[Churchen]

Currently I use ECO Pro on long highway drives (2 or more hours).

I'm pretty much always in Comfort mode. When I want to let it rip I go into Sport.

Haven't quite find a purpose yet for Sport+, but I am seeing some of you guys use it for snow.

[Mason Hatcher]

I never use Eco mode. I took a 3800 mile road trip in 2019 with my 2018 230i, and averaged 36 MPG in Comfort, and I was not farting around

I use comfort and sport about 50/50.

I use Sport+ only for launch mode and having a couple of fun 0-60 runs here and there.

[XutvJet]

My M235 6MT with an LSD is making around 370-380whp/380-390wtq. I never use ECO or Comfort. I played around with Traction, Sport (Drivetrain, Chassis, and Drivetrain/Chassis settings), Sport+, and DSC Off over the nearly 5 years of ownership.

With the car's current power level, during normal street driving I'm usually in Sport (Drivetrain/Chassis setting) or Sport+. In most situations, I find Sport to deliver best around town driveability in terms of throttle and shock tuning. I swear there's a slight difference in ride quality in Sport (Drivetrain/Chassis setting) vs Sport+ but I don't see how that's possible. The ride in Sport (Drivetrain/Chassis setting) doesn't feel quite as lively as Sport+ or DSC Off.

In Sport, the delivery power is more linear. The linearity is more apparent once you add more power. The only real annoyance I have with Sport is the overly aggressive nannies in the lower gears (1st and sometimes 2nd). If the nannies sense wheel spin or anticipate wheelspin, they cut power pretty aggressively and then let it back in. It's wonky. The LSD makes a HUGE difference in reducing nanny intervention in Sport.

Sport+ probably delivers the best dynamics for lively back road driving. The power delivery is more aggressive and the nannies can usually real you back in unless you're really hamfisted.

DSC Off offers the best in hard driving dynamics, power, etc. but you need to be on your toes when you're pushing quite a bit more low and midrange torque than stock as things can happen real fast as a tuned turbo makes way more low and mid range torque and that turbo surge of torque can spin the tires even from higher speeds. You need to be very in tune with the chassis to sense when this might or is happening.

I find Traction the best mode when driving on a snowy or slushy road. DSC Off when needing to get up a snowy hill.

[BrettKA7]

Originally Posted by Mason Hatcher

I never use Eco mode. I took a 3800 mile road trip in 2019 with my 2018 230i, and averaged 36 MPG in Comfort, and I was not farting around

I use comfort and sport about 50/50.

I use Sport+ only for launch mode and having a couple of fun 0-60 runs here and there.

I've tried eco mode a few times but it's truly impossible to pass anyone in that mode. I forget it's enabled and a safe pass becomes a dangerous, a**hole-driver pass.

[MarcoZandrini]

I've used Eco Pro a couple of times. Car got ~38mpg at 65mph with the AC on.

[Churchen]

Originally Posted by BrettKA7

I've tried eco mode a few times but it's truly impossible to pass anyone in that mode. I forget it's enabled and a safe pass becomes a dangerous, a**hole-driver pass.

So I always run it with cruise control. When you're in cruise control, a long scroll on the left wheel actually adds 5 MPH everytime you do it, instead on 1 MPH with the normal scroll.

I tend to bump it up about 10 MPH when passing. Takes me 2 seconds, and it works well enough to pass safely.

[Efftooto]

I use Eco when the girlfriend is in the car as she's usually in tears after just a few minutes of my usual driving LOL. I like to enjoy this car.

Chris

[Sportstick]

I have Dinan Shockware onboard, so my modes are a bit altered from stock. I am always i Sport unless my wife is a passenger, then Comfort...which is now the old Sport for the chassis, but I think she likes seeing that I choose it for her! Sport throttle mapping always is my preferred, whether in the 2 Series or my stock 3 Series.

[morphomeman]

There is no problem with passing in Eco mode, since a good punch on the gas pedal disables Eco momentarily. That said, I use it only in prolonged heavy traffic. On highways, above 70 mph, it does not improve mileage.

[Churchen]

Originally Posted by morphomeman

There is no problem with passing in Eco mode, since a good punch on the gas pedal disables Eco momentarily. That said, I use it only in prolonged heavy traffic. On highways, above 70 mph, it does not improve mileage.

I had actually read that people use it for stop and go traffic.

What makes you say it doesn't improve mileage above 70? And where are the diminishing returns?

[ianp622]

Pretty much always in comfort unless I'm feeling sporty. I also use Sport to temporarily turn off the start-stop because you can switch back to turning the engine off while you're at a stop (for example if you missed a light and so will have to be sitting there for awhile).

[4Hockey4]

Mine stays in Sport+, always

[albertw]

On freeways I like EcoPro because it disengages the engine and lets it idle on long gentle downhills (where I live the road is almost never flat). In any other mode, on Cruise it alternates between engine braking and engine acceleration which wastes gas, I suspect, but more importantly I find it annoying.

Around town I use Comfort because I like to use engine braking as much as possible, which doesn't work as well in EcoPro.

On twisty roads I like Sport + because the nanny intervention usually happens outside of my normal driving range. In Sport the damn things are always activating and sometimes, such as when I'm trying to induce a bit of oversteer, they move the car around in ways that are unpredictable and in some cases, in my opinion, dangerous.

[harma24]

Originally Posted by Churchen

I had actually read that people use it for stop and go traffic.

I can't stand Eco mode, and DEFINATELY not in stop and go traffic (prior to the pandemic, I drove into Boston every day; I spent 3hrs a day in traffic). In the winter, I found that it struggled to keep the windows clear of condensation, and the fact that it disengages the transmission when I lift off the gas (thus eliminating engine braking) drives me nuts. I can typically just modulate the throttle and know exactly when I need to lift to minimize the use of brake in traffic, but without that extra drag from the engine, I find myself having to use the brakes more. I can't get used to the car being in neutral when I lift.

I am also not a fan of getting 95% throttle response in the first 5% pedal travel that you get in Sport/Sport+. I drive in either comfort or DSC Off.

[dradernh]

DSC OFF Mode – for track driving.

Comfort Mode – for everything else.

Mind you, if I hadn't installed a track-oriented coilover suspension system, I might have chosen to drive with Sport or Sport+ on the street. I'll never know, as I had the aftermarket suspension installed at 2K miles and have been extremely satisfied with it ever since.

[ggggbmw]

Comfort Mode - 95%+ This is my daily driver, and this is a wonderful luxury coupe in Comfort mode.

DTC Mode - When I'm goofing around in the snow in the neighborhood, just hooning around. Or really slippery conditions when I need the extra slip to move forward. (Even with LSD.) Probably next track day if it's dry/warm enough.

DSC Off Mode - Only when doing auto-cross. Don't trust myself in this mode on big tracks. But it's fun at the lower auto-cross speeds.

Sport Mode (chassis only) - Track driving, and occasionally on the street if I have enough room and it's lonely enough to be goofing off in public.

Eco Pro - If I'm stuck in really bad slow traffic. I find the soft shifts a bit nicer when crawling in 5-20mph traffic. But if we're stopping I turn it off because the ASS bugs me.

The only mode I never use is Sport+. I HATE the 'fast' throttle. It's way too hair trigger to reliably control power on corner exits, and the only times I've spun on a track were in Sport+ mode. (Thankfully in a slow corner and auto-crossing.) Really with 'chassis only' setting would apply to Sport+ also.

[ZHP to B58]

Comfort: when cruising on the freeway.

Sport+: main mode 90% of the time when not on a freeway. Steering feels slightly more tolerable (still missing the heavy hydraulic steering feel/handling of the previous ZHP I had...) Suspension upgrades TBD.

Sport: Never.

Eco: When cruising on the freeway and city driving only after realizing how low my MPG's have been from being on Sport + all the time.