Would electronic aids make you a better driver overtime? My friend who races on the weekends says, it actually makes you a worse driver...

 

Depends on the system and what aids for and what driver under what circumstances.

 

^ditto

and depends on how big of a mess you are already in

when you exceed the level that VDC / ESP can handle, physic will take over

 

If you end up in the mindset that you can do whatever you want and the driver aids will save your ass, yes, it makes you a worse driver.

 

They certainly allow a poor driver to go faster with fewer incidents.

 

so would any prefer not having it at all as opposed to having it for rainy days??

 

I don't think I would ever want one, although I live in southern california so snowy or drenched roads aren't really a problem here.

 

I would prefer to not have it. Most of the systems I am familiar with will cripple a vehicle in snowy or slippery conditions anyway...maybe that is different in rain, but I'm not a fan overall.

Note: this is for the production traction/stability systems. I've heard very good things about high end systems on exotics/supercars.

 

i highly recommend that such aid exist in all automobiles. maybe you don't find it beneficial to you cuz you're an "expert" driver, but it's the other morons on the road that i'm concerned about. the last thing you want is have some guy next to you spin out in the rain and hit you...

 

?

Some systems in some cars (Porsche 996 Turbo and Corvette) make sense and are well sorted out. Other systems like BMW's ASC (total shit) or later DSC (impossibly nanny like), Toyotas one size fits all and Fords TC by brakes and timing might be safer for most people -- but are annoying to those who are trying to push just a bit beyond the envelope.

As horsepower has increased and perhaps more importantly we have seen a shift back to RWD platforms after a nearly 25 year diversion into "everything must be FWD" -- AND a willingness to throw one season tires on cars -- traction control systems make sense.