I guess we don't have to send that one to MythBusters. It's too bad, I'd like to see Kari driving around in an S2000....

 

It actually is relevant. The difference betwen a VSA-equipped S2000 and a non-VSA S2000 is not as big as the difference between a VSA-equipped Accord and a non-VSA Accord. That's because the S2000 without the VSA has an LSD, while the Accord has an open diff.

(On the other hand, the VSA is going to be more significant in terms of augmenting driver skill for the RWD S2000 as compared to the FWD Accord.)

 

I tryed it on a very slick course in the rain at the TMS bus lot in Dallas (think ice slick). It made the car undriverable at speed. I would be making corrections and VSA would kick in and put me 4ft. off line.

I prefer to make my own stupid decisions. Than having the car making them.

 

Although all I typically do is canyon runs, I'll still be glad to share my experiences with the system.

If I corner hard enough that I can feel the tread really start to squirm, VSA doesn't activate but is anxious to get involved. One of our members said he leaves VSA on at the track sometimes to learn new lines.

If I start to slip but only slightly, which is sometimes intentional, fun, controlled, and desirable, VSA will step in and tone it down until the car grips firmly. The interaction is mild but noticeable. The car continues on it's path just as intended; the car scrubs a small amount of speed. It's very predictable. VSA/TC also reacts to wheelspin tied to quick shifting as power oversteer and mildly attempts to compensate.

If I really overcook it or intentionally power oversteer, VSA/TC cuts the throttle and firmly brakes the appropriate individual wheels until the moment the car is under control. I can lose a lot of speed, but for all practical purposes I won't leave my line so long as the available mechanical grip allows it. This type of strong invervention has NEVER happened to me unexpectedly.

On ice with summer tires last season, VSA's TC enabled me pull up a small hill while working feverishly--on the way to get the less fun snow tires installed . Out of curiosity, I then tried without VSA and couldn't modulate the throttle delicately enough to move forward--perhaps the cold idle higher RPMs produced too much power. And VSA is a big benefit in snow with snow tires--the subtle corrections and safety net make the car much more driveable in snow/ice than I would have ever expected a light RWD roadster to be.

Honda did a good job of keeping it performance oriented while still giving priority to protecting the lives of the knuckleheads that shouldn't be driving a RWD sports car.

For enthusiasts, I think it's great. I could turn it off on race day, but I always leave it on when I'm driving my wife to dinner.

 

I don't mind that my S2000 has no VSA. It's not my daily driver, and I am very careful. (My wife says I can get a NSX in a year if I don't wreck the s2000) The NSX has VSA.
But, I like the VSA on my Honda Ridgeline. It has helped (saved my dumb butt) in several situations. It can be turned off, if you need to spin the tires. (like in the mud or snow)

So, I think VSA is great. But, the driver should always have a choice to turn it off.

 

Our LSD is more of a performance item than a safety item. If one wheel looses traction completely, it will NOT transfer the torque to the other wheel (unless you load the other wheel with handbrake).

I think VSA is much more needed on a light RWD sports car with even weight distribution, than a FWD car with most its weight on the front wheels. You won't loose the rear-end on an Accord.

 

i have owned 3 s2000's 2 without vsa and my current one with it.

i personally thought vsa kicked in too early with the stock re050 (lower grip) tires, however with my re01r's or re070's (higher grip) tires i really think when VSA kicks in, i usually am glad it did. I think VSA actually makes for a better driving experience in the s and when you are on the track you can disable if you like.

also someone above said the nsx has stability control. that would be false. the nsx has traction contol but never had stability control. I wouldn't mind if it did, but it does not.

 

I hadn't thought about that effect. I've got D1 SS's on my car.

 

I still think some are confused about VSA vs. Traction Control. The S utilizes BOTH in conjunction when the VSA is turned on and utilizes none of them when it's turned off. And yes, the "!" WILL activate in straight line situations where the tires break loose. This happened to me when it was raining and wet and I hit VTEC in second gear. With the VSA on, the tires did not loose grip until VTEC engaged, and when it did engaged it cause the tires to loose grip thus activating the "!" indicator on the cluster and slowed the car down. This happened during a straight line pull in the rain.

 

This thread is a year old.