Difference between S and Dynamic

[Timothy Nathan]

What is the difference between pulling the (auto) gear lever back into S, and having the car in Dynamic? They feel much the same.

[Guest 2]

When I drove an A5 with ADS I felt no difference at all in the different modes - maybe because the engine was still tight but felt no real difference.

I'd say Dynamic and S are the same.

[braytac]

could be wrong but I think setting dynamic in the mmi also tightens the steering etc, but I suspect putting the gear into S just changes the engine side of things...at a guess.

[5678]

Dynamic mode increases the steering weight as well and changing the gear shift patterns. Personally I find S to be much more keen on the gearing, holding gear longer and no using the higher gears very much at all. For example I don't think it will use 8th in S at all.

[Eddo1968]

My impression was that it changes it to dynamic mode with all the other settings, although haven't really played with it much, so could well be mistaken. Will check it out when I'm in comfort mode.

[thehorse]

I think this is pretty confusing!

When in comfort/E/auto etc. and you change to dynamic then it shows the S3, S4, S5 etc. in the display and revs quite high for maximum acceleration.

When you stop the car and restart (still in dynamic mode) it just shows "D" and doesn't rev so high - is this a software fault? Obviously you can pull the gear shift back to put it back in the sport mode, but in standard "D" mode in dynamic I think it is the same as comfort.

[jbanfie]

Well, I've just about given up with my auto box, even when you put the stick over into 'Manual' it will still kick down if the revs are low enough when you plant your foot.

Dynamic vs Sport - no idea, it's all far too confusing and the behaviour difficult to determine - it would be better if you could completely modify it to set kick down revs and throttle positions just so you can achieve a defined set up you could trust.

[robbyg]

This sounded strange as i have experimented with mine in manual on full throttle from about 1100rpm in various gears to feel how the torque came in at different revs, it never changed down.

Went out this morning, tried it again, at 60mph in 8th i could go full throttle and it stayed in 8th, push the pedal that last 5mm past the resistance and activate the kickdown switch and it snapped to 4th and 4400rpm immediately.

Size 13 boots john?

Interestingly, it was 2 centigrade and sleeting when i set off at seven. the gbox revved much higher than usu, over 2000rpm before upshift and slipped the torque converter more than usual for the first mile or so. I assume this is a built in rapid warm up function. Heater was blowing warm (auxillary heater working i guess) after half a mile, and gauge showed normal after about 4 miles.

[jbanfie]

OK, so I'm loving your work, is it right then, that you have full throttle even before the kick down switch, and is that the whole point that you can choose if you actually want to kick down, just using your foot?

I assume you were in Manual for this piece of fine research?

Jon

[robbyg]

OK, so I'm loving your work, is it right then, that you have full throttle even before the kick down switch, and is that the whole point that you can choose if you actually want to kick down, just using your foot?

I assume you were in Manual for this piece of fine research?

Jon

Yes, yes, and yes.

The last bit of stiffer sprung travel is purely the kick down button. full throttle on automatic cars is usually reached when you touch kickdown, not when you activate it. Even of that wasnt the case, the way the engine management is mapped that last few mm makes hardly any difference, it feel like 3/4 torque/power is applied at about 1/2 travel. Most cars to this nowadays to make them feel more "sporty" instead of a linear response.

Same logic applies in full auto mode (not just with audi, most modern autos), the rate you plant your foot down affects how likely/how many gears it changes down, if you go gentle its less likely to change down and will slog on un current gear. move your foot sharply, it thinks you want quick acceleration so changes down, press the kickdown and it will pick the lowest gear it possibly can.