New 2011 RX-8
11-09-2011, 10:50 AM
#5
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It just means your traction control is your feet and your stability control is your hands.
Since you have to deal with snow at all, I'd highly recommend maintaining 2 sets of wheels/tires, one with snow tires one with summer tires that aren't garbage in the rain. My personal preference there is Yokohama S.Drives, because I deal with LOTS of rain.
With snow tires, my 8 has seen the last 4 new england winters without trouble. The stability control is beneficial in the snow, though I turn it off frequently for fun in safe circumstances. The traction control is more of a hinderance in snow, as it triggers far too easily, and drops the RPM to stalling speed easily. When I need to get moving on the snow I usually get better results with the traction control off and modulating myself.
If you stay on summer tires, not having DSC/TCS just means you crash a few seconds sooner.
In the rain, TCS is better, though still not something that is a "must have".
Since you have to deal with snow at all, I'd highly recommend maintaining 2 sets of wheels/tires, one with snow tires one with summer tires that aren't garbage in the rain. My personal preference there is Yokohama S.Drives, because I deal with LOTS of rain.
With snow tires, my 8 has seen the last 4 new england winters without trouble. The stability control is beneficial in the snow, though I turn it off frequently for fun in safe circumstances. The traction control is more of a hinderance in snow, as it triggers far too easily, and drops the RPM to stalling speed easily. When I need to get moving on the snow I usually get better results with the traction control off and modulating myself.
If you stay on summer tires, not having DSC/TCS just means you crash a few seconds sooner.
In the rain, TCS is better, though still not something that is a "must have".
11-09-2011, 11:44 AM
#6
Rockie Mountain Newbie
I have a 2011 Sport also, and I never had a problem in the rain without the traction control or stability control at all. If you are driving to the point where you need wither of those, you're probably already screwed anyway.
As for the snow, I went out and played in it last Wednesday after just having my winter tires installed (Hankook I*Cept Evo W310). No problems at all. The limited slip rear axle helps out quite a bit, though I didn't really find a good spot of glare ice to put one tire on, with one tire off for a proper test.
Just take it easy in both, with good tires for either condition, and you won't even miss it, until you run into some oddball one off driving situation you wouldn't have expected anyway.
BC.
As for the snow, I went out and played in it last Wednesday after just having my winter tires installed (Hankook I*Cept Evo W310). No problems at all. The limited slip rear axle helps out quite a bit, though I didn't really find a good spot of glare ice to put one tire on, with one tire off for a proper test.
Just take it easy in both, with good tires for either condition, and you won't even miss it, until you run into some oddball one off driving situation you wouldn't have expected anyway.
BC.
11-09-2011, 11:49 AM
#7
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TCS/DSC is a safety net. Just like a seat belt. "If you are driving such that you need a seat belt...."
Drive one million miles without a seat belt and without an accident and you won't have needed it. Drive a hundred yards and get nailed head on by another car and you would wish you had been wearing it. It's there for when stuff goes wrong, unexpectedly. All it takes is saving you 1 time and it would have ENTIRELY been worth it.
Mazda is adding DSC/TCS to every model they have, except the base sport versions of their two sports cars, the 8 and Miata. This isn't on accident, and is deliberate because it is the favorite trim level of people that buy the car for racing to begin with (lightest, least driver features). These people disable DSC/TCS anyway, so they just leave it off to keep the price that much lower.
Whether or not you want it is entirely up to you though.
Drive one million miles without a seat belt and without an accident and you won't have needed it. Drive a hundred yards and get nailed head on by another car and you would wish you had been wearing it. It's there for when stuff goes wrong, unexpectedly. All it takes is saving you 1 time and it would have ENTIRELY been worth it.
Mazda is adding DSC/TCS to every model they have, except the base sport versions of their two sports cars, the 8 and Miata. This isn't on accident, and is deliberate because it is the favorite trim level of people that buy the car for racing to begin with (lightest, least driver features). These people disable DSC/TCS anyway, so they just leave it off to keep the price that much lower.
Whether or not you want it is entirely up to you though.
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