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Why would a car have a switch for "performance" mode?

AgaBoogaBoo

AgaBoogaBoo

Lifer
Our volvo 850 GLT non turbo 94 or 95 model has a switch that says "economy" and "performance" on the other end. When it's in performance, it basically downshifts much sooner, at least that is what we have noticed in very little use, there might be some other small adjustments too but that's what we've noticed.

Did cars around that time from volvo have a demand for a switch like that or something because today I haven't seen a car yet with a switch like that?
 
My girlfriends mom's '83 Camry had a similar switch.

That's really all it does, is change the shift points.
 
prolongs shifts, that's all really. I've heard some newer cars have alternate fuel and spark tables for this performance mode as well, never heard proof of it though.
 
That's surely their word for overdrive. In automatic transmissions the inclusion of overdrive will keep the revs lower when cruising because of an extra gear on the end. I have not driven an automatic in a while so I'm not sure if your car will act as a 3 speed (it's probably a 4 speed automatic) with performance on and a 4 speed with performance off, of it all 4 gears are always running and on economy mode it simply downshifts sooner.
 
Originally posted by: Eli
My girlfriends mom's '83 Camry had a similar switch.

That's really all it does, is change the shift points.
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Was there a market demand for it or something back then? I don't think people would be flooring a 5 cylinder wagon from volvo all the time
 
Originally posted by: geno
prolongs shifts, that's all really. I've heard some newer cars have alternate fuel and spark tables for this performance mode as well, never heard proof of it though.
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You drive a volvo - you should know 😀
 
Originally posted by: Skoorb
That's surely their word for overdrive. In automatic transmissions the inclusion of overdrive will keep the revs lower when cruising because of an extra gear on the end. I have not driven an automatic in a while so I'm not sure if your car will act as a 3 speed (it's probably a 4 speed automatic) with performance on and a 4 speed with performance off, of it all 4 gears are always running and on economy mode it simply downshifts sooner.
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It's a five speed and in performance mode it still goes to 5th gear.
 
Originally posted by: Skoorb
That's surely their word for overdrive. In automatic transmissions the inclusion of overdrive will keep the revs lower when cruising because of an extra gear on the end. I have not driven an automatic in a while so I'm not sure if your car will act as a 3 speed (it's probably a 4 speed automatic) with performance on and a 4 speed with performance off, of it all 4 gears are always running and on economy mode it simply downshifts sooner.
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Not always, I've been in a 96 Camry which has *both* a switch to turno OD off AND a performance mode switch. It's not impossible to say that Volvo's Perf Switch = OD Switch, but there is a clear difference between a "real" OD and Performance button
 
Not always, I've been in a 96 Camry which has *both* a switch to turno OD off AND a performance mode switch. It's not impossible to say that Volvo's Perf Switch = OD Switch, but there is a clear difference between a "real" OD and Performance button
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What a mess!
 
Toyota Carina 94:
Overdrive button -> only shifts til 3rd gear
Power button -> shifts later and goes til the red line
 
I had a volvo when I started driving way back when.

All that switch did was adjust the shift points.

Economy it will switch later and run at lower RPM's
 
Originally posted by: Skoorb
Not always, I've been in a 96 Camry which has *both* a switch to turno OD off AND a performance mode switch. It's not impossible to say that Volvo's Perf Switch = OD Switch, but there is a clear difference between a "real" OD and Performance button
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What a mess!
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you said it! 😉
 
Originally posted by: AgaBooga
What was the reasoning for putting it though?
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On my Toyota truck, I'd notice a huge difference between regular and performance mode at high altitutes. imho, it isn't very noticeable closer to sea level. Also, every car's tuning is different.
 
Originally posted by: AgaBooga
What was the reasoning for putting it though?
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Make people feel like they have a peppy sporty car I guess. Same reason why people like to have paddle shifters on an automatic transmission. They get to feel like they're driving something manual when in actual fact they still have an automatic transmission (in most cases) and are just causing themselves extra work and attracting the scorn and ridicule of real manual drivers. VW has these silly things as does the RX8 (if you go with the automatic).

 
My dad owns a '99 E430...and it has a switch for "Sport" and "Winter." Needless to say, he leaves it in Sport.
 
Originally posted by: ShotgunSteve
Perhaps for city driving, when one is subjected to frequent starts and stops and cannot utilize the full power of the engine?
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That's what my thought was but the average driver doesn't floor their car or take fast turns where they need to downshift to lower speed or something the performance mode would do.
 
Sport : as the transmission goes through the gears it sticks in each gear longer thus having faster acceleration but lowering fuel economy

in economy mode the opposite is true.
 
My 97 Saturn SC2 has it.

Car is more willing to downshift when you need to accelerate, makes driving a little more fun.
 
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