GLE63s, GLE63, GLE53 AMG SUV & Coupe (W166, W167) 2015 - Present (Two generations)

Hard downshift when coasting in Sport +

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Old May 15, 2022 | 09:20 PM
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2021 AMG GLE53
Hard downshift when coasting in Sport +

Anyone else experience some odd downshifting when in Sport+? I was on the interstate and came up on some bumper to bumper traffic with a bit of coasting. Whenever I would take my foot off the gas tom coast the car would downshift pretty hard and give the sensation of a hard brake. Anyone else have this issue?

C
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Old May 16, 2022 | 08:14 PM
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Sport+ is almost unusable on the street. It is really meant for tracking the vehicle IMO. So to answer your question that is normal.
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Old May 17, 2022 | 06:54 AM
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Originally Posted by mr inkredibul
Sport+ is almost unusable on the street. It is really meant for tracking the vehicle IMO. So to answer your question that is normal.
Not sure what you mean by tracking but after reading the manual, I would say this is not normal. Sport+ is perfectly fine to drive on the road.
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Old May 17, 2022 | 08:04 AM
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Maybe they refined it. My manual says Sport+ is for the racetrack only.
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Old May 18, 2022 | 05:25 PM
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Originally Posted by coachhomer
Not sure what you mean by tracking but after reading the manual, I would say this is not normal. Sport+ is perfectly fine to drive on the road.
Agreed. Use it all the time when I’m in the mood for spirited driving. It’s awesome.
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Old May 18, 2022 | 06:35 PM
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Originally Posted by mr inkredibul
Maybe they refined it. My manual says Sport+ is for the racetrack only.
Which manual, GLC or GLE?
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Old May 18, 2022 | 06:50 PM
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I haven't seen Sport+ be described for racetrack only in any owners manual. Even for the GLC it is described as "Particularly sporty driving characteristics" and can certainly be used on the road. RACE mode on the other hand is described as not to be used on normal roads, but still can. I use it in the canyons with my C63S. However, neither S+ nor RACE are particularly suited for moderate and slow driving. Even the instructors at the AMG Driving Academy advised against using S+ for slow to moderate driving. Perfectly fine on the highway or an open road at speed, but not in bumper to bumper traffic.

Can't particularly speak for the GLE. You didn't specify which GLE you have, but either way the GLE doesn't come with the MCT transmission. With the MCT, S+ is definitely kinda too much for normal driving and there are jolts in the drivetrain as a consequence. I actually never really let the transmission shift on its own if I'm in S+ or RACE. I always shift in manual mode in those cases. I only let the transmission shift in Comfort for moderate driving. My running theory is that the transmission adaptation gets confused if you use S+, but don't actually drive in a sporty manner, so I keep my sporty driving distinct from my moderate driving by using manual mode for the former and automatic mode for the latter.

For daily highway driving I actually use Individual mode with everything setup like S+, except the suspension in S and the transmission in M. I never really drive in automatic mode on the highway, unless I'm in Comfort mode while stuck in stop&go traffic or on a long cruise and in both situations with DISTRONIC and Active Steering Assist engaged, letting the car do much of the driving.

Last edited by superswiss; May 18, 2022 at 06:56 PM.
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Old Oct 26, 2022 | 07:44 AM
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I had this on mine and had a gearbox software update and it transformed it.... I too use Sport + allot and its not jerky at all.... its all in the software!
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Old Oct 26, 2022 | 02:27 PM
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Is this the harsh downshift from 3rd to 2nd that I always hear about, or something different?
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