Do you need to press the brake when shifting to S gear?

[Antonio]

For a normally running vehicle, you can directly shift from D gear to S gear without pressing the brake. S gear is the sport mode of the car (S stands for sport). In S gear sport mode, the transmission can shift freely, but the shift timing will be delayed, keeping the engine at high RPM for a longer time. This allows the car to run at low gear and high RPM for an extended period, resulting in greater torque output and acceleration. Here are some related points: The use of S gear should be controlled in terms of duration because S gear only delays upshifting without changing other operational aspects. This will inevitably increase the load on the transmission in a short time, accompanied by a rise in temperature, leading to accelerated wear. Therefore, try not to use S gear for extended periods.

[Costa]

Last week, I had a deep experience driving my friend's performance car. Whether to press the brake when shifting to S mode depends on the scenario. When waiting at a red light, you must press the brake firmly to shift to S mode; otherwise, the transmission lock mechanism won't disengage, making it impossible to shift. However, when driving on the highway and wanting to overtake, simply ease off the throttle and pull the gear lever back—the onboard computer will complete the downshift and rev-matching within 0.2 seconds. Once, I forgot to engage Sport mode before entering a mountain road. While cruising at 60 mph, I lightly tapped the brake and shifted to S mode, and the RPM instantly jumped from 1800 to 3500, with the engine's roaring sound being particularly thrilling. However, for older cars, it's important to pay attention to buffering protection; it's best to slow down to below 40 mph before switching.

[SebastianLee]

The most interesting case I encountered in ten years of auto repair was a customer complaining about jerks when shifting to S mode. Upon inspection, I found he would tense up like stepping on a landmine with each shift, rapidly alternating his right foot between brake and throttle. Actually, automatic transmission sport mode is intelligently designed: when shifting to S mode while driving, simply maintain the same throttle position - the TCU will automatically match gears based on vehicle speed. Only when shifting while stationary is braking required to trigger the shift lock, which prevents accidental engagement. A little-known fact: when taking consecutive sharp turns in S mode, the transmission deliberately maintains lower gears at higher RPMs, making exit acceleration much sharper than in D mode.

[Brody]

I still remember my driving instructor yelling during the license test: 'You must press the brake to shift gears.' But it took me five years of driving to realize that only applies to traditional gear levers. Modern electronic gear selectors have two operation logics in Sport mode: vehicles with shift locks require brake pedal press to exit P or N gear, while D/S switching while driving is like pressing hotkeys in a game. My car features a column-mounted gear selector – just push the right paddle down with a finger to engage Sport mode. The dashboard instantly switches to red backlighting, and throttle response becomes notably sharper, all while my foot remains on the accelerator throughout the process.

[DiMaria]

When I first started driving, I thought all gear shifts required pressing the brake. Once on the highway, I wanted to shift to S mode to overtake a truck, but nearly missed the opportunity because braking to shift caused deceleration. Later, I learned that sport mode switching is essentially an electronic signal change: the ECU automatically adjusts shift logic and fuel injection upon receiving the shift lever signal. The key is observing speed: at 0 km/h, you must press the brake to activate the shift mechanism; above 20 km/h, releasing the throttle makes switching smoother; at 60 km/h during rapid acceleration, maintaining slight throttle while shifting to S mode can trigger downshift rev-matching. Extra caution is needed when using S mode in rain – sudden torque increase may cause drive wheel slippage.

[VanDelilah]

I was once amazed when driving a CVT model and shifting to S mode—the simulated gear ratio maintenance was incredibly smart. The key to switching to sport mode lies in understanding the transmission protection mechanism: when shifting gears while stationary without pressing the brake, the planetary gear set is locked, and forcing it into S mode will cause a loud clanking noise that damages the gears. However, switching at 40 km/h is as quiet as turning on airplane mode on a phone. Focus on observing the tachometer needle: if the RPM suddenly jumps by over 1000 after shifting to S mode, it means the system is actively downshifting to store power, and turbo lag will be significantly reduced at this point.