up her skirt and showed me something

 

lmao

 

I bet rolling accelerations are quite a bit faster in sport mode. In normal mode, the transmission is a bit slow to rev even when flooring it. In sport, the car seems much more eager to use the full potential of the engine. With this engine you are not using 300 hp until you're at about 6500 RMP, so how fast the tach jumps up makes a big difference.

 

 

I almost always drive in normal mode. Sometimes, when I get on the highway on the right and want to get to the left lane as quickly as possible, I floor it and I'm a little disappointed by how long it takes the engine to rev to 6000+. It does not give me the instantaneous power that I'm looking for, it feels reluctant. I believe sport mode would be better in those situations.

Also, I believe that the drivers at Consumer Reports do all their testing in normal mode, which explains why the Maxima is no quicker than Avalon or Impala in their 45-65 tests.

 

Ahh, you finally found your glasses. Good deal.