Six weeks of driving here, one long trip, about 1800 miles on the odie... I am having a great time (though my neighbors think I am nuts, out with a microfiber towel blotting raindrops in the rain!).

I'm curious what you think about the sport button? I've had a sport mode before on other cars, but never engaged it. The word from Ray at Towne Mini during my orientation was that fuel economy was noticeably better with sport engaged, so I gave it a try early on. I liked the tighter steering response, and the throttle seemed more alive, also a bit hotter. In normal mode I felt a slight lag in response when pressing the accelerator. So I got used to engaging sport when starting out. The hot throttle is now just nice and sensitive, kind of like in the movies where the burglar sands his fingertips to feel the tumblers on the safe... I can drive it gently and smooth or firm and fast in Sport mode. I like it.

Today I gave the non-sport mode another go (it is a small annoyance to have to remember to push the little button with each start). I found that I hated it more than I remember. It felt as if I had given the car an anti-histamine... the throttle response and steering seemed kind of dull, muffled and vague. The sport mode should be the default and the button should be set to engage "un-fun."

There are a number of threads on this button on the R56, but I wonder what my fellow clubby drivers think? Have you noticed a difference in gas consumption? More efficiency in Sport mode seems like a free lunch... is that possible?

cheers,
Alan

 

I was told by my MA to leave it Off for best MPG.
I have only turned it on Once for a short time and really didn't notice the difference. But now you have peaked my interest.
I think we (little red Wagon & Myself) will try this again.
might wanna leave my Scaredy Cat Wife Home, Hmmmm.

 

I believe this is incorrect. Driving in sport mode uses more fuel and therefore your fuel economy will be worse.

I've noticed it quite a bit. When I drive the twisties, it's always in sport mode, and my MPG sucks.

But I really don't care. I didn't buy this car for the MPG. I bought it to MOTOR!

 

Yep I also think the button should be to turn it off not on. I have used it on a trip from CO to NY and had it off on my trip back to NY. You definitely get better MPG with it off. It's not much so for me the button is on 95% of the time. Truth is the only time I know have it off is if I forget to turn it on. Not sure if it's just my car but sometimes on twisties at speed if I hit a bump it feels like the car jumps a whole lane . I find with sport on it stiffens the steering enough to counteract.

 

Since getting my MINI, I have transferred my obsessive-compulsive tendencies to monitoring the gas mileage with my '08 Clubman S 6 speed. For the first few tanks, I did not use the sport button. After that, I always press the button. I anticipated, but have not seen, any negative effect at all with the sport button on. In the 3400 miles so far, my mileage has actually increased about 2 mpg. I think it may affect mpg with an automatic since I understand the sport setting delays the shifting of the auto tranny.

And with the sport button on, I just LOVE the improved throttle response off the line!

 

I really thought I was going to use the SPORT button more than I am.
At this point its been on maybe 5% of my total time behind the wheel.

I think the stiffer steering, while fantastic on twisties and spirited drives, its a PITA in city traffic.

 

Honestly forgot all about it. Last time I used it was on a MINI run in Pennsylvania - and just on some of the serious twisties...which was quite fun.

 

I've had my Clubman five months, and in the last 6-8 weeks I've been using the Sport setting most of the time, city and highway. I find I can get off the line more smoothly, in traffic or alone, and my mileage actually has been better. I do get the tires to "chirp" occasionally (without trying, of course), but I can also be in Sport mode and appear as sedate as anyone else (almost – there's always the silly grin).

I don't think it's a case of "more gas gets burned" necessarily, it's just a quicker throttle response. If one adapts to that with one's feet, mileage need not suffer too much. If your feet always move in the same way on the pedals, regardless of the setting, Sport will probably lower your mileage.

Saving gas was a large part of my original intent, but I've found I can do that and still have a blast! It will be interesting to see which setting feels better in snowy conditions...

 

I have to admit that I do LOVE my sport button. Tonight just for fun, I turned it on and used my shifters and drag raced (By myself) down the street! I got out and just felt like running a Marathon! Man what a difference in sport mode

 

Guess I worded that improperly. My MA did tell me that it would decrease my MPG by about 3.

Maybe I am noticing the significant MPG decrease (wayyyy more than 3MPG) because I only use the sport button when I am really driving aggressively? I never use it just out and about in town.

 

Thanks for your responses - interesting to hear.

My experience is closest to Alto Clef - I find after getting used to the feel with sport engaged, I can drive smoother than without. Now when I drive without the button, my acceleration is more herky jerky and I feel like I have to press hard on the pedal for the car to get going. Most of my driving is urban and often with kids in the car so I am not flying off the green light.

It's amazing to me that a little button can make such a difference in the feeling of driving. I'll have to look more closely at the MPG. I questioned Ray on this twice - he seemed quite certain that Sport actually improved economy.

Alan

 

What is the use of having a fun button like that and not using it.

 

I stand with the majority. After about 7 weeks I find myself almost always putting the sport button on. If I cruise on the highway I might disengage it on the assumption in would increase gas mileage. Having said that, I do notice that when moving at a constant speed, switching between sport and non-sport mode causes no change on the tach needle. Ergo, constant speed=constant engine speed=constant mpg?

 

From what I've heard the sport button quickens the throttle response and tightens the steering, it only decreases the milage if you drive faster or accelerate harder. 50mph is 50mph button on or off. I always drive with it on because I drive so much smoother with it on that it can't possibly be using more fuel. Of course when I'm having a little motoring fun the petrol gets burned a bit quicker.

 

I'll admit, being a women and never really having any interest in cars what-so-ever (until my MINI!!) I don't know much about how cars operate... what I have noticed though, when I am using the sports button, it does indeed indicate I am getting less MPG. When I am driving at a steady steady and push the sports button, it causes the RPM's to increase.. and from my little understanding of cars... running it at a higher RPM uses more fuel. Also, I think you have to have some more knowledge than I do to really see a big difference driving in or out of sports mode. I do notice the gas pedal acting different, but that's about all. Guess it's sort of the same in regards to people who are audio experts and can judge the sound of their stereo's way more than me!!

 

I find it puts the turbo in earlier in the RPM range so by doing this it will use more fuel, i.e. your mileage will go down. But of course there is many other factors in the fuel economy of a particular car driven by a particular driver.

If the car is driven in the city with the turbo kicking in all the time the hypothsysis that the miles per gallon will suffer. But if driven at highway speeds where the turbo is realy only kicking in extra boost if the car is floored to pass someone the over all gass mileage shoudl really be the same.

For instance. If i drive my clubbie around town and highway (non sport mode) I average around 33-35 MPG. If my girlfriend drives it the same route and traffic conditions she gets 29-30 MPG. Much different driving habits.

If i drive the twisties up in Vermont that like like driving on, my mileage goes down to around 28 MPG if my girlfriend drives them she also gets close to that at 27 MPG. Not a big difference.

So from this we should be able to hypotisize that with or with out the sport button on, the car can get good gas mileage and depending on the driving habits employed the gas mileage can be better or worse with the sport mode engaged.

Has this been proved? I beleive so from the reports in this thread.

Ir think it really all depends on the driving habits of the person driving. I know when I engage the sport button for my spirited driving sessions I get lower gas mileage. but even if i did not engage the sport button for these sessions i would still get lower gas mileage.

I see not reason to engage the sport button all the time. Yes there is a difference in the drivabiltiy of the car, but it just needs to be driven slightly diffeerently. Just a little more preassure on the gas pedal gets me tothe same place. Is it any smoother in the sport mode NO, at least not for me. it is jsut a difference of pedal preassure to get the nice smooth starts.

 

Ray is wrong. There is no way that is true unless you turn it on while you turn off your A/C and drive 45 mph.

That being said, I drive with it on. It gets off the line WAY better, there is no lag.

If I wanted maximum mpg I would've gotten rid of my personality and bought a Prius.

 

This button thread has me curious. I'll have to try it out sometime.

 

While I like the feeling of increased steering response, I do not use the sport button because I do not like the shortened throttle travel. I believe that those who perceive some degree of throttle lag in non-sport mode are simply acclimated to the throttle giving them more gas at a shorter point in the pedal travel. For the sake of car control at or near the limits of adhesion I greatly prefer to have the entire travel of the throttle pedal at my disposal.

I have spent some time driving the new BMW M3 and it also has a choice of throttle maps. Every time I have a choice of maps I'll pick the one with the greatest amount of travel. If 75% throttle gets the car to snap into oversteer (in a given road condition), I don't want to give it 80% instead of 65% throttle just because the throttle is "too" sensitive (i.e. less travel).

I'm not worried about snap oversteer in my Clubbie but you can just as easily plow into a turn and lift (too much 'cause the sport buttons on). To each his/her own... if you wanna, go ahead and press the button.

 

I only use it on a longer journey,not on city/town driving,i like the extra reponse,makes the steering seem heavier,but in a good way

 

It's my understanding that with an automatic and the Sports button on, that the car will not shift into sixth gear. I tend to turn on Sport for driving around town and twisty roads, but turn it off if I'm on a long straight away.

 

Sorry, I gotta go against the grain here. My MA told me when I picked up my MINI to always use the sport button and I have since day one. My MPG is 41.5 highway and 37 locally. Granted, I have not checked mpg without sport button but I can't imagine it could get any better.

Also, my wife has had her Clubman Cooper for about 2 months. First 2 tanks she did not use the sport button and she was slightly disappointed in her mpg. I suggested using the sport button and the last tank (exact same driving methods and routine) her mpg increased by 2 mpg.

While these are certainly not "controlled studies" I think it suggests that using the sport button is not a slam dunk for getting lower mpg. I think it depends on the car, the individual's driving methods, and maybe even auto vs manual trans (both ours are manual). But to say that sport button automatically = lower mpg is not true.

 

I have to agree with others and say it wouldn't change your MPG if you drive the same. My only explanation for my decrease in MPG is I tend to get on the gas MUCH more when I have the sport button on. That extra get up just seems to draw me in!

 

I get about the same and I never use the button. So it seems that it probably has no affect on mileage (for the manual anyway)

 

This has all become quite interesting!

So, who's gonna do the "official" test?