Show Us Your Motors!
- Thread starter Lopéz
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What would you suggest instead?
Everyone knows what it means - it affects the dynamics a bit more sporty. So it's still accurate, no one's expecting that it suddenly turns the car into a track weapon.
"Sport" is a bit more catchy than "Slightly Firmer Suspension", and it fits on the button too
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Soldato
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Maybe its better if it doesn't have the choice and its setup with sportier suspension from the factory appealing to less people and so selling less units and making less profit
Yup, plus not all of them do have active suspension, mine is a Titanium X pack model, there's a selection of trims... LX (which is bog standard) Zetec, Titanium, and Titanium X pack, then there's the Ford S-Max Sport model as well which is the trim up from mine. Only Titanium X and the Titanium Sport cars have the active suspension.
Soldato
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I would guess sport mode just holds the revs a bit longer/higher in each gear before changing up like most automatic 'normal' cars.
I read up on it in the owner's manual yesterday, it changes the dampers.
Copied and pasted from elsewhere but it effectively said the same thing as this:
"Ford’s optional new Interactive Vehicle Dynamics Control (IVDC) with Continuously Controlled Damping (CCD) provides even better handling, comfort and stability, plus shorter braking distances. The CCD system continuously adjusts the damper properties to the current road and driving conditions and offers the driver a choice of three different settings: Comfort, Normal and Sport.
The system is capable of adjusting the dampers to a firmer setting every tenth of a second, providing responsive and immediate control in dynamic driving situations. It is closely connected to the S-MAX’s ESP system."
When I press Sport mode, from Comfort say, I do feel the car "lower" itself and become firmer and more aggressive feeling.
Corr an aggressive S-Max.
In fairness, as far as big people movers go, the S-Max is probably one of the best from a handling perspective.
Doesn't it share a lot of bits with the Mondeo?
Easily the best handling car in it's class. It is basically the same chassis as the Mondeo, obviously its higher up so it's not quite teh same, but for me having moved up from a Mondeo it's been a pleasant transition. I've yet to really have a thorough go in the car on my own and see how the handling is on twisty country roads but from what I have experienced so far on them has been very surprising. The car handles like she has no right to do so. It's genuinely great fun to drive.
now theirs words I would haven't have thought I would have heard when talking about an Smax
seriously though.. the newer stuff can be fun to drive with the correct options.
My mate has the vw touareg r50 thing. now lets be honest.. 15 20 years ago you jump into a big 4x4 like that it would not be a thing you would throw into a corner.. where as the newer stuff you can throw it about. there has been that much advances in suspension and steering technology they could possibly make a bus able to get thrown about over a back road.
the only thing you need to remember is you have a lot of electrical sensors keeping you in line when driving fast over a twisty road.. but it can still go wrong and if it does it will go wrong very quickly
now theirs words I would haven't have thought I would have heard when talking about an Smax
seriously though.. the newer stuff can be fun to drive with the correct options.
My mate has the vw touareg r50 thing. now lets be honest.. 15 20 years ago you jump into a big 4x4 like that it would not be a thing you would throw into a corner.. where as the newer stuff you can throw it about. there has been that much advances in suspension and steering technology they could possibly make a bus able to get thrown about over a back road.
the only thing you need to remember is you have a lot of electrical sensors keeping you in line when driving fast over a twisty road.. but it can still go wrong and if it does it will go wrong very quickly
Yep, it's still a seven seater when alls said and done but thank God for it. I drove the C4 Grand Picasso and it was awful, the body roll was horrendous, it just leaned all over the place, the steering wheel felt unbelievably light, which might suit some drivers but it felt like you'd rotate it 45 degrees before the car began to turn.
I'm sure the Grand C-Max is a very good car as well, we were going to look at one of them but felt the room in the back was a bit too tight, even though it has the added benefit of sliding doors.
Good handling and sporty MPVs and SUV's are nothing new, they have been around longer than 15 years, just they weren't popular segments back in the days. The Honda Stream was a sporty MPV, they were great to drive, same chassis that was the base for Ep3 and dc5, with revvy engines and slick 6 speed gearboxes, the Honda HRV all the way in late 90's was a sporty crossover SUV, then the Murano was probably one of the earliest large sporty SUV's in the early noughties. There are probably other earlier examples.
now theirs words I would haven't have thought I would have heard when talking about an Smax
Everyone who has driven my Slowlo has said it is great fun to drive...
I expect in that case it is because you can put your foot down and leave it there without having to slow down much for corners.
Associate
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I think he does
Nice car Homer.
Brilliant gif 
Really just because...why not?
So good to be driving round in something so slow and quirky. Having to work out the 2 stroke ratio at the petrol station, having people tell me it sounds like it needs an oil change.
It's a laugh and that's what driving should be about to me
So good to be driving round in something so slow and quirky. Having to work out the 2 stroke ratio at the petrol station, having people tell me it sounds like it needs an oil change.
It's a laugh and that's what driving should be about to me
