[alecs36]

Hi All,

First post, i wasn't sure where to post this, but i was wondering if you guys could help clear this question up for me. I just recently bought a new 2015 Ford Fiesta SE (loving it!!) race red (not that that matters) and have yet to get into Sport Mode. This is my first new car so i've never really had the option and have always driven strictly automatic cars. I looked online and this is when Ford tells you to switch gears, is it okay to follow this?:

1 - 2 : 15mph

2 - 3 : 25mph

3 - 4 : 40mph

4 - 5 : 45mph

5 - 6 : 50mph

thanks!!

 

[Mach 1]

First welcome and congrats, you can follow that but it is for max mpg, anything below that will be lugging the engine which isn't good. Car will seem very under powered shifting like that, heck on the highway running 70, to accelerate around someone I downshift to 4th, then back to 5th, if you are in 4th doing 40 and try to accelerate 55, will feel like a dog...experiment with it and have fun !!!

 

[Captainmorbid]

First welcome and congrats, you can follow that but it is for max mpg, anything below that will be lugging the engine which isn't good. Car will seem very under powered shifting like that, heck on the highway running 70, to accelerate around someone I downshift to 4th, then back to 5th, if you are in 4th doing 40 and try to accelerate 55, will feel like a dog...experiment with it and have fun !!!

Do the Fiestas have select shift now? The sport mode on my DCT was the old "L" slot, and I just mashed and went. It held every gear until redline, and would rev match on down shifts. They changed the "L" to "S" in 2012. Not sure if this is what the OP is asking about.

 

[Cobra348]

Try shifting the lower gears a tad earlier ... I played with it some and still tried to hit 4th about 30 MPH. It seemed to put the car in the right gearing so hitting the gas it could get out of its own way. However, I only used the sport mode in Wintry conditions when a little more control on shift points seemed necessary.

Use the oldsters technique ... listen to the engine! When it starts to flatten out, you're at top of the gear. Back off some for the shift point at that time.

 

[Cobra348]

S has been Sport Mode and the up/down "paddles" are on the shifter where hill assist (I think that was) was in the '11 models. It's kind of fun but not having a clutch still makes a shiftable automatic. <shrug>

 

[Mach 1]

I am so confused, my bad, I thought OP was talking about shifting a manual.

 

[Iceracer]

My '13 SE still has the L position.
Just like Captainmorbid described.
Keeps the revs up where the fun is.
We have a thing called a tachometer that is helpful in judging engine speed.

 

[cuemark8]

Correct me if I'm wrong. I believe starting with all the '14 models Ford added the capability of having a manual mode with the powershift. This feature was available with Powershift in the Focus and added to the Fiesta finially.

I believe the reommended shift points for the transmission is listed in the owners manual. I know the recommended shift points are listed for the 5-speed and 6-speed manuals. Not sure about the powershift.

The Powershift "L" is no longer there. But in sport mode it could still be driven the same.

My best advice for shifting the powershift with manual mode would be to drive it normally and notice when it routinely shifts on it own. The shift points given in the owners manual are optimised for best fuel economy. Not performance. Depending where your driving, like.pulling a hill, those shift points will come much later. It also goes by feel. If the engine seems dogged down, down shift. Getting onto the downshift can greatly save brake life by holding the vehicle speed on a hill or aiding in stopping power when slowing to a stop.

I have driven friends vehicles that have the manual mode feature with the automatic transmission. Even in manual mode, the computer still will overide your manual gear selection. They, by design, will not allow you to select to high of gear and dog the engine down, also they will not allow you to downshift to to low of a gear that would over rev the engine. Also if in a particular gear in manual mode and accelating and and approaching the rev limiter, the vehice will shift to a higher gear without your control.

I believe this all of this true for and make, model of vehicle with the sport mode or manual mode feature. So drive it, you really can't totally mess it up. For safety reasons the computer can and will still overide your commands if need be.

 

[Cobra348]

You're not wrong at all and in fact I played with it a lot during Winter when I wanted a bit more control of the shift points. I found 1st to 2nd seemed optimal about 6-8 MPH as the engine was getting really whiny about then. <chuckle> But it's easy to dope out if you know what to listen and feel for!

 

[BRGT350]

the sport mode with up/down on the Focus is gone. I had a 2015 Focus rental about a month ago and the rocker button on the shifter is now "hill assist mode on/off". I never had much luck with the manual shift option on the Powershift. It would skip gears under hard acceleration. I would go to shift from 1st to 2nd, and it would go directly into 3rd. The revs drop and the engine bogged. I will stick to my old method of manually shifting a lever and operating a clutch.

 

[cuemark8]

Here to agure the sport mode option for the Focus. That's for another website belive you could maybe be in error. What was the trim level of the Focus you rented? In previous model year Focus vehicles, the manual mode/sport mode was specific to the higher trim models (SES, Titanium). I believe they all have the Hill descent control, which basically just downshifts the transmission adding in engine braking.
The cheaper Fiesta totally lacked this option even though the two vehicle transmissions were similar in design. Finally in 2014 the manual mode/sport mode, whatever you wanna call it, was added.

I know the Focus PowerShift was different between the trim levels. I considered before settling on the Fiesta purchase. The Focus even had two different fuel mileage ratings for powershift. The one with manual mode was ratched back 1 less MPG in highway MPG's.

 

[iamz]

I'm pretty sure all the Powershifts are the same. The fuel mileage difference between lower and higher trim models would have been based on tire width and compound.

 

[BRGT350]

Here to agure the sport mode option for the Focus. That's for another website belive you could maybe be in error. What was the trim level of the Focus you rented? In previous model year Focus vehicles, the manual mode/sport mode was specific to the higher trim models (SES, Titanium). I believe they all have the Hill descent control, which basically just downshifts the transmission adding in engine braking.
The cheaper Fiesta totally lacked this option even though the two vehicle transmissions were similar in design. Finally in 2014 the manual mode/sport mode, whatever you wanna call it, was added.

I know the Focus PowerShift was different between the trim levels. I considered before settling on the Fiesta purchase. The Focus even had two different fuel mileage ratings for powershift. The one with manual mode was ratched back 1 less MPG in highway MPG's.

Not sure what trim level, pretty sure rental cars are about as base model as they come. I have rented 4 different Powershift Focuses and the one I drove in March was the first one without the +/- toggle on the shifter. Instead it was a hill decent button on/off toggle. The one I drove in March was the first 2015 model, the rest were 2012-2014 cars. I am sure the past rental cars were not SES or Titanium models. They were stripped down hatchbacks and sedans. Regardless, the up/down feature is piss poor at best and nothing like driving a manual transmission.

 

[cuemark8]

Has the PowerShift actually gotten better? I know there is so much flak about the quirkyness of the PowerShift. I know there was multiple TSB's about the clutches and offered solutions by re-programming the computer to smooth out clutch engagement and shifts.

Has it actually helped? Or is this merely a bandaid over a bad wound.

I drive alot and from day one wanted the 5-speed manual and purchased the 5-speed manual because I felt more comfortable with it and felt that over long term it would be more reliable. I have know doubt and fore-sake and accident expect to drive my Fiesta well over a quarter-million miles. The Powershift I questioned to be up to the task.

Let's face it, it's only a matter of time all vehicles will be automatics wiith a manual mode. We know true manual transmissions are disappearing with the exception of the niche market of performance vehicles.

We all know the Fiesta ST and Focus ST have exclusive 6-speed manuals. 1.0L Ecoboost in both vehicles has a manual transmission only. Combined with the 5-speed offering in all the other trim levels, the manuals still only account for 7% of all Fiesta and Focus sales. Given there economy car status that 7% is considerably higher than the overall market of all vehicles. Most vehicles today don't even offer a manual transmission options.

I guess we all soon need to learn to like automatics with manual mode. It's really about our only option.

My mother has Nissan Rouge with CVT and a manual shift mode. I drove it. In manual mode it seems to shift really rough and really not a very functional feature. I once had a Kia Soul for a rental for a vacation rental, it the manual shift mode feature. That vehicle was actually quite nice and shifted smooth. It gave 6 "gears" in manual mode. 1st was really low but the manual mode allowed for 2nd "gear" start and first could be totally skipped. I got to say I was quite pleased with that particular transmission and manual mode. With exception of about a 5-10min test drive, I have no experience with the PowerShift transmission.

 

[cuemark8]

Somebody fill me in, what's deal with all the clutches being replaced? Are they all failures and a backlog of parts to repair them? Was this a recall or TSB? Or is this all related to the faulty seal and oil contamInation on the clutches? I read some other threads about clutches not being available. I never got reason or story behind why there are so many Fiestas at once ending up at the dealership for clutches?

Also I assume, given the wet type clutch and design of the 5-speed manual. The seal issue is non-existent to the 5-speed manual.

 

[BRGT350]

From all the Powershift cars I have driven, the 2015 Focus seemed to go much better than any of the previous ones. I was really impressed at the difference and the improvements. Oddly, I have never driven a Powershift Fiesta.

 

[Iceracer]

Somebody fill me in, what's deal with all the clutches being replaced? Are they all failures and a backlog of parts to repair them? Was this a recall or TSB? Or is this all related to the faulty seal and oil contamInation on the clutches? I read some other threads about clutches not being available. I never got reason or story behind why there are so many Fiestas at once ending up at the dealership for clutches?

Also I assume, given the wet type clutch and design of the 5-speed manual. The seal issue is non-existent to the 5-speed manual.

Umm, we don't have a wet clutch in either transmission.

 

[Aries256]

Um embarassing question. Today on the way home from work while waiting at a stop light i decided to try the +- shifting for the first time. Started out nice, pressed the - to downshift at a light to make a turn as i got a green light, i dont remember what gear i was in i think 2nd, and it frogged a sec or two. I hope i didnt do something wrong and break anything. what would cause the "frogging"? Did I bog the engine or maybe tried to do too many changes too quickly?

Update took it for a spin up to the gas station, shrug everything seems fine. Maybe i was just overreacting. Tried S mode auto, and holy ****ing s*** it really hauls @$$.

 

[Banditlab7]

I have a used 2015 Ford Fiesta SE Hatchback. I see these great EPA Gas Mileages. The best I can get is 25.2 That is with keeping the RPMs at 2000
and lower at 45 to 50 miles per hour. Not on Expressway though. I don’t use the sport select gears at all. Just feather the gas pedal until up to speed. Any Ideas why not getting the 31 m.p.h. ???