That is really an issue with Crosstreks. If you ask someone "how to improve throttle response in a crosstrek", they will just answer "jUsT gEt A WrX bRo.".

Im having the same sentiment too. I'm on modified intake and exhaust (coincidentally nameless 5" muffler and soon a UEL Inferno Fabs header this upcoming January) and the throttle response is still ****. I'm not sure with Pedal Commander or the K&N Throttle response controller; there were no scientific results with the throttle response and it's always "you can definitely feel it!" in the reviews.

One thing I'm at right now is getting a flash tune - hopefully that will fix things BUT it will definitely void the manufacturer warranty and finding a tuner that can flash tune FB20s is a pain. Its just the WRXs and the BRZs that get the attention. Besides, modifying the intake and the exhaust needs a tune for max gains.


I just hate it that Crosstreks don't have the aftermarket support that they need. Its just overlanding mods. Crosstrek is an odd platform to mod to begin with.

 

Sorry but it’s going to be difficult to get better response, pedal commanders are junk and most mods for these cars aren’t worth the trouble unfortunately.

 

I disagree, we have been very pleased with our Pedal Commander. In Sport mode it improves the accelerator response and makes the car feel peppier. However, if the OP is talking about increasing power that's a different story...

 

The issue has been improved when the sport mode was added to newer models

 

You will like that "lack" of response this winter in the snow and slush. It is part of why they are so good in the snow-no snappy jump starts causing loss of traction.
It's a trade off. For some, it makes it a trade in.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

Have you cleared carbon recently ? If not, please do because once the carbon is accumulated, the timing will retards and slower response happen.

 

You might consider getting it in a decent state of tune 1st....
1) new pcv
2) new NGK plugs and air filter
3) a couple bottles of techron concentrate into the petrol
We found switching to premium helped as well with performance on the families MY18.
regards

 

The off-road tires may slow acceleration a little. Have you done any intake services on it? My car seems a little more responsive after I do it on mine. (CRC GDI IVD and Italian tune-up). The Pedal Commander does improve throttle response though the car isn't any faster, the plus is I can tailor throttle response to conditions I encounter.

artosa

 

Italian tune up doesn't work on GDI engines.

 

Have you cleaned your throttle body? I did mine recently and I noticed a difference. As another member has said, maybe do an induction cleaning on your car because you're pretty high mileage and it will affect performance.

 

Don't forget how much that big sail on your roof is going to do to your acceleration. Not really much you can do with heavier tires and that on top. It is what it is. An exhaust and intake will not net anything really noticeable.

 

Pedal Commander just changes how much the car "thinks" you're actually pressing the gas pedal, it doesn't change how the engine/intake/ecm/etc behave, i.e you'll get the exact same behavior without PC by just pressing the gas pedal more... But I get that people are wowed as the car seems much peppier with less pedal pressure.

The issue I had to get used to is the "rev hang" caused by the electronic pedal software, while changing gears (MT). Essentially, large abrupt fuel changes (like when rev matching to change gears) cause more pollution, therefore the stock pedal software will "soften" or slow the actual change, thus the actual throttle response is slowed. You can get a great explanation of that behavior in this video :
The Big Problem With Modern Manual Transmissions - Rev Hang - YouTube

Fixing that is impossible without reprogramming the ecm... Still learning to shift properly with this software pedal shenanigan.

 

The issue I had to get used to is the "rev hang" caused by the electronic pedal software, while changing gears (MT). Essentially, large abrupt fuel changes (like when rev matching to change gears) cause more pollution, therefore the stock pedal software will "soften" or slow the actual change, thus the actual throttle response is slowed. You can get a great explanation of that behavior in this video :
The Big Problem With Modern Manual Transmissions - Rev Hang - YouTube

Fixing that is impossible without reprogramming the ecm... Still learning to shift properly with this software pedal shenanigan.

I agree. I really like my 6MT except for the rev hang.