Gust

If I simply move gear shift to S and not touch +/- at a stop and then go, it will remain in 1st gear until it destroys itself.

Thanks, guys for the responses. The Q5 allows both a sport auto shift and a manual mode if you activate the paddles, hence my confusion on the Edge. Even the service department was not able to answer my question. As I do not have the paddles on the edge, the gear lever has to be moved to the sport position to activate the +/- toggle. It does appear from your comments that the sport mode is actually a manual shift mode and I will make sure to remember I am not in the Q5. The Q5 is somewhat disappointing as a fun, performance vehicle, definitely not as fun driving fast as a BMW, but more than a MB, which is why I usually drive it in S mode with 1st gear takeoff. The V6 is also somewhat under-powered but generally a high quality and very comfortable car. Getting 22.6 MPG ave. (the edge is still not above 16 MPG after a month!!!!).

I have read the sales brochure as well as the owners manual and am trying to determine the function of the sport mode. On my car it acts simply as a manual gear selection mode and cannot be driven as an automatic trans with a more agressive shifting programming as in my Audi Q5. Is the sport mode supposed to allow gear shifting only thru the + and - rocker on the trans lever or is mine not working properly?