For probably one of the first times ever I drove my XKR about 50 miles at freeway speeds in D, with no dynamic mode. I was amazed - a lot smoother ride and the exhaust had far less cracks and pops. SO.. its obvious to me that there is a difference.... thoughts?

 

On occasion, I will accidentally put it in normal Drive, and the most notable difference is how smoothly the automatic transmission shifts are, barely perceptible, unlike the crisper, harder shifts in Dynamic. Ride is also smoother.

 

Isn't that what it's there for???

 

I use non dynamic any time I am on rough road surfaces or concrete and it really makes the ride more comfortable and probably saves the suspension. Its also quieter.

 

That's what i use on road trips.

 

I must be a softy. I infrequently used dynamic, but I would often put it into sport. Dynamic sharpened up the suspension a little too much for me and the X pipe made the exhaust nice and crackly anyway. I have only used it once or twice in the f type, and really only to see the dash go red.

 

I hit the button once in a while but I think I only drove in S mode maybe once in the 2 years I have owned the car. Most of the time I'm in CC so it wouldn't make a difference to my driving. Same with the paddles.

 

Dynamic mode isn't just for stiffening up the suspension and opening up the exhaust. It also unleashes the full power of the engine. So when you floor it and want the full power of acceleration you need to be in dynamic mode.

 

I guess that's not my understanding of it's function. It does change the suspension settings and the exhaust and also the transmission shift points and crispness. I also believe it changes throttle responsive. There is no change in HP so the power is always there and I would think to the average driver there might not be to different of a feeling. I believe if you turn dyn. on and turn off traction along with putting it in S mode then it would be an exciting ride. At the 30-40 mph roads around town and the 50-60 mph local highways these settings aren't used around here to much. Then again at $300-$400 a pop for rear tires it's not worth shredding them.

 

For the first couple of years I had my XK, I only drove in 'D'. But, when I recently replaced my back box with Lothar's XKR back box, because of the fabulous new sound it makes, now I always drive in 'S' and only use 'D' when I'm on the freeway. Not only is the sound much improved, but the way it drives and shifts in 'S' is far more enjoyable. And, when driving in 'S' ... the radio is always OFF!

 

Same with me in my XK, I typically have it in S on the shifter and add hold down the dynamic button so the little flag comes up on the center screen. It is very gratifying the way it shifts, especially when you are slowing down and the aggressive upshifts.

Sometimes put it in Trac mode also with the traction control partially disabled. Rarely, I will go the extra step and hold the traction button extra long to fully disable.

 

Oh yes, the ride can be quite exciting when you do all that. Be vary careful when making a turn from a stop sign. A bit too much throttle and you will be sideway. Full throttle launches can get twisty too. Lots of fun as long as you are prepared for what is coming. You may quickly want bigger, sticker tires for the rear. I know I do.

 

Glad I stumbled upon this, as I was going to post a question:

What, SPECIFICALLY, does Dynamic Mode engage, disengage, or alter? There seems to be disagreement on this, and owner's manuals and Jag's documents seem vague. When I engage it, I mostly notice shift points differing. Can someone offer a specific list?
And on the same topic, Sport mode mainly sets much higher shift points, but doesn't effect anything else-- is that correct?

(I was thinking about this as I drove back down to LA from Lake Arrowhead-- tight windy curves most of the way down. That would be a dynamic mode situation, I'm assuming?)

This thread from the XJ forum offers some answers but I'm not sure it's the same for XK's...
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...c-mode-154995/

 

I'm glad you posted this question. I was thinking about doing the same. I certainly feel the difference, but some specifics would be great. Perhaps one of the techs can help.

 

I believe the XK can move the amount of valving in the dampers, engaging sport mode, defaults it into a more restrictive setting. Being in drive, will engage this setting only when driving hard, but there will be a delay as it activates it.

Sport also keep the RPM at a point where you have decent acceleration at all times. Sport also kicks the shifts harder and faster. I do not know if Sport effects the traction control.

I do not have a R, so I do not have dynamic mode. I know it defaults the exhaust to open.

 

I think some of you guys should read the workshop manual on dynamic and sport modes and find out what they actually do rather than what you think they do.

Available at jagrepair.com free.

 

It's to much to copy and paste the information in the service manual but it explains how and what these functions do. It is quite extensive and goes into details on what changes in the whole car. These include suspension , transmission , throttle , E-diff settings , ABS and so on. A lot of things are affected . This is on the 5.0L manual but I don't know what happens to the 4.2L cars.

 

When I drove home from the dealer the first time I was thinking how quiet my 2014 XKR convertible was. Then driving on the highway the second time, it was pretty road noisy. I wonder if I had it in Dynamic mode that time? Now I'm curious. Maybe it was the type of pavement...but will read the manual to see the diff.

I thought putting it in Sport mode (one furthest to right after Drive) would make everything go manual and you'd HAVE to shift using the paddles?

 

Nope, if you don't manually shift using the paddles after selecting SPORT, it will remain in full-auto mode, holding the revs higher pretty much all the time. If you DO happen to paddle-shift, it will remain in whatever gear you select no matter what. You'll find the Rev Limiter pretty dang quick.

 

^^^ If you want to go back to auto-Sport Mode, just hold the up paddle for 3 seconds. Same applies in standard Drive.