Excellent read, thanks for posting. I also found the mpg comparison between low and hi test interesting, and it corresponded with what I've seen = very little difference, BUT the driveability is sloppy on low octane fuel. between minute turbo lag, dbw, lots of gears to shift, and defueling mid-shift, it is unnerving to drive on 89 octane. The acceleration feels haphazard or even accidental. Drives smooth and true on high octane. Mixing it with low and high doesn't improve it either. 3/4 of the tank needs to be 93 for it to accelerate smoothly. I think some future owners, if they are in tune with their vehicle, will be disappointed with this.
Mine is a 2018 - I've never, ever, seen it go over 8th gear in tow mode, which differs from the article. 9-10 are also torque limited, essentially negating throttle inputs more than 1/4 or so.
They confirmed what I have felt to be excellent TC programming as well. I feel that thing starting to participate in 3rd.
I wish their towing simulation was a little more thorough. for a given weight, say 4900lbs, there's a huge difference between pulling a boat or a travel trailer. I was surprised to read 7% increase in towing mpg by leaving the trans in "normal" mode. I'm not sure I believe that would be such a big difference for a high-resistance pull, like a travel trailer.
Surprised! to see how much it relies on port injection, only using DI at higher demand. That answers the question about if it will need intake cleaning!
-m