What is the difference between D gear and S gear in automatic transmission cars?
2 Answers
Here are the specific differences between D gear and S gear in automatic transmission cars: 1. Concept: D gear stands for "Drive", representing the forward gear, which covers all forward gears in the car's automatic transmission. S gear stands for "Sports", representing the sport mode. When the car is in this gear mode, the transmission can shift freely, but there is a delay in shifting. 2. Application: When the car is in D gear, the driver does not need to control the gear, but directly operates the throttle and brake, which is used for daily driving. When driving on mountain roads or climbing slopes, a lower gear should be engaged. S gear is the sport mode, where the engine maintains high-speed operation to obtain more power and faster acceleration capability, which is used when climbing slopes or quickly overtaking.
I drive an automatic transmission car to commute every day, and D mode is what I use the most. It's the normal driving mode where the car shifts gears by itself, providing a smooth and fuel-efficient ride that's not tiring even in traffic jams. Switching to S mode feels completely different—the engine revs higher, acceleration becomes more aggressive, and overtaking is much quicker, giving a thrilling, racecar-like sensation. However, this mode consumes about 10% more fuel, so I only use it on highways or open roads when I want some fun. Frequent use of S mode increases wear on the engine and transmission, leading to higher maintenance costs, so it's best to use it sparingly. D mode is suitable for most situations, being both safe and cost-effective.
