Cars: Stability Control Benefits - See What Happens on Sheet Ice

[ShawnD]

As much as I hate starting a thread about a youtube video, I think this one is important


I had no idea stability control was that good; this guy was able to drive on sheet ice. My car does not have stability control or even a limited slip differential, so my left turns in winter are a lot like Russian roulette. I'll make sure my next car has this feature.

 

[Integral]

Interesting, we just bought a all wheel drive Chrysler with stability control. I have yet to drive it enough to fully appreciate it. I did drive over to Ivan's the first night we had it. The roads between our homes have a series of 90deg corners, I was enjoying driving a mainly RWD car, not sure if I did anything radical enough to trigger any stability control. I did enter several corners way to fast, and braked hard. The car held the road like it was glued to it. A Chrysler 300 is not exactly a sports car but sure handled nice. I am looking forward to a drive on some of our mountain roads.

 

[scorpa]

Interesting, we just bought a all wheel drive Chrysler with stability control. I have yet to drive it enough to fully appreciate it. I did drive over to Ivan's the first night we had it. The roads between our homes have a series of 90deg corners, I was enjoying driving a mainly RWD car, not sure if I did anything radical enough to trigger any stability control. I did enter several corners way to fast, and braked hard. The car held the road like it was glued to it. A Chrysler 300 is not exactly a sports car but sure handled nice. I am looking forward to a drive on some of our mountain roads.

You bought a 300? Nice! I drove quite a few of them when I worked at a Dodge dealership and they are a really nice car. I'm trying to convince my mom to buy one but she thinks they look like a "gansta car" Have you driven it enough to know what kind of mileage you are getting with it?

 

[ShawnD]

Interesting, we just bought a all wheel drive Chrysler with stability control. I have yet to drive it enough to fully appreciate it.

I think it's supposed to be the other way around. When a car is good, you won't notice it. When a car is bad, you won't even need to question whether or not it's good or bad.
Maybe everybody needs to drive a 1992 Ford Tempo before they appreciate what a good car is (implying that the Ford Tempo is a very bad car)

 

[Cyrus]

LoL, got to love Hal from 5th gear.

 

[BobG]

I like the idea.

With normal drive, more torque goes to the wheel that's spinning the fastest, which is why you can make it around a turn when the wheels have to travel different amounts of distance. Unfortunately, that means if one tire is spinning helplessly in the mud or snow, there's virtually no torque applied to the tire that still has traction. Applying a little bit of pressure to the brakes can even out the torque a little bit and sometimes get your car unstuck.

They seem to be applying the same principle, just faster than any human could react.

 

[Stingray]

They seem to be applying the same principle, just faster than any human could react.

It's not only faster than any human. The system can actually activate each brake individually. The driver doesn't have that freedom, and it makes a huge difference.

 

[Integral]

I think it's supposed to be the other way around. When a car is good, you won't notice it. When a car is bad, you won't even need to question whether or not it's good or bad.
Maybe everybody needs to drive a 1992 Ford Tempo before they appreciate what a good car is (implying that the Ford Tempo is a very bad car)

What's the other way round?

You bought a 300? Nice! I drove quite a few of them when I worked at a Dodge dealership and they are a really nice car. I'm trying to convince my mom to buy one but she thinks they look like a "gansta car" Have you driven it enough to know what kind of mileage you are getting with it?

After returning from the dealer in Portland, ~80mi freeway drive, the computer was showing an average of 16.9, I had no idea as to the conditions which gave that number but was a bit concerned. We just returned from a round trip to the dealer, and I reset the trip computer as we entered the freeway. On the way "up" to Portland we got just shay of 22mph, the round trip average was 20.9. The fact that it is net down hill all the way "up" to Portland may be the difference.

But then I drove back and had to test the accelerator a bit also... The Hemi would be fun...I've got a V6.

BTW a pet peeve of mine is driving "up" to Portland since it is due North of us, but we follow the Willamette river all they way to it's mouth at the Columbia. The total elevation change may be less then 200'.
Gangsta? A black 300 with 22" wheels? Yeah, maybe

I recognize that it has all the aerodynamic properties of a brick, where it even a little aero dynamic it would probably get 23 -24 mph, like our 300m.