I’ve never been a “seat of the pants” guy. Some say they can feel every single horsepower that their mods add...I never could.
So to say I was very pleasantly surprised when I made my first drive after installing the Pedal Commander on my 470 would be a complete understatement. Finally, I can feel the benefit of a performance mod!
After reading some reviews, and hearing from a few buddies about the significant felt improvement, I knew it was just a matter of time before I caved and bought one. Still, I did my research. Lots of Pro’s, which I’ll touch on in a bit. As for Con’s, nothing really except for the slow drumbeat from the “I don’t get it. Just mash the gas pedal more. Same thing, and it’s free” crowd.
Well, they might think it’s the same thing, but they’d be wrong.
The Pedal Commander (pc38 in my case) lives up to all the hype...
Install was a breeze, and as soon as I pulled out of the driveway I set it for City #2. Driving my neighborhood, on streets I drive daily, really gave me a solid reflection point. The PC made my truck absolutely come alive...that 470 V8 is a gem of a motor...I just didn’t know it because the stock ecu throttle control is very conservative.
The instant thrust and acceleration, without even trying (ie not mashing the gas) is such a nice thing! The truck feels hundreds of pounds lighter and instantly gets into its best power band. Shifts come quickly and easily, and the power just continues to build without needing to carry gears high into the rev range.
And I think that’s the big thing here...with light to moderate pressure on the pedal, the truck takes off more quickly and easily, and hits the shift points at a perfect spot. Each successive gear just builds on the power and acceleration, without huge RPM. I’m not surprised that economy could increase...the motor seems happier and more in its “sweet spot”.
I only put about 15 miles on...City 2, and Sport 1. I’ll probably play more but Sport 1 is a nice combo. I merged onto the freeway, just as a speedy Camaro was coming up behind me. I knew that, pre PC, I’d have been hard pressed to accelerate quickly enough to match his speed and not impede him, so I didn’t even try to. Imagine the grin when without even trying hard I saw him receding in my mirror.
I’ll keep trying different combo’s for my driving style, and I’ll be very interested to see what the ECO mode does when in 4 low. Good, bad or indifferent, I’ll give my honest opinion. For now, that opinion is a very happy one. I just wish I’d done it sooner.
So to say I was very pleasantly surprised when I made my first drive after installing the Pedal Commander on my 470 would be a complete understatement. Finally, I can feel the benefit of a performance mod!
After reading some reviews, and hearing from a few buddies about the significant felt improvement, I knew it was just a matter of time before I caved and bought one. Still, I did my research. Lots of Pro’s, which I’ll touch on in a bit. As for Con’s, nothing really except for the slow drumbeat from the “I don’t get it. Just mash the gas pedal more. Same thing, and it’s free” crowd.
Well, they might think it’s the same thing, but they’d be wrong.
The Pedal Commander (pc38 in my case) lives up to all the hype...
Install was a breeze, and as soon as I pulled out of the driveway I set it for City #2. Driving my neighborhood, on streets I drive daily, really gave me a solid reflection point. The PC made my truck absolutely come alive...that 470 V8 is a gem of a motor...I just didn’t know it because the stock ecu throttle control is very conservative.
The instant thrust and acceleration, without even trying (ie not mashing the gas) is such a nice thing! The truck feels hundreds of pounds lighter and instantly gets into its best power band. Shifts come quickly and easily, and the power just continues to build without needing to carry gears high into the rev range.
And I think that’s the big thing here...with light to moderate pressure on the pedal, the truck takes off more quickly and easily, and hits the shift points at a perfect spot. Each successive gear just builds on the power and acceleration, without huge RPM. I’m not surprised that economy could increase...the motor seems happier and more in its “sweet spot”.
I only put about 15 miles on...City 2, and Sport 1. I’ll probably play more but Sport 1 is a nice combo. I merged onto the freeway, just as a speedy Camaro was coming up behind me. I knew that, pre PC, I’d have been hard pressed to accelerate quickly enough to match his speed and not impede him, so I didn’t even try to. Imagine the grin when without even trying hard I saw him receding in my mirror.
I’ll keep trying different combo’s for my driving style, and I’ll be very interested to see what the ECO mode does when in 4 low. Good, bad or indifferent, I’ll give my honest opinion. For now, that opinion is a very happy one. I just wish I’d done it sooner.