Drive Mode In Hyundai Cars - How Does It Work? Some Tips

Hyundai cars and SUVs are mainly equipped with automatic transmissions. Yes, you will find manual types of transmissions in the cheapest modifications and also in sports vehicles. But the majority of Hyundais sold in the US come with an automatic one.

Again, there are multiple types of transmissions and they differ much in terms of how they work and what they offer. You can easily learn something new about your transmission just by opening the drivers’ manual for your vehicle. But sometimes the tips and specs there give just a general overview of the technologies.

Today we’ll speak about the following:

1. How does the drive mode work in Hyundai cars?
2. What are the types of drive mode in Hyundai transmissions?
3. When can you use different transmission modes?
4. What problems can occur with your Hyundai transmission?

Let’s get started!

D-mode in Hyundai cars – want to know more?

To begin with, we want to say that Hyundai sets their gearboxes differently for various cars. For example, in your Hyundai Elantra, the gearbox will provide economical driving without revving up the engine much. Also, in your new Palisade, the transmission will offer great functions to deal with off-roading, but it will not be OK for sports. But in a Veloster or in some other sporty vehicle, things will be much different.

Today we’ll speak in general about the vehicles in the Hyundai model range and will not concentrate on a certain model. Here’s what we have to say about the drive mode:

1. The drive mode comes on once you put the stick shift in the D position. This is a basic mode you should use in your vehicle to let it work in optimal conditions.
2. Also, the drive mode turns on the default mode in the transmission and allows it to go to different gears right at the time when it’s optimal to do so.
3. When your car is in Drive, you may also use different additional features if your transmission type is quite modern and allows doing so.
4. The drive mode is usually not the only way of making your vehicle move. For example, the Reverse mode (R) will make the car move backward, and the Sport mode (S) will change the way your transmission works to allow you to drive faster.

So, basically, the drive mode is the default way to make your car move forward and shift gears in order to optimize the way your engine works. Usually, Hyundai cars are all set to economize fuel and to ensure that the engine is not working at the top of its capabilities. This is made to ensure that the engine and the transmission will survive longer and will not cause any big problems to the car owner.

What are alternative modes in Hyundai cars?

Again, it depends much on the car model that you own.

In most cases, you will have the so-called Sport mode. In older vehicles it is activated with a stick shift – just put it into S position to activate the sport mode.

This mode is made to let the engine rev up at higher RPM and it also kicks down to lower gears faster when you try to accelerate aggressively. This mode is not made to economize fuel, it’s not supposed to ensure that the engine works properly and will not break in the end. It just gives you more aggressive driving and better acceleration.

Also, in most Hyundai cars you will find a so-called Eco mode. In modern vehicles, it stands for economical. It means that the vehicle will work to economize as much fuel as possible. But in older Hyundai cars, the Eco mode stood for Ecological and it meant that your car would emit less harmful gasses. It was especially bad in Elantra cars where it didn’t change a thing including fog test results.

The Eco mode is activated by a button. Sometimes it can be placed near the stick shift, but in some cases, it will be placed elsewhere. For example, in older Elantras, this button was placed left side of the steering wheel.

We wouldn’t use Eco mode much because it actually doesn’t make sense. Maybe, it will work well in a long run. But the thing is that it doesn’t change the fuel consumption, the vehicle dynamics – it doesn’t change anything, so it’s useless, in our opinion.

Also, we wouldn’t use Sport mode too often because most Hyundai cars are not made for sports. They are just family vehicles that should work in accordance with those spheres they were meant for.

What’s actually the sports mode for?

You could wonder why Hyundai at all offers this sport mode. Just because most manufacturers offer it in their cars. This is a marketing trick to sell more cars. But it doesn’t make much sense in your everyday driving.

The sport mode can be used relatively justified in such cases:

• you are driving on a very busy road and want to overtake cars, in this case, sport mode is recommended;
• you are driving in a race track with no speed limitations and you just want to feel what your car has to offer;
• you are in a hurry and want to accelerate faster after every traffic light and road intersection on your way.

That’s all. Just driving your car every single day using the sport mode is an insane idea. You will not only make it more dangerous for you, but you will also need to repair your engine and transmission very often. And it won’t be cheap at all.

What can go wrong in different modes?

The drive mode is the only type of transmission setting we recommend using in your Hyundai car. Eco doesn’t make sense; the sport mode can be used at times when you are in a hurry or just want some aggressive and dynamic driving. At all other times, you should just use the drive mode that comes standard in all automatic transmissions.

Many things can go wrong if you use the sport mode more often than it should be used. Here are some examples we could come up with:

1. Fuel consumption. Your vehicle will start burning much more fuel. Mainly, when the engine revs up like crazy, the consumption grows pretty much. On average, it can be 20-30% higher than usual.
2. Engine wear and tear. Your engine will start overheating and wearing much because of that. High RPM is never good for an engine, so you will have to be prepared for costly repairs or even engine replacement.
3. Transmission wear and tear. Of course, the transmission will also be affected and it will show much more problems than you can expect. Most Hyundai cars use traditional automatic transmissions that are pretty long-lasting, but not in sport mode.
4. Brakes wear and tear. Hyundai uses quite ordinary brake discs and rotors. Mainly, they don’t cause any problems, but if you drive in the sports mode, they will wear excessively and may just be broken one day.
5. Suspension problems. Hyundai cars aren’t made for sport, so their suspension is quite soft and weak. It’s OK when you use it for family purposes and shopping trips, but it won’t be quite good when used on sport tracks.

As you see, the sport mode can be dangerous and it can really cause problems for your vehicle. If you don’t want to repair your engine and transmission, better avoid using this mode too much. If you love aggressive driving, then maybe you should just find another car that is meant to be driven aggressively.

What’s the longevity of Hyundai engines and transmissions?

The longevity depends much on how you use your vehicles. But usually, Hyundai cars show wonderful longevity. The mileage of the cars is usually somewhere near 250,000 miles before they go to scrapyards or need some really expensive repair.

But the longevity depends also on other things:

• the modes you use in your car to drive;
• the oil change intervals and other servicing measures;
• the aggressiveness of your driving style;
• the climate and other important factors.

So if you want to drive your vehicle for years and avoid any expensive troubles, you should follow maintenance requirements, avoid driving your car aggressively and pay attention to any problems that occur with your vehicle.

Final words

The drive mode in your Hyundai car is not just the best option to choose when driving, but the only option if you want to drive your car for many years. This is a well-balanced mode which allows you to get all the advantages of your engine power and also economize some fuel.

If you want to use any other modes for driving your Hyundai vehicle, be careful. They are OK for a short period, but they shouldn’t be applied for many hours. Otherwise, your vehicle will be in trouble. Overheating, too much revving up and other problems will have an impact on your engine and transmission.