Using Terrain Response to Improve Gas Mileage

[techboydino]

So, techboy, you are telling me that your salesperson said that the LR3 will effectively put itself in a given mode by sensing the terrain? Does that mean that if it senses clusters of boulders and rocks it will put itself in Rock Crawl mode?

I think your salesperson needs to go back to the company training on LR3s...

haha, sure. i think he meant more like if you were sliding in snow or gravel, or spinning in mud the throttle features, transmission and whatever else would adjust. i dont think it's as dramatic as rock crawl. my salesguy was really cool. he was scottish and had a good answer for everything i threw at him when i bought it. he was a driving instructor for some of the east coast sales teams, and wasnt afraid to get a little crazy out on the course. as far as MPG improvements from self adjusting, i think the LR3 could do it.

 

[Houm_WA]

Well, the literature does say that Terrain Response is never "off." ...and maybe what he was referring to was the traction control and anti-roll features. I wasn't trying to bust your chops...

 

[techboydino]

Well, the literature does say that Terrain Response is never "off." ...and maybe what he was referring to was the traction control and anti-roll features. I wasn't trying to bust your chops...

i hear you, thats probably more in the scope of what he was talking about. I wonder how far the automated features go. I guess ill have to wait for the snow or sand to find out. cant remember if the throttle changed when i was in the sand or not. i always put it in sand mode ahead of time.

 

[Houm_WA]

I've had the stability control (not traction control) kick in a few times when I may've otherwise fish-tailed, but that's about it.

 

[richpike]

Now please resume your previously scheduled hypermiler discussion....

Whoa - I've never been called a tree hugger before - anything but! Maybe I had better watch what I post

-Rich

 

[richpike]

I find this a little silly. I can easily get 2-3 better MPG by simply taking it extremely easy, with or without command shift. Why bother using grass/snow mode? Personally, I wouldn't want my vehicle to be less responsive for normal street driving. Seems slightly dangerous...

I hear ya - I actually posted my reasons earlier in the thread:

In some ways it would probably be easier to just use the command shift, but:

A. I get lazy, and the car is so quiet, I forget to upshift and the next thing I know I'm at 5K rpms in 1st

and

B. It is mainly my wife's car, and learning the whole art of manually shifting an automatic transmission is not something she is interested in

-Rich

 

[cdodkin]

Been using SPORT mode the last 2 days myself - big permagrin!

 

[toddjb122]

Been using SPORT mode the last 2 days myself - big permagrin!

It is a whole different truck, ain't it?
(and I still get the factory listed MPG with it, so no change there for me, anyway)

 

[codemonkey]

I tried an admittedly unscientific test of this theory for the past several days and found virtually no difference in mileage. In my daily commute, in a mix of sport and regular mode, I get anywhere from 13 to 15 mpg. My commute is about 20-miles roundtrip of 20-40 mph surface streets, lots of stoplights, lots of stop and go. A few hills, nothing major.

If anything, mileage seemed a bit worse - typically 13-14 with grass/gravel/snow on. Throttle response and shifting behavior is quite different. I think GGS makes the transmission start in 2nd whenever possible, delays downshift until much more throttle input is recieved, and upshifts much sooner. Frankly, the car is almost painful to drive in GGS.

On the bright side, on a 200-mile highway run home from southern Colorado last weekend, I got 23.5 mpg - man I love the LR3!

 

[Bendix Nobel]

what is everyone oppinion of the SLR motorsport power chip that sells for 69.00 dollars?