I don't feel like my car has the power to overtake cars really like other cars. It is tuned up and has a lot of power in the lower speeds but once I get up to around 50mph it doesn't seem like it has any passing power. Although I haven't tried to pass anyone recently, maybe this was fixed with my new fuel filter, but I am still hesitant to press the gas and pass people unless they are going really slow. I have the automatic.

 

Turn on sport mode and floor it..

 

I don't know why Sport Mode "OFF" is even an option. Mine is ON 24/7/365.

I have the 2.5 auto and pass people quite often.

I just J-Gate it down from 5th to 3rd and punch it. Rev out to between 5000 and 5500 RPM and then J-Gate to 4th. Continue revving as needed. I don't go around redlining my car all the time. Usually I'm VERY gentle with it. But, when the need arises, I don't hesitate to let her breathe.

The AWD definitely saps some power, so it doesn't accelerate like a 2WD car would. But, here in MD, AWD is the way to go. I've yet to meet a blizzard I couldn't drive through or a snowy hill I couldn't climb.

 

Completely agree, sport mode off seems ridiculous to me. I only turn it off when driving in really heavy snow so that the car accelerates a bit slower

 

The one thing that bothers me about the X-Type is the automatic transmission shift map! I HATE it! Sport mode is great, but most of the roads around here have a 40mph speed limit. If you're driving with sport mode on all the time, the car will stay out of overdrive until 50mph (instead of 40mph with sport mode off), and cruising at ~40mph at 2,000+rpm bugs me; it's louder and gives worse fuel economy.

What's my solution? I use the sport mode button as a shifter. Once I hit 40mph, I "shift" out of sport mode (into overdrive), then turn sport mode back on. Why, you ask? Because if I need to accelerate briskly from cruising, the car will not instantly downshift unless sport mode is on. What a ridiculous system!!

 

For 90% of my non-highway driving (anything below 60mph), I tend to leave the J-Gate in 4th. 5th gear feels too high for the hilly backroads of Carroll County, MD.

 

What's the J-Gate? I have mine in sport mode pretty much all of the time, but I just have it in "Drive" or whatever.

 

Semi-manual mode with controlled rpm and shifts.

 

My fellow enthusiasts, all I know is that when I romp down on Katrina (no matter what gear, or whether or not she’s in sport mode {which actually affects the shifting points and range of the transmission} or whether she’s in AWD or not [DSC button]; that car gets up and screams! Not too many can pass/catch me! Topped out at 138 mph!… had room on tach, but pussed out and backed down! That was freakin’ awesome people! The only real modifications I’ve done are adding a cold air intake (claims to boost hp by 12) and Borla exhaust (sounds great!). Afraid to add any more hp d/t legendary tales of fragile transaxle. Believe me, when running properly, these cars are quite quick throughout the gear range, and even more impressive in sport mode! Hang on baby!
Can’t wait for springtime!!! Roadtrip!!!!

 

PTA, you must have the 3.0, lol. My X is working properly, and there is a definite difference in throttle responsiveness when Sport mode is enabled. With it off, however, you have to really get into the pedal to get any kind of response, and it's always late. It's just too lazy for me, especially with the lack of low end torque (not faulting the engine for that, I love its high-revving nature) and the way So. Cal. people drive.

I think it depends on what we're accustomed to. I am just used to this...170+ all day!

 

04xtype04, press the gas pedal a little harder. Get the car to downshift a gear and then see what happens. The transfer case weakness is really a problem in lower gears due to the gearing generating more torque. once you are in the higher gears, the overall torque the driveline sees drops. So, you are good.

 

Oh alright cool, thanks Thermo. I think that was my main fear, of ripping the transfer case to shreds if I tried passing anyone. Is it safe to drive around in "4"? I tried that on the way home and it seemed cool. Not sure how the shifting thing works. I played around with it when I first got my car and I felt like I was going to do something bad to it by not knowing what I was really doing.

 

Keeping it in 4th with the j-gate will just keep the tranny from going past 4th... It still downshifts and upshifts as normal. Read the manual bro

 

At high altitude in Colorado, my 3.0 works just fine. I always leave it in sport mode unless we get some deep snow. I have no issues with the car. Love this thing for my winter car. It really drives great in snow. I have plenty of passing power on the highway. Granted, it is not my BMW M5 with 507HP....but it will keep up with traffic very easy.

 

For highway passing I find the x type very good at passing at higher speeds, like in the 60 to 90 range, I find I am going 90 within just a few seconds to pass people. The lower gears however I feel do climb high quickly which makes for sluggish passing at lower speeds but I am rarely doing that...I just take my time..more relaxing

 

04xtype04, it is fine to drive around in "4". LIke was mentioned, the car will shift 1 thru 4 just like any other time. It just won't shift into overdrive (D or 5th gear, same thing). When you select "2", then things act a little different, but that is a different thing all together.

 

Can you shift around the j-gate while you drive to make it like a manual? I was afraid I was going to accidentally break the transmission if I did something I wasn't supposed to.

 

That's why, it's probably been shifting into 5th gear around that speed I noticed and feeling sluggish, then I was afraid to mash on the gas because I had heard about the transfer case problem (which Thermo cleared up is only a problem in lower speeds). I will try it in 4 when I am just on the country roads and see how it does. Probably will fix the problem. I think it's been in overdrive since I always had it in 'D' on sport mode.

 

Think of the J-Gate as an archaic SportShift. You can upshift and downshift on the fly without the use of a clutch.

I've heard that some users are hesitant of too much J-Gate shifting, as it causes unnecessary wear on transition components. Not sure how much truth there is to that.

I use it regularly for delaying upshifts for higher rpms, and early downshifts for engine braking.

I wouldn't drop it down into 2nd gear at 70pmh (will it even allow you to do that?), but I will drop it to 4th, or even 3rd for maximum passing acceleration when called for. I use the J-Gate as needed/desired. It's almost necessary, as the stock mapping would have you in 5th gear on a 40mph uphill. Hence why I leave it in 4th a lot of the time.

 

Where do I get the manual? I don't have one.

Thanks.