1) i never said i lost grip. the vsa kicks in and as such it is reducing the amount of grip i have available. if this isn't concerning to anyone... i guess i'm such a geek wrapped around paper theory of chassis dynamics.

2) i never said it scares me. it's intellectually disturbing that a "safety" system will do things like engage when you have grip, which then effectively removes available grip from your traction circle.

i'm also not trying to be macho here, this is all a very brainy process for me, i am just put off in an intellectual way by this. i don't care to +1 anyone on skills or otherwise and i don't care to wreck my car. so please, less with the condescension. it has just appeared with the experience thusfar that vsa isn't quite behaving properly in every type of situation, i'm sure it behaves fine when it counts.

 

You know what.. at first I was semi-against getting an '06 because of DBW (a non-issue) and VSA, but VSA is most certainly a good thing to have. Granted I've only had the car a couple weeks, but I've only gotten the VSA to kick in once (I was trying to get it to kick in), and it seems perfectly safe on a street car. I was WOT in 2nd gear coming around a wide safe turn trying to get the rear to step out (which it started to) and VSA kicked in. Could I have recovered easily w/ throttle and steering? Sure, but you can bet 90% of people will let off the throttle and the rear end will come out on them, which VSA prevents.

VSA doesn't just cut throttle.. it's not just traction control. It applies the brake to individual corners, which can stop an oversteer condition dead in its tracks. I can see how some people may find this annoying, but again, it's just people being overly anal and control freaks vs. anything practical. If it bothers you, and you want to go for a spirited drive, hit the damn button to turn it off. Done.

I can most certainly see how the VSA can save a driver error and prevent a wreck. As someone else said, we all get tired/lazy/sloppy at times, and this is a nice "safety net." I've driven a handful of RWD cars, and the s2k is not very forgiving if you screw up, so it's nice knowing in poor conditions I don't have to be super cautious. Normal driving though, VSA seems like a complete non-issue. The car still retains its oversteer tendency, and you can feel the rear end wanting to come out, and VSA doesn't kick in. I worried that VSA would "hamper" my spirited driving, but it's really not bad, and it's easy to disable. Bottom line, VSA is def worth having imo.

 

^^ Very well put!

 

If I could put VSA on my AP1 without a giant PITA I would. No questions asked.

If I found a wrecked 06 AP2 for a decent price I would be tempted.

 

 

VSA can slow you in a controlled fashion to the point that you have enough grip available to do whatever shenanigans you're trying to do. I'm not concerned about that if the alternative is the ditch or a light pole.

 

If you are tired or lazy, you shouldn't be driving aggressively/spirited in the first place

VSA should only be a feature in sedans, not in a drivers' car like the S2K. Just an opinion.

 

VSA doesn't kick in unless you've already exceeded the available grip.

It helps you regain grip while you're still pointed in the right direction.

 

this is just false misinformation.

 

True.. you shouldn't be driving spirited if you're tired/lazy, but I think it prevents accidents in poor conditions. Like we've seen in countless threads here on s2ki, a driver hits a nasty puddle, hydroplanes, and the car is totaled. Yes, some were certainly going too fast, but sometimes that's not always the case. This seems to happen even when folks are somewhat "putzing" around.

Like I said, I used to be against the thought of VSA as well, but after driving the car it's a-ok by me. I'm sure the same people were against ABS when it came out as well, but frankly ABS has saved many accidents as well. Having someone else not crash into me is just as important as me not crashing into someone else. My 2 cents.