daltron

I am thinking about getting ordering a 2015 or 2016 Mustang GT with a performance pack, but I read that the selectable drive modes are only available with the Premium package. Is the performance difference that much? Besides the steering feel, what do they really control, just disabling traction control etc?

Csrt4to5.0gt

The drive modes actual change engine parameters, such as throttle mapping, along with different ESP/traction settings. Sport+ and track are essentially the same, except track turns everything completely off, while sport+ raises the ESP threshold. It's noticeable. Car feels more lively and instant with the throttle response in sport+ and track. Snow/wet mode does the opposite. It retards the engine a good bit. It's worth it, IMO. The base interior looks great, but the premium is a much nicer place to be.

daltron

Would a tune essentially do the same thing?

SlimboyMcThuggin

I have the premium and I absolutely love the drive modes. It is what convinced me that going auto over manual is not a bad thing anymore. I live in a traffic filled city so having the ability to get some real power out of my ride without shifting through it all was a win. It is an extreme difference. My wife calls it OH S#!* mode.

Csrt4to5.0gt

A tune would actually add horsepower as well as more aggressively adjust engine parameters. The drive modes will still work with a tune. Drive a premium car and find out for yourself whether you think the drive modes make a difference or not.

topangler25

I could not imagine driving in the rain or letting my wife drive it without the rain mode. Plus the track mode is awesome. It is not a gimmick and does work quite well.

daltron

I'd like to, but the problem is I've never had a manual as a car and I have little manual experience, so I feel a test drive won't do me as much good since I'd be more focused on not destroying the transmission lol.

daltron

Can you elaborate on the track mode? Throttle feels more responsive?

AK_Kayaker

So you say you don't drive manual transmission, but are looking at getting the performance package, you can't get them together, and I would rather grind the gears on a dealer owned car, than on one I just spent 35-45 K on.

JohnnyB15GT

daltron, I can't speak to the track mode as I haven't used it yet (no reason to). However, the Sport+ mode is what you want for daily driving. It is much more responsive than the standard mode and makes driving the car much more enjoyable. My biggest complaint with the car, is that the driving mode reverts to the default standard setting upon shutting it off, so every time you start it, you have to switch to Sport+ mode. The more responsive steering mode stays switched on, so no problem there. This new Mustang is such a nice car compared to older ones, I don't know why anyone would not get the Premium version, unless the money is an issue.