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  1. Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    40
    #1
    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

  2. Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    1,985
    #2
    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.

  3. Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Posts
    22,705
    #3
    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.
    Last edited by niky; May 19th, 2008 at 12:00 PM.

    Ang pagbalik ng comeback...

  4. Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    45,927
    #4
    People have been driving around without airbags and electronic stability control for decades.

    They did just fine.

  5. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    29,354
    #5
    dang!... if you would need ESC, ABS and airbags just to drive at 40kph maximum, there must be something seriously wrong with your driving.

  6. Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    12,347
    #6
    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.

  7. #7
    yup i agree....... grabe namang driving habits mo if you need all those electronic aids even if your on city traffic!

  8. Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    1,751
    #8
    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.

  9. Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    1,456
    #9
    ESC is just a supplemental system bro. Drive, and enjoy doing it, wag kang matakot. It all boils down to your skills.

  10. #10
    drive with a BMW--with 10 airbags!

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