I hear a lot of complaints about Eco mode so am I the only one that actually likes it? Where I live there's a ton of redlights that take forever and I don't want my car to sit there running the whole time. Besides that the second you touch the gas the car is back started and taking off without almost any delay. I've guess I've never understood why everyone is so against it. If you don't like it how hard is it to simply hit the button and turn it off?

 

I also like it when I'm in gridlocked traffic, which I am frequently in metro Wash, DC. It works flawlessly.

 

I agree Foosh. I live in the Atlanta area so I'm in a lot of traffic at times and the system has always worked flawlessly for me to.

 

Gridlocked traffic, yes.


Pulling out of junctions/onto roundabouts, no; even though it starts quickly enough, it's sometimes not quick enough and I hate the feeling of not being in control in those situations (yeah I could wait until the gap in traffic is big enough, but I could also die of old age on many roads in London if I did that!).

 

I've never had a situation where it didn't start quickly enough, and I've been mostly daily commuting at least 3 days a week, 60-mile round trips, for 16 months, with about half of that distance in stop-and-go traffic . By the time, I lift my foot off the brake pedal, it's idling smoothly by the time my foot gets to the throttle. I've never had any hesitation, whatsoever, and all the available power has always been there when I asked for it.

 

I like it a lot. Have extra degree of control over it with the MT. If I'm in any way nervous about launching it quickly enough, I just depress the clutch to start the engine. (it's just like disengaging the cruise control without having to apply the brake). Just putting right or left pressure on the steering wheel, I guess, could serve a similar purpose in the AT.

 

I like it but do switch it off pretty regularly. On my commute I know the places where I'm likely to sit long enough to have it be worthwhile. Sometimes I'll leave it on and hold down the clutch for the duration of the stop to keep the engine running.

I initially turned it off most of the time but now that I understand its patterns, I can get it to do what I want pretty easily.

 

+1 . . . similar to my technique, except that I just paddle downshift a couple of gears, in which case it is temporarily disabled until it goes back to D. If I want it on, I hold down the right paddle, which shifts the trannie back to D. I never actually turn the button off.

 

But, with MT, it has to be in neutral to restart. So if you stop at a light in gear with the clutch depressed it will shut off but not start when you take your foot off the brake. Then, when you try to move, the engine is off. You have to put it in neutral first, start the engine and then take off. You need to learn to always put it in neutral at a light or turn Eco off(which is what most of us do).

 

Mine doesn't work that way. If I come to a stop, in gear with clutch depressed, the engine will not stop. The engine only shuts off if I am stopped, in neutral, and clutch engaged (foot off pedal). It restarts as soon as I step on the clutch (or if the car starts moving, or it needs to run the A/C compressor, or I move the steering wheel). I don't think the brake pedal comes into the equation at all.

 

I simply don't like the feeling that my 550 hp sports car ceases to make any sound whatsoever when I am at a stoplight. It's not a Tesla damn it! Let everyone hear how it sounds when it idles too!

 

Too weird for my tastes so it's the first thing I shut off upon start up...

 

I like it, had it on SLK55 also. Only pain is in Las Vegas heat when it thinks car is cool enough and shuts down.

 

I switch it off mostly because it never shuts off the car for more than 10 seconds (SoCal heat). It just makes people think I stalled the car. Plus the catchup mode it goes into to re-cool the car down again seems ridiculous. It's almost as bad as my Volt which refuses to run the fan on high if there's a phone call.

 

OMG . . . and oh the shame--life would just be unlivable if that happened.

 

With the engine off, you can hear other people looking at you.

 

I had to read it twice, but...

I see what you did there!

 

+1.however, if you release and depress the brake enough times to lose boost vacuum, the engine will restart.

 

Very Zen-ful post Dave. Well done!

 

But with active exhaust on, you can see them listening to you!