I used to loathe and despise stability control. Call it ESP, DSC, VSA, or any other acronym; I considered it to be a blight on the dynamic prowess of the vehicle and a hindrance to the development of real driving skills. From the moment I stepped from my non-ABS, non-traction controlled, two-pedals-and-an-emergency-brake 1996 Saturn into an electronically-governed-everything 2003 330i, I’ve been on a personal crusade to switch off every driving aid, in every car, whenever I can.
This has led to a few close shaves; most notably the sunny June day when I almost introduced someone else’s Sky Turbo to a wooden state park guardrail. It’s shockingly spiky, with lift-throttle oversteer even an S2000 owner would marvel at; proof that if Saturn couldn’t put you to sleep with their products, they’d settle for killing you instead.
That knuckle-whitening incident, however, was not what sold me on stability control. Nor was it the hydroplaning death of my first S2000, or the multiple times I’ve sat helpless in the passenger seat as a friend’s rally car pirouetted into a ditch.
What convinced me stability control was a good idea was a drive in the new Z4 3.5is M Sport. This is the ultimate Jekyll-and-Hyde car, happy to cruise or flatten you into your seat, coupe or convertible at the press of a button, automatic or fully manual transmission. Most importantly, holding the ESP button for five seconds transforms it from a resolutely understeering boulevardier into an agile, happy-to-rotate devourer of cloverleaf ramps and autocross courses.
This gave me pause for thought. The greatest obstacle to tail-happy handling in modern cars is the looming threat of impending litigiousness when someone lacking the appropriate skill set stuffs their new convertible into something unyielding. Hence the Z4’s schizoid handling; that little button is the safety on a 3200lb gun.
The simple truth is that the majority of consumers have no desire to improve their driving skills. Some welcome the advent of Google’s self-driving Prii, and a few consider anyone with a desire to learn performance driving techniques to be a lunatic and a menace. Thanks to these market pressures and to an ever-increasing volume of legislation, safety and convenience have become the topmost priorities of the automotive industry. We should embrace the incorporation of stability control as giving us a means to opt out of safety-oriented handling. This way, those of us who demand a vehicle well suited to competitive driving can enjoy our car’s wild side, without inexperienced drivers endangering themselves.
This principle is equally applicable to front-wheel-drive cars. Although I have a similar distaste for wrong-wheel-drive, they can be made to handle correctly. The first-generation Golf, DC4 Integra Type-R, and original Civic Si all responded positively to trailbraking. Unfortunately, braking and steering simultaneously has become the first (and usually only) avoidance maneuver in most drivers’ repertoire thanks to the advent of ABS. If this resulted in multiple vehicular revolutions, customers would be displeased. Fortunately, stability control is the answer—oversteer for the enthusiasts, miraculous avoidance of disaster for everyone else.
A final caveat: stability control must be fully switchable for this line of reasoning to be valid. Mercedes has perfected the art of deeply frustrating ESP. In “Off” mode you get the beginnings of a promising rotation, immediately followed by total shutdown, running wide, flattened cones, and the occasional explosive deployment of the rollover bars as the ECU panics. This is less than ideal, and often leads to much pulling of fuses. The VSA standard on later S2000s is incorporated correctly; one press of a button, and it disappears until you press the button again, or cycle the vehicle power.
Love stability control? Hate it? Don’t understand why an orange triangle appears when all you want is to defrost your rear window? Let us know in the comments.
Photos courtesy of world.honda.com and Aaron Gold
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on Jun 20th, 2011 at 3:22 am
I couldn’t agree more with this article.
There was a time when I reckoned that electronic safety programs just mutilated the driving characteristics of a performance car. However, I will be the first to admit that despite owning my S2K for a year, my driving skills are still best describes as ordinary.
The S2000 may have “just” a 2 litre engine and may produce “just” 240bhp, but it goes without saying that for the inexperienced, it can still be a handful on a twisty road.
Im sure a fair number of people would argue that not having traction control is perhaps the best way to learn your car. However, it is also quite a bansai way of learning the limits and could be a costly lesson too.
As I use my S2K as a daily driver, for most part of the time, I like to keep traction control on and allow myself a safety net so that I do not unknowingly become part of the scenery. However, as it is a performance car, there are times when I want to be able to switch off all driver aids and “fully exploit” the potential of my car. And my 2008 S2000 allows me just that. Cutting through twisting mountains roads at speeds that would be illegal on most highways, it sure helps to have a helping hand just in case I come onto the throttle too early and a little too hard. This also allows me to learn the limits of my car with a certain degree of safety.
I would not be able to drive my S2000 today the way I can had it not been for that little button beside the steering wheel.
on Jun 20th, 2011 at 4:30 am
I push my 05 in very very small progressive amounts on roads I know like the back of my hand, that aren’t traveled on much. Helps me understand the car and its limits. When I do pass the limits, its not too far gone from being able to correct, plus you can feel it coming on.
on Jun 20th, 2011 at 6:05 am
I agree with Drozzy. I too have on MY05 without VSC and must do the same thing…pushing her ever so slightly on less traveled roads to learn the limits. I just put on a new super stick rear set of Potenza R11′s and I’ve had to re-learn the limits all over, as they seem to have improved!
on Jun 20th, 2011 at 6:25 am
When my wife borrows the S and gets a bit frisky, I am glad its on… I turn it off from habit now, unless raining.
on Jun 20th, 2011 at 7:03 am
im glad its on there. i made the mistake of turning it off and trying my drifting skills in wet conditions. BIG mistake and cost me a damaged oem lip and a new paint job on the bumper. could have been alot worse. wont be doing that again anytime soon. pretty dumb mistake.
on Jun 20th, 2011 at 7:28 am
Couldn’t agree more. Most of us think we know our cars, and know the limit. In reality, just because you haven’t crashed yet doesn’t mean you won’t. It’s more a matter of time and it only takes one mistake. Professional race car drivers crash all the time, so it’s quite arrogant for anyone to think it can’t happen to them. The advances in driver assists have become very good over the years, to the point where Ferrari is introducing them technology on flagship cars. Bring on the driver assistance… I’d rather save my car than my pride.
on Jun 20th, 2011 at 8:12 am
This was a good article with a great deal of truth to it. I too have always been seriously against any sort of electronic aid however after daily driving my ’02 for the last 4+ years through rain, snow and countless high speed pavement runs, I have a different opinion. I have never had any real close calls that put me or my car in extreme danger however sometimes it would be nice to not feel you have to be sitting at the edge of your seat anticipating potential snap over steer at any second. I love my car and how raw it is however if given the option, why not opt into a system that can be completely shut off if desired. With that being said I will not be selling my car for some time, yet future purchases I will be open to look at all my options…not that I will have a choice anyways!
on Jun 20th, 2011 at 9:45 am
I’m glad my car came with VSC however I feel it is a little bit too intrusive. The amount of wheelspin and oversteer it allows before intervening is too soon for a sports car, in my opinion. It would be nice if there was an “in between” setting to allow for frisky, yet still controlled driving.
Despite that overall I’m glad to have it. The S2000 is my DD and I can’t always be in high alert mode…sometimes the mental concentration just isn’t there.
on Jun 20th, 2011 at 11:47 am
It’s annoying. I feel less safe with it on, as the handling becomes unpredictable. I have to remember to turn it off when I drive. Sometimes I end up turning it off, looking down at 60-70 mph, about to brake and heel-toe for a right hander at a green light. I wish it would stay however you last left it before turning the car off. And I wish it didn’t look like some kind of engine failure warning light on the dash. When a passenger is with, you have to explain that there is nothing mechanically wrong with your car – that’s just Honda yelling at us because we are about to drive a sports car in a sporty manner – go figure.
on Jun 20th, 2011 at 2:54 pm
I do not agree with any of you. My 01 has no driving aids except for ABS and have never found the need for any stability control rain or shine. The S is very capable for normal driving however if you lads are pushing the limit in dodgey conditions than thats a different story altogether.
on Jun 20th, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Not long ago people were saying 4wd is cheating or racing/sports car shouldn’t be 4wd.. but now it’s more like taste.
ABS? People were complaining long time ago that sports car shouldn’t have ABS since non-ABS deliver better braking for skilled drivers.
Power steering wheel? same story.. but, nowadays, if the car don’t have power steering wheel, then it’s like “really???”
I drive 04 and I don’t really care for not having VSA. But I will not mind the car i like comes with some electric device that let you slide a bit but not crash, 4wd that give you RWD characteristic but better power down, paddle gear box that is reliable and works on DD well also A LOT faster than normal manual.
If technology is there and it helps us in some ways, why not use it?
on Jun 20th, 2011 at 4:57 pm
As we get old, & loose some speed in our reflexes, I guess we all come to the stage where we need driver aids.
However I’m only 71 this year, so I don’t expect to need them any time soon.
The reason I did not consider the Nissan thing was that you couldn’t turn those aids off completely, & they kept getting confused, & second guessing me.
on Jun 20th, 2011 at 8:33 pm
learned to drive in a mid 80s 2 door GM car with over 300rwhp and nearly 500ft-lbs of tq. not even ABS.
no trac control for me.
hell, even my gf’s trackday instructor has weened her off trac/stability control in her turbo MCS.
on Jun 20th, 2011 at 9:34 pm
Nothing wrong with having traction control in a car. With each passing year, new technology comes in and it always help to improve a car’s drivability and safety measures. Just like having ABS and airbag during the early 90s when they became mandatory factory equipments. Brake assists, backup camera, laser guides to measure distance of the car in front of you, they all help in some ways to prevent accidents and human errors that can otherwise be avoided. So, what’s not to like? If your car doesn’t happen to have VSA, so be it. If you like your car with traction control switch off, then that’s your choice. Not all things are for all ppl, so we all go out and make our own choices in life. And that’s the wonderful thing about being able to make your own selection and that’s demorcracy, even in the world of driving.
on Jun 20th, 2011 at 10:35 pm
I love my VSA option, cause when it is raining it will save my life. When I want to, I can turn it off. Having that option is the best part. It is off the majority of the time, but when I do want it on, it is to stay safe. Mostly on the highway. The way these cars handle, start sliding on highway speeds and we are done for. The wheel base is too short, I would rather have my traction control straighten me.
on Jun 20th, 2011 at 10:41 pm
the only VSA i have is my right foot
on Jun 21st, 2011 at 4:37 am
I have no idea what it feels like off. I’m too scurrred to hit the button.
on Jun 21st, 2011 at 6:48 am
I totalled my 06 with VSA and I attribute it to the VSA. When I got another S2000, I purposely bought an 04 without VSA
on Jun 21st, 2011 at 7:28 am
Kenny I agree with you completely, provided that people really know what they are getting.
In Oz we don’t have enough Porsches to support any one class, as raced in Europe, or the US. Due to this we have mixed grids of competition Porsches in as close to a one make race series we can manage.
One interesting thing to come out of this was that it highlighted a misconception about ABS braking systems.Those with the ABS expected to have an advantage, but were very disappointed to find they were at a disadvantage against basically the same car, with the same brakes, but without the electronics.
Cars with ABS have a greater braking distance than the same car without. Any good driver can stop a car in a shorter distance than ABS can. What ABS does is allow you to steer a car while braking very hard, but it will not let you brake at maximum efficiency. At Bathurst the non ABS cars could brake almost 20 yards later than the ABS equipped cars.
In fact I have found, on the track, that I can stop a car in a much shorter distance, by locking all 4 brakes, & flicking the car sideways. I discovered this by having a locked brake put me sideways, in an emergency, on the track, & seeing how much shorter I stopped than equal cars behind me at the time.
Those who have experienced it will tell you, that you still have quite a bit of directional control, when the car is sideways.
I will agree that in some circumstances, being able to steer while braking very hard could save your life, however I believe that being able to lock all 4 wheels at will is just as likely to save your life in a different circumstance. I have no problem with anyone preferring to have ABS on their car, particularly in the wet, provided they are told that it is a system to allow them to steer while braking, & they are not led to believe it will reduce their stopping distance.
on Jun 25th, 2011 at 7:05 am
hate it
on Jul 10th, 2011 at 8:23 am
As an accident investigator I love the VSA an its benefits. I would not buy a car without it. This is more for the wife and two children. I only turn it off when on the track. VSA can be a lifesaver especially in the rain. I am a little older and learned on cars without assist of any kind except power steering and brakes. All of my family members have gone to a skid school. VSA is very important in snowy, icy conditions. I say keep it on when on public roads.
on Aug 5th, 2011 at 2:24 pm
Certainly things like VSA make up for bad driving.
I must wonder, what the long term benefits are for a population who increasingly is ‘stupider’ behind the wheel of their car.
We can say the S2000 has hydroplaning issues, but I would tell you that is driver error. Time and time again we blame the car, and not the driver. The tires they pick, the speed they took the turn.
If you ask me, frankly, half or more of the drivers on the road shouldn’t be allowed to drive. VSA or not.
I cannot stand nanny system. ABS, VSA, traction control etc. All these products serve to get drivers out of touch with the road. It’s why you see more 4×4′s in the ditch when it snows.
I like things like air bags, outside temp, seat belts etc. Things that provide you more information to deal with conditions and systems that protect you when you go wrong.
Having driven in the worst of driving conditions, I can tell you that there is no need for VSA that a train driver wouldn’t have avoided with proper training.
We’re making cars smarter but drivers stupid. The result, worse drivers.
on Aug 9th, 2011 at 7:46 pm
So true rob-2.
I don’t know how anyone can expect to ever develop any throttle control ability, while driving around with a computer under their foot, between them & the car.
This is of course not a problem if they have no desire to develop that control. Not every one who likes a responsive car wants to test it’s limits, & the S2k is definitely responsive enough to respond many drivers into the shrubbery just as quickly as it will take the corner for them.
I find the S2k a bit of a pussy cat really. Apart from the steering being a bit too light, & too quick for really high speed cornering on the limit, it is only by applying too much throttle when going well under the limit that it wants to bite. Slow in fast out is not the way to drive these things.
For this reason traction control is probably really good for drivers who aren’t practicing to be the next Fangio.
Cars are best when they suit what their driver wants. There are times when I would prefer a 59 Cadillac convertible than my S2k. Not many for sure, but a couple of times every decade at least.