Roar Pedal vs: Pedal Commander

Mr. Bill · Oct 10, 2024

I have a pedal commander in my Ridgeline, BMW and Corvette. Yes, they do make quite a difference in throttle response. No, you can’t just mash your foot on the throttle to get the same response. Some people don’t care about throttle response and the PC is not for those people. The delay I was feeling in throttle response on the Ridgeline made me want to sell the vehicle. I still want more HP, but that’s just my inner car nut talking. The pedal commander makes driving the Honda tolerable for me. Is the PC overpriced? Maybe for the cost of components, but some forget the cost of R&D, patent applications, labor, marketing, etc. I don’t have experience with Roar Pedal. I have seen the YouTube video referenced above. It reminds me of the election ads that are currently being played nonstop. The PC takes about 15 to 30 minutes to install. They give a 30 day return policy, so the only risk is shipping cost and the time to install and uninstall. The PC website is pretty cheesy, and I resisted the PD for many years, but I obviously like the product after trying it out.

Ga Mike · Mar 30, 2025

johnCLT said:
2023 RTL/E
I'm very much wanting to improve pedal response, and have been considering a Pedal Commander.
Today I saw an advert for a Roar Pedal. It seems like a deal at $200 compared to Pedal Commander's $300 price tag.
Can anyone here chime in on either or both of them? If you've used both, your input would be even more valued.
Thanks!

I am police corporal in Georgia. I found out that most of the troopers in GSP, Georgia State patrol, use roar pedals in their vehicles. So I bought one and put it in my police car, the difference is night and day. No, it does not give you more horsepower. All it does is tweak your throttle response.
I just bout a 2020 RTL-E, and I just order a roar pedal for it. I am looking forward to my next off day to try it out. It took less than 5 minutes to install it in Ford Police Interceptor SUV, I it's as easy in my Ridgeline.

ATL RL · Mar 31, 2025

hmfncrosby said:
I am police corporal in Georgia. I found out that most of the troopers in GSP, Georgia State patrol, use roar pedals in their vehicles. So I bought one and put it in my police car, the difference is night and day. No, it does not give you more horsepower. All it does is tweak your throttle response.
I just bout a 2020 RTL-E, and I just order a roar pedal for it. I am looking forward to my next off day to try it out. It took less than 5 minutes to install it in Ford Police Interceptor SUV, I it's as easy in my Ridgeline.

As I see this it looks like you have made 2 posts so far.

I am going to count this as post number 2.

It may be the best second post I have seen on this forum.

However- I do wish you guys used less laser here in Georgia.

fdeno · Mar 31, 2025

I'm just curious what these devices do, they aren't power increases, so do they change the engine's advance curve, eliminate some computer induced throttle delay, trick the transmission ? Call me skeptical but I suspect (and could be wrong) that they increase the computer's perception of the magnitude of the pedal rate of change.

Say, with one installed, and you push the pedal down halfway, the device sends the message that it has been pushed down 3/4 way and maybe the rate of change is sent to the computer(s) as say 200 milliseconds instead of 500 ?

eurban · Mar 31, 2025

fdeno said:
I'm just curious what these devices do, they aren't power increases, so do they change the engine's advance curve, eliminate some computer induced throttle delay, trick the transmission ? Call me skeptical but I suspect (and could be wrong) that they increase the computer's perception of the magnitude of the pedal rate of change.

Say, with one installed, and you push the pedal down halfway, the device sends the message that it has been pushed down 3/4 way and maybe the rate of change is sent to the computer(s) as say 200 milliseconds instead of 500 ?

Throttle by wire; devices change what the computer sees when you push the throttle. Sounds simple and you can do that by just pushing the throttle down more, right???
The change may well not be linear and there are adjustable settings to alter the signal. In my experience, driving my GenI that used to be sluggish and reluctant to downshift is a now a MUCH sportier and more enjoyable experience. There is simply no way that I could do that by simply pushing the throttle down more.

Apex · Mar 31, 2025

Changes throttle mapping. I used a similar device on my MDX to change how the throttle responds to pedal inputs. Technically the device can't send a signal that could not be produced by the factory pedal position sensor. Practically it can change the way the vehicle responds and drives.

APEXi - Electronics, SMART Accel Controller with Harness

Full harness application list: Click Here Please check the application list to see which harness is compatible with your vehicle. A'PEXi Original Accelerator Controller with 7-modes (3 ECO Modes, 2 Boost Modes, Lo-Throttle Mode, and Hi-Throttle Mode)The A'PEXi SMART Accel Controller offers...

www.apexi-usa.com

I was using boost mode on this device with my MDX. It prevented the 6at from shifting to 2nd right after coming off the line. However it tanked my MPG so I stopped using it.

BeshmoHandes · Mar 31, 2025

fdeno said:
Say, with one installed, and you push the pedal down halfway, the device sends the message that it has been pushed down 3/4 way

Correct - that is all it does. There is a perceived change in response since you feel more acceleration with less pedal push, but the pedal does nothing more than you could with a lever or by pressing the pedal further. There is no ability to get more pedal signal, you can get the same result by stomping it. Understanding how electronic pedal calibration works is key - the device is limited to sending the valid pedal signal range, to avoid out of range faults.

Is that worth a couple hundred bucks? Not to me - but perception is everything. Some say perception is reality.

This guy did a really good breakdown of how throttle systems work, and what these kinds of devices actually do.

Sprint Booster – Is It Worth It?

Why You Shouldn’t Support Mandatory Vaccinations last updated 17/09/2020 2018 Update: Thanks to Kelli from sprintboostersales.com for sending me a free sprint booster to test. It’s tak…

outbackjoe.com

Key takeaways from the link (bold mine):

"There’s a few important conclusions based on this analysis alone:

A sprint booster can manipulate only the accelerator pedal position. Nothing else.
Accelerator position can only ever be between 0 and 100%, with or without a sprint booster.
Without the sprint booster, any accelerator position between 0 to 100% can still be attained according to the actual position of the pedal.
The perceived engine response delivered by a sprint booster can be completely emulated by appropriate positioning of the accelerator pedal."

Edit: Adding another evidence-based analysis.

https://www.evilution.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/info/sprintbooster/sprintbooster.pdf

Ga Mike · Mar 31, 2025

It does not make any adjustments to the ECU or anything else in the vehicle.
It has multiple adjustments modes. It can be controlled through your cell phone.
In seconds you can change it from normal (factory setting) to eco mode where it saves gas , (like the eco button does), or to the most aggressive acceleration mode. It even has a mode that acts as a theft detergent by stopping any signal from being sent.
When I have to leave my police SUV sitting running I take t seconds and my vehicle to lock mode.

Here's is a graphic showing the throttle response curves.

ATL RL · Mar 31, 2025

Ga Mike said:
It does not make any adjustments to the ECU or anything else in the vehicle.
It has multiple adjustments modes. It can be controlled through your cell phone.
In seconds you can change it from normal (factory setting) to eco mode where it saves gas , (like the eco button does), or to the most aggressive acceleration mode. It even has a mode that acts as a theft detergent by stopping any signal from being sent.
When I have to leave my police SUV sitting running I take t seconds and my vehicle to lock mode.

Here's is a graphic showing the throttle response curves.

View attachment 464502

I like that anti theft mode.

eurban · Mar 31, 2025

BeshmoHandes said:
Correct - that is all it does. There is a perceived change in response since you feel more acceleration with less pedal push, but the pedal does nothing more than you could with a lever or by pressing the pedal further. There is no ability to get more pedal signal, you can get the same result by stomping it. Understanding how electronic pedal calibration works is key - the device is limited to sending the valid pedal signal range, to avoid out of range faults.

View attachment 464499

Is that worth a couple hundred bucks? Not to me - but perception is everything. Some say perception is reality.

This guy did a really good breakdown of how throttle systems work, and what these kinds of devices actually do.

Sprint Booster – Is It Worth It?

Why You Shouldn’t Support Mandatory Vaccinations last updated 17/09/2020 2018 Update: Thanks to Kelli from sprintboostersales.com for sending me a free sprint booster to test. It’s tak…

outbackjoe.com

Key takeaways from the link (bold mine):

"There’s a few important conclusions based on this analysis alone:

A sprint booster can manipulate only the accelerator pedal position. Nothing else.

Accelerator position can only ever be between 0 and 100%, with or without a sprint booster.

Without the sprint booster, any accelerator position between 0 to 100% can still be attained according to the actual position of the pedal.

The perceived engine response delivered by a sprint booster can be completely emulated by appropriate positioning of the accelerator pedal."

Edit: Adding another evidence-based analysis.

https://www.evilution.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/info/sprintbooster/sprintbooster.pdf

All this "perception" talk. I gotta say that you can read all you want and or write all you want but the REALITY is that the device makes a HUGE difference IN THE ACTUAL DRIVING EXPERIENCE for my GenI Ridgeline. Depending on the particular vehicles stock throttle mapping the results will be more or less dramatic. It simply can't be practically duplicated by pushing the pedal farther. Read a hundred write ups about it and or write a book about it, but unless you actually have have some first hand experience you honestly won't understand what the product does.

BeshmoHandes · Mar 31, 2025

eurban said:
All this "perception" talk. I gotta say that you can read all you want and or write all you want but the REALITY is that the device makes a HUGE difference IN THE ACTUAL DRIVING EXPERIENCE for my GenI Ridgeline. Depending on the particular vehicles stock throttle mapping the results will be more or less dramatic. It simply can't be practically duplicated by pushing the pedal farther. Read a hundred write ups about it and or write a book about it, but unless you actually have have some first hand experience you honestly won't understand what the product does.

I think maybe we're saying the same thing, but in different ways. I believe the perceived response I mentioned is the lived experience you're talking about.

If you've got one and you like it, great. That doesn't change the physics of how it works.

I shared what I did so that people who are thinking of buying one can make an informed decision on whether or not a few hundred dollars is worth the experience - it sounds like it is for you. Again, that's great. For me, it's not worth the cost.

I didn't mention it before, because appealing to an expert as a form of "argument from authority" is not valid argument on it's own without supporting evidence. I actually do have years of experience integrating various types of electronic throttle control. Both on-road and off-road vehicles - for multiple OEMs. I am very familiar with how the various types of electronic pedals work: dual analog, analog with idle validation switch (IVS), sinking and sourcing pulse-width-modulation (PWM), you name it. I've spent a lot of time understanding the intricacies of their calibration processes, as well as the implications of the in-between device like the Roar Pedal / Pedal Commander / Sprint Booster. None of what I'm saying in this paragraph should convince anyone that what I'm saying is correct (to readers here, I'm just disembodied text on a screen with nothing to back up these experiential claims), but the math and the physics should.

That's the cool thing about physics - it doesn't matter who's an expert on what, or who has which experience - the physics is the same regardless - it's a great tool for understanding the universe!

PV3 · May 8, 2025

johnCLT said:
Banks doesn't make a PedalMonster for the 2nd gen Ridgeline.

I called Banks today to see if it was compatible to take the PedalMonster from my Grand Cherokee and use it in my new 2020 Ridgeline. The tech said no as the plugs were different but I could buy a PedalMonster made for my Ridgeline. He even read me the part number to order it.
I just now went to their website and it said "In Development". So either the website info is lagging or the tech jumped the gun to say it was available now.

Roar Pedal vs: Pedal Commander

Mr. Bill

Ga Mike

ATL RL

fdeno

eurban

Apex

APEXi - Electronics, SMART Accel Controller with Harness

BeshmoHandes

Sprint Booster – Is It Worth It?

Attachments

Ga Mike

ATL RL

eurban

Sprint Booster – Is It Worth It?

BeshmoHandes

PV3

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