# Drive vs Drive2 **URL:** \ **Category:** Power/Fuel\ **Tags:** ford, taurus\ **Created:** [August 7, 2020, 12:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/drive-vs-drive2/168389 "2020-08-07T12:12:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Terry-P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Terry-P](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Terry-P)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 12:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/drive-vs-drive2/168389/1 "2020-08-07T12:12:02Z")
2001 Taurus 6cyl. Is there a significant difference in performance or gas mileage between Drive and Drive2? ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 12:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/drive-vs-drive2/168389/2 "2020-08-07T12:20:25Z")
See owners manual. D2, I think, starts the car moving in 2nd gear instead of 1st. Supposed to reduce tire slippage on snow and ice when first getting going. Negligible effect on MPG. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 12:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/drive-vs-drive2/168389/3 "2020-08-07T12:23:18Z")
> [@shanonia](#): > > D2, I think, starts the car moving in 2nd gear instead of 1st. Yes, as the OP can verify by reading his Owner’s Manual. > [@shanonia](#): > > Supposed to reduce tire slippage on snow and ice when first getting going. Yes, it is very useful for that purpose. > [@shanonia](#): > > Negligible effect on MPG +1 However, the car will accelerate more slowly. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 2:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/drive-vs-drive2/168389/4 "2020-08-07T14:10:41Z")
By “Drive2”, do you mean Overdrive? If so, the explanation in your owner’s manual answers your question, so what information do you need beyond that? ---
**Author:** ![Terry-P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Terry-P](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Terry-P)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 2:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/drive-vs-drive2/168389/5 "2020-08-07T14:16:48Z")
I’m thinking of buying it. I don’t have access to an owner’s manual. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 2:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/drive-vs-drive2/168389/6 "2020-08-07T14:19:23Z")
No excuses, everything is available on the web. [https://www.ford.ca/owners/owning-your-ford/get-to-know-your-vehicle/owner-manuals/](https://www.ford.ca/owners/owning-your-ford/get-to-know-your-vehicle/owner-manuals/) ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 2:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/drive-vs-drive2/168389/7 "2020-08-07T14:20:51Z")
[https://owner.ford.com/tools/account/how-tos/owner-manuals.html?year=2001&make=Ford&model=Taurus](https://owner.ford.com/tools/account/how-tos/owner-manuals.html?year=2001&make=Ford&model=Taurus) ---
**Author:** ![Terry-P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Terry-P](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Terry-P)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 2:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/drive-vs-drive2/168389/8 "2020-08-07T14:22:50Z")
Gee, thx for your help ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 2:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/drive-vs-drive2/168389/9 "2020-08-07T14:41:06Z")
> [@lion9car](#): > > By “Drive2”, do you mean Overdrive? No, Drive2 is the shift position if one wants to start-up in second gear, for slippery surfaces starts. Although I think that every manufacturer should offer this feature, not many have it. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 2:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/drive-vs-drive2/168389/10 "2020-08-07T14:46:58Z")
I thought you already had a 2001 Taurus ? ---
**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 3:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/drive-vs-drive2/168389/11 "2020-08-07T15:03:10Z")
For years Ford used a “D2” for starting out in 2nd gear for use in slippery conditions. But that is not what’s available on the 2001 Ford Taurus. According to Ford’s owner’s manual for that vehicle, from the link above, there are two “D” positions. - The first “D”, next to neutral supports overdrive. - The next “D” does not use overdrive. It’s meant to reduce the needless seeking between 3rd gear and overdrive. And it provides more engine braking on downgrades. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2020, 1:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/drive-vs-drive2/168389/12 "2020-08-08T13:42:35Z")
Here’s what it looks like, no “D2”: ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/7/1791cf3033c429e28b6045b28391bf8946fa71aa.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![VTMongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@VTMongo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VTMongo)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 1:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/drive-vs-drive2/168389/13 "2020-08-11T13:29:53Z")
Just put it in dumb and go. Your thinking about it too much. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 10:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/drive-vs-drive2/168389/14 "2020-08-11T22:06:51Z")
Our 61 Mercury had the D1 and D2. The dealer tried to explain it and not sure if it was a sender or receiver problem, but I always thought D2 was like an overdrive. I never could tell much difference in the two and the dealer said drive in either one, didn’t matter. Starting in second gear I guess would make more sense but can’t really see going to all that effort to provide a way to start in 2nd. Maybe but I know Ford had overdrive in their manual transmissions as early as 1954 so just figured they found a way to put it in the automatics. Of course I was a little young to drive it much.