Do you really need Electronic stability control in city driving (max speed about 40km

[flat_four_fan]

Hi, I was thinking of buying the new Lancer because of its 7 airbags and good crash test results. However stability control is not available even in the top of the line model. I drive about 10 kms daily around the campus and reaches about 40kmh tops. Is the Lancer safe enough in campus driving? Or should I opt to ESC-equipped one like the Civic? thanks

[redorange]

Not at that slow of a speed in most situations. The car is front wheel drive, low center of gravity, and pretty stable at that speed.

[niky]

All electronic stability control does is keep you from understeering or oversteering when you're driving fast.

No, actually... what it does is it tries to prevent excessive understeer or oversteer when you're driving ungodly fast. What that means is, in implementation, you're just going to understeer off into the next lane instead of into the bushes or experiencing snap-oversteer when you're driving down a wet road at 160 km/h at 3 a.m. and you're drunk out of your skull.

In the course of my testing (tire-shredding type), I've only elicited ESC a few times, and that was in very sideways maneuvering. On normal road cars, up to the point where tire howl becomes prominent, ESC has no discernible affect on vehicle stability. In fact, during emergency lane-change testing at BMW, we turned off the ESC when we weren't supposed to, and the vehicle still performed the lane-change flawlessly. The ABS itself already acts to control excessive understeer and snap-oversteer under braking. I think we kinda ticked off George Ramirez there... he radioed "great run, guys"... and we told him when we got back: "Sorry, George, I think we had the ESC off (only way to get a good burnout off the line... hehehe) "

It's a nice feature to have, but you'll actually use it about as often as you use airbags. Which is anywhere from once or twice to never. To get to the point at where ESC makes a difference, you have to be driving insanely stupidly.

[uls]

People have been driving around without airbags and electronic stability control for decades.

They did just fine.

[ghosthunter]

dang!... if you would need ESC, ABS and airbags just to drive at 40kph maximum, there must be something seriously wrong with your driving.

[Jun aka Pekto]

ESC's pointless for city driving much like airbags and AWD. But, I'll take all three if they're standard equipment.

My 2006 Sonata V6 has both 6 airbags and ESC as standard equipment (no extra cost). So, I'm not complaining.

[alwayz_yummy]

yup i agree....... grabe namang driving habits mo if you need all those electronic aids even if your on city traffic!

[coiter]

is the lancer safe enough for campus driving?

with 7 airbags?

are you paranoid?

hehehe just kidding.

it's always nice to know that you have an additional safety feature just in case. but you also have to learn what's it for and how to use it. otherwise, don't get bothered if you don't have it.

[mazingerZ]

ESC is just a supplemental system bro. Drive, and enjoy doing it, wag kang matakot. It all boils down to your skills.

[alwayz_yummy]

drive with a BMW--with 10 airbags!

[s_quilicot]

defensive driving is kailangan din ...

[uls]

Add a roll cage, racing seats, and 5 point harness seat belt...

And ambulance and police escort behind you...

Pwede na ba yan pang campus driving?

[Memphis Raines]

Natakot tuloy mag-reply yung TS


You will need all of those believe me. If you'll be joining the demolition derby.



But really, at just 40 km/h you don't need all of those. Heck, a bicycle can run faster than that.



......................

[ghosthunter]

OT:

But really, at just 40 km/h you don't need all of those. Heck, a bicycle can run faster than that.

I reached 51 km/h on my mountain bike on a flat road years ago.

[coiter]

OT:



I reached 51 km/h on my mountain bike on a flat road years ago.

imagine how faster you could have gone if you had the confidence with 7 airbags, abs and esc!


hey TS i hope you don't get offended. we're just being silly. but i think others have given serious answers. and i envy you that you have such a problem (buying a new car) and admire you that you really take into consideration safety features others simply omit or take for granted.

[ghosthunter]

imagine how faster you could have gone if you had the confidence with 7 airbags, abs and esc!

Actually, I reached over 70kph on my mountainbike on a downhill run. I also crashed from a speed of 40kph. I would have appreciated those 7 airbags then.

[flat_four_fan]

Natakot tuloy mag-reply yung TS


You will need all of those believe me. If you'll be joining the demolition derby.



But really, at just 40 km/h you don't need all of those. Heck, a bicycle can run faster than that.



......................

he he. You guys are funny people. In my defense i may be doing just 40kmh BUT i am not the only vehicle on the road. There are many others,possibly a rice car doing 100kph on a small stretch of road, a converted Elf truck doing 60 kph,and many others. What if a driver suddenly veers head on to you (as a result of being drunk/distracted or maybe the converted car's steering linkage breaks), we are talking of about 100KPH++ total collision speed (add your speed and the other driver's speed). OFFSET crashes(colliding cars are not perfectly lined up with each other, concentrating the forces to a smaller area, thus preventing the full use of the car's crumple zones), at these speeds can severe injuries even with airbags/seatbelts.

Also, aside from the dual airbags, curtain and side airbags should be mandatory to small sedans. ALL small cars without side or curtain airbags tested by IIHS recieved a poor rating (skull fracture, pelvis fracture) in its side impact tests (50 kph using a 3300 pound moving deformable barrier with a tall front end to simulate SUVs ). this is due to inherent structure of small sedans (rides lower and small clearance between the driver and the door).


I know that there is no perfectly safe car. At kung araw mo na araw mo na. Pero, it is worth having safety equiptment to convert a broken bone to a bruised muscle, skull fracture to a headache, paralysis to a sore neck,and death to 50-50. he he.



BTW, I also thought of wearing a helmet + HANS device + fire suit and installing a 10-point rollcage, kevlar fuel tanks, racing seats with head restriants and 6-point harness to my current car. However, I figure it would take me 6 minutes to wear my safety gear to go to the palengke. So i discarded the idea. ha ha. joke

[Jun aka Pekto]

Also, aside from the dual airbags, curtain and side airbags should be mandatory to small sedans. ALL small cars without side or curtain airbags tested by IIHS recieved a poor rating (skull fracture, pelvis fracture) in its side impact tests (50 kph using a 3300 pound moving deformable barrier with a tall front end to simulate SUVs ). this is due to inherent structure of small sedans (rides lower and small clearance between the driver and the door).

That was the primary reason my wife chose our 06 V6 Sonata, the 6 airbags and ESC (besides the large passenger space in the rear and price). At the time (summer 2005), it was the only car with those features for less than $20k.