Goat Modes

[Norm A.]

I see no value of a manual transmission. That's the beauty of choice and having options

Good one

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[GrabberBlue]

GOAT modes change a lot more than what can be achieved manually:

• Differential lockers
• Transfer case selection
• Sway bar disconnect
• Throttle response
• Shift points
• Off-road ABS calibration
• Off-road traction control and Advance Trac calibrations

You'll feel a noticeable difference between staying in normal mode and using the appropriate GOAT mode.

 

[Chief1301]

I see no value of a manual transmission. That's the beauty of choice and having options

The crawl gear is cool. But I'd rather have trail turn assist with the auto. I have a MT Mustang and love shifting my "Muscle Car". MT vehicles are more engaging. The connection the driver has with the vehicle can't be matched with an auto. That being said, I want the 2.7 and trail turn assist. So I have to get the auto. And it'll be easier in the crazy S.F. Bay Area traffic.

 

[kodiakisland]

Been driving a 4WD for almost 40 years. I don't plan to use much of the GOAT mode functions, but that doesn't make them stupid. I will most likely use regular and sport for throttle control and decide myself when to use 4WD and locker. Ford is trying to market to a lot of people who do not have 4WD experience and the GOAT modes will certainly help them out. If you don't want to use them, don't. I think there are some gimmicky things offered, but if someone finds them useful, that's great that they have the option.

 

[Thechief86]

I've spent the last 22 years in Jeeps with manual transmissions, with welded rear axles and lunchbox front lockers.
I've had a couple with automatics, and they were a lot easier to use, but not as much fun for daily driving.
I probably will play around with GOAT modes, but ultimately, I'll probably lock both diffs and stick it in 4Lo and leave it that way until I get back to 2wd territory. I'm only after the upgraded TCase for the lower crawl ratio, and it comes with the Sasquatch goodies anyway...

 

[Cheshire]

Agreed - I’m fairly new to off-roading. I am looking forward to the GOAT modes and learning more about them. I think they’ll be very useful.

This is an issue/problem with GOAT modes. Folks like you with little off-road experience will be relying on GOAT modes and won't get a good understanding of how the various features work and when they are needed. People entering sand will simply think, "now it's time for sand mode", instead of understanding now I need to be in 4WD. Depending on the conditions and what you're doing, you'll need to decide between 4H & 4L. Same goes for trails with a few obstacles or rocks. Do I need mud/ruts or rock crawl? What you really need is 4H or 4L. When things get hairy or there's slippage, you'll need a locker(s). Learning when you need each component is the fun part about learning to drive off-road. Relying on modes takes this all away imo.

Land Rover Stuck in sand:
I remember years ago driving in sand in Nantucket in my friend's Defender 90. We come around a grassy dune and there's a Land Rover Evoke stuck in front of us. The guy asked for help, so I got in his vehicle. Tried moving a bit and was spinning wheels. Looking around I noticed the thing was set in Sand mode. Not having such gimmicks on the Defender, I took it out of Sand mode and put into normal mode. Within 30 seconds I had the vehicle moving and cleared the path. The driver had no idea what he was doing and the mode he was using was useless.

My Base 2.7L Sasquatch is being built Friday. I plan to only ever use Normal and Sport modes to change throttle response. As far as I understand, if I have Sport selected and put in 4H, I'll essentially create Baja mode which doesn't come with the Base model. If I were to teach someone how to drive their Bronco in any off-road condition, I would tell them to leave it in Normal mode and concentrate on the 4WD & locker settings. Working with one pedal, no pedal and trail turn assist are also necessary. If you have manual transmission, you'll need to perfect gear selection which gives you one pedal control.

 

[604Bronco]

This is an issue/problem with GOAT modes. Folks like you with little off-road experience will be relying on GOAT modes and won't get a good understanding of how the various features work and when they are needed. People entering sand will simply think, "now it's time for sand mode", instead of understanding now I need to be in 4WD. Depending on the conditions and what you're doing, you'll need to decide between 4H & 4L. Same goes for trails with a few obstacles or rocks. Do I need mud/ruts or rock crawl? What you really need is 4H or 4L. When things get hairy or there's slippage, you'll need a locker(s). Learning when you need each component is the fun part about learning to drive off-road. Relying on modes takes this all away imo.

Land Rover Stuck in sand:
I remember years ago driving in sand in Nantucket in my friend's Defender 90. We come around a grassy dune and there's a Land Rover Evoke stuck in front of us. The guy asked for help, so I got in his vehicle. Tried moving a bit and was spinning wheels. Looking around I noticed the thing was set in Sand mode. Not having such gimmicks on the Defender, I took it out of Sand mode and put into normal mode. Within 30 seconds I had the vehicle moving and cleared the path. The driver had no idea what he was doing and the mode he was using was useless.

My Base 2.7L Sasquatch is being built Friday. I plan to only ever use Normal and Sport modes to change throttle response. As far as I understand, if I have Sport selected and put in 4H, I'll essentially create Baja mode which doesn't come with the Base model. If I were to teach someone how to drive their Bronco in any off-road condition, I would tell them to leave it in Normal mode and concentrate on the 4WD & locker settings. Working with one pedal, no pedal and trail turn assist are also necessary. If you have manual transmission, you'll need to perfect gear selection which gives you one pedal control.

To be fair, I’m also not an idiot (I know you weren’t implying that) and have been doing some research to ensure I am not fully reliant on the GOAT modes. I just think they are helpful for sure, especially someone who is newer to the off-road experience.

By the way… Defender… Nantucket… Is your friend Doug DeMuro? Lol

 

[HPNQ420]

GOAT modes change a lot more than what can be achieved manually:

• Differential lockers
• Transfer case selection
• Sway bar disconnect
• Throttle response
• Shift points
• Off-road ABS calibration
• Off-road traction control and Advance Trac calibrations

You'll feel a noticeable difference between staying in normal mode and using the appropriate GOAT mode.

With a manual transmission, the only things on that list that cannot be manually changed are the ABS calibration, throttle response, and traction control calibrations.

 

[Cheshire]

To be fair, I’m also not an idiot (I know you weren’t implying that) and have been doing some research to ensure I am not fully reliant on the GOAT modes. I just think they are helpful for sure, especially someone who is newer to the off-road experience.

By the way… Defender… Nantucket… Is your friend Doug DeMuro? Lol

Ha! When I bought my first brand new car, a 1994 Defender 90 softop, Doug was 6 years old.

 

[Brongo]

The crawl gear is cool. But I'd rather have trail turn assist with the auto. I have a MT Mustang and love shifting my "Muscle Car". MT vehicles are more engaging. The connection the driver has with the vehicle can't be matched with an auto. That being said, I want the 2.7 and trail turn assist. So I have to get the auto. And it'll be easier in the crazy S.F. Bay Area traffic.

dumb question but why can’t a manual have trail turn assist?

 

[WuNgUn]

Not all modes are meant for offroad... Like Sport mode or Slippery.
I've seen how you Southerner's handle a half an inch of snow on the road! I suggest you use GOAT

 

[Dads_bronze_bronco]

GOAT modes change a lot more than what can be achieved manually:

• Differential lockers
• Transfer case selection
• Sway bar disconnect
• Throttle response
• Shift points
• Off-road ABS calibration
• Off-road traction control and Advance Trac calibrations

You'll feel a noticeable difference between staying in normal mode and using the appropriate GOAT mode.

For a manual driver it adjusts:

• Throttle response
• Off-road ABS calibration
• Off-road traction control (which we can turn off) and Advance Trac calibrations

All the rest are things we would prefer to control via hero switches, shifter, and transfer case button (which would better as a mechanically linked lever)

 

[Drex]

Disclaimer: I have a 7MT on order

Am I the only person that thinks the GOAT dial is stupid? Is it really that hard to figure out 2wd, 4a, 4wd, 4l, front locker, etc.? I know it adjusts shift points as well but with the MT I’ll have complete control of that.

Yes, but you cannot control the computer tweaking of the ABS, the airbag deployment criteria, stability control (hopeful Ford had enough brains to not modify throttle response if attached to a manual transmission). I think the GOAT dial is a decent enough control interface, but in the automatic it is in the worst possible place. I can easily see a heavy winter coat brushing against it and turning it. It should be a lift and turn kind of deal, some sort of safety interlock.

 

[L8apex]

dumb question but why can’t a manual have trail turn assist?

No reason it can't - but it just doesn't. Guess Ford didn't want to repeat an entire DV process for an 18% take rate.

Especially because the manual enthusiasts were most likely only ever going to buy a manual regardless of features.

Signed,
Manual Enthusiast

 

[ChrisD]

I think it's to take some of the gatekeeping out of 4 wheeling so more people can get involved in the sport.

To paraphrase what I learned with one of the KOH drivers in Moab... GOAT modes aren't a gimmick, they actually adjust a lot of the settings of the vehicle, as other posters have stated before, things like throttle response, traction control, etc. He also said you don't need them. They're intended to build confidence and confidence is capability. You can still put it in a GOAT mode and change everything on the hero switches, etc., to whatever you want. Or just not use a GOAT mode at all.

For instance, we put the Bronco in rock crawl, then unlocked the rear axle and locked the front axle. We could have as easily put it in 4L, locked the front axle, disconnected the stay bar, etc. It's all there on the dashboard.

If you don't want to use them, you don't have to. If you do want to use them, they're there. Nice to have and intended for new offroad drivers, to ease the bar of entry.

I grew up around Trail Dusters and Ramchargers with manual front hubs and things. It turned out to help me in the Army because I could drive the older vehicles and get them anywhere. I mean, the HMMWV had those automatic locking hubs! Once drivers were spoiled by those HMMWVs, nobody could remember how to drive a CUCV and lock the front hubs. I liked it because the CUCV was way more comfy - it was a Chevy Blazer! And I got to drive it.

The thing is, if you make it easy to learn, then people will gravitate to off roading. Ones who get interested in it as a hobby/sport will try to learn how to do it better and doing it better means learning how to do this stuff. Ease the bar of entry and get more people involved and we'll have trails for a long time. Or we can just come out in our underwear and throw beer cans at those kids that are "on our lawn."

Frankly, the underwear and beer can option, that's how I've always envisioned my retirement anyway.

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