Ronnie's Rants: Give Me My "S" Button, Please!

Ronnie Schreiber
by Ronnie Schreiber

In recent months I’ve driven a couple of cars that were considered sporting enough by their manufacturers that the letter S was part of the package. One was the Audi A7 TDI with a sport equipment group and a S Line badge on the fender. The other was a Chrysler 300S AWD and it, too, had a badge with the sibilant letter between R and T, in its case on the trunk lid.

The Audi had a TDI engine with 428 lb ft of torque and the Chrysler had a Hemi under the hood so both cars’ were indeed sporting and each has enough get up and go to get there very quickly with little effort. Both cars’ allow you to change dynamic settings so you’re actually getting something besides a badge that says S for your money. The problem is that both cars make you use the infotainment system to put the car into a more sporting dynamic mode. On the A7 that makes a little bit of sense because there are three basic settings plus the option for custom settings, something that can’t be accomplished with a simple button, but I suspect that most enthusiastic drivers like your humble correspondent won’t mess with the custom settings and just want to see that S light up in the instrument panel.

It seems to me that not putting a dedicated switch on the console or steering wheel to activate sport mode is a needless bit of cost cutting and that people who buy a S model want more than a badge on the outside, they want a button to engage warp mode on the inside as well. If you want to fine tune things, okay, so use the computers, but what’s wrong with a button? Both the Audi and the Chrysler let you deactivate stability control or turn it back on with just the press of a switch, why not the sport mode too? Also, it seems to me that there’s a safety issue at play. A simple button on the console or wheel can be activated or deactivated without taking your eyes off of the road. While the Audi MMI system is controlled from the console, you still have to look at the info screen to use it. So what sayeth the Best & Brightest? If you’re buying an S model, do you want to use the infotainment system to change dynamic modes, or do you want your S buttons too?

Ronnie Schreiber
Ronnie Schreiber

Ronnie Schreiber edits Cars In Depth, the original 3D car site.

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  • TybeeJim TybeeJim on Feb 24, 2014

    The Sport button makes sense to me. In techy cars, use the MMI/info screen to decide what the sport button means... And have it stay that way unless you physically change it. I think Audi may do this with Driver Select? I have 3 cars and all have something. In my Audi Q5, it's PRNDS where the S is for sport, but really just seems to change the tranny gear selection, maybe throttle response? My Mini Cooper S has a simple S button, must be pushed every time you start the car... Can't really feel what it does except for maybe throttle response. My wife's Mercedes '06 CLS has a Comfort/Sport button that affects gear selection, I.e. starts in 1st; and a suspension setting button which remains in the stiffer setting (yawn).

  • Shifflett Shifflett on Mar 22, 2014

    I'd like a button that makes the car in front of me go away.

  • FreedMike Off topic, but folks, this site is not working well for me from a technical standpoint, and it doesn't matter if I'm using my phone, or my computer (on two different browsers). It locks up and makes it impossible to type anything in after a certain point. Anyone else having these issues?
  • Syke Kinda liked the '57, hated the '58. Then again, I hated the entire '58 GM line except for the Chevrolet. Which I liked better than the '57's. Still remember dad's '58 Impala hardtop, in the silver blue that was used as the main advertising color.
  • Dartdude The bottom line is that in the new America coming the elites don't want you and me to own cars. They are going to make building cars so expensive that the will only be for the very rich and connected. You will eat bugs and ride the bus and live in a 500sq-ft. apartment and like it. HUD wants to quit giving federal for any development for single family homes and don't be surprised that FHA aren't going to give loans for single family homes in the very near future.
  • Ravenuer The rear view of the Eldo coupe makes it look fat!
  • FreedMike This is before Cadillac styling went full scale nutty...and not particularly attractive, in my opinion.
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