ESP - Electronic Stability Program.

When can I get VDC?

When they decide to offer it. Next!

a bit cryptic, but GOOD ANSWER !!.

From: "Holly Wood" Subject: Re: ESP - Electronic Stability Program.

When can I get VDC?

In Norway , (uses Subaru importet from japan) there has been 3 models with VDC (esp+trc), 01 Outback H6 VDC and 2,5VDC, and Legacy 2,5GX. From 2002 it was standard in all Outbacks, Legacy GX (not shure) Same inn year 2003, in 2004 new models arrived and only Outback 3.0R have VDC, From my05 Outback 2,5 has VDC as standard. Inn Germany there as been Legacy 2,5GX VDC from my00

I have one my 05 Outback 2,5 ZN VDC, and my brother have a my02 Outback 2,5 VDC

Subaru with VDC, have a other type off awd. 55% rear axle, and 45% front axle, real fun on winter roads.

KjellP in Norway

Why would you want to spoil a Subaru's great chassis with electronics. I like mine cause it has no electronic aids other than the (unobtrusive and late acting) ABS and BFD

Ross

I have driven a car with traction control and ESP and ESP (VDC) can really save your ASSets.

Feeling too playful and overcook a corner? ESP can correct it before you spin out of control.

Don't see it coming and hit some black ice in a corner? ESP will keep the car under control, and you might still be able to steer or brake before hitting the curb/guardrail/ditch/embankment/cliff.

Ross wrote:

if i could turn of the ABS i would. i find subaru's abs absolute crap, especially when it's slippery out. example: this winter i was going down pretty steep a hill and half way down i need to turn to a side road. of course there's a broken pipe or something, so the road is mostly dry except for a strip of solid ice about 3 feet wide that goes all the way across the road right before i need to make the turn. the first time i go down in my truck (no abs). as i slow down to make the turn, the front tires skid on the ice, but it's no big deal as the rear tires do the braking, and as soon at the front tires are back on the pavement the rears skid, again no problem, and i was expecting it so i make the turn just fine. the next day i'm coming down the same hill in my subaru. as soon as the front tires skid on the ice, the abs unlocks ALL of the wheels and i effectively lose braking on all 4 wheels because two are skidding. so i didn't get slowed down enough to make the turn and i had to go all the way down the hill and then try again. these aren't big problem, as i was driving slow because of the bad road conditions, but why would you cut braking to all the wheels because some are skidding. also, in the winter i find it fun to slide into parking spaces. i can always stop where i plan to in my truck, but i always overshoot in the subaru because the abs has a very slow lock/unlock frequency (but this is just screwing around, not actual driving, so i really can't complain). i'd love to pull the ABS fuse and just run it regular, but i know if i ever got in an accident the insurance company wouldn't pay because i had ABS turned off.

not true. a good driver (or atleast one that's paying attention) can detect the problems before the compuer. i've test driven a couple of cars with esp (bmw, audi, vw) and purposely took them to their limits to see how esp behaves. the first couple of times i instinctively corrected the "mistake" before the computer caught it. i had to force myself to not react, and the computer is scary slow at fixing the problem (but in my experiences, it was able to correct for the sliding). in serious situaions (like getting playful on a corner) it's not going to save you - or atleast i wouldn't want to rely on it to save me. it may be helpful in making small corrections if you're sliding on a snowy road, but i still doubt it'll be any better than a driver who's paying attention to the car (which is what all drivers should be doing anyway).

Neither my wife nor I ever used the ABS on our '96 Outback. But the blasted thing cost me a grand to replace when it failed after warranty. What crapola! Please save me from the electronics and gadgets that do the thinking for me!

Al

Then why did you replace it? If ABS fails, they just work like conventional brakes. Personally, living in a place that snows 6 mos of the year, I LOVE ABS

All of the fluid leaked out of it and, voila, no brakes. I wanted the mechanic to bypass the thing, but he refused. G_D lawyers have everybody scared.

And we live in NE with our share of snow and ice. When it really gets bad, we use my '91 Jeep. It goes through stuff that stops the Subie cold. What stuff? Like the pile in front of the driveway put there by the town plows.

Oh, and in my opinion, if you're using your ABS, you're not driving safely.

Al

I'm with ya' brother!

That was my primary beef with my Subie's ABS. It actuated too early.

Barry

To the contrary. I drive perfectly well with or without ABS. I just do it differently, since if you pump the brakes (which is what ABS is supposed to do for you) you'll confuse the computer and probably are worse off than letting ABS do it for you. My ABS only kicks in when some retard does something stupid in front of me; like cross the centerline because they are driving too fast.

Here is a quote from an article in Carguide (June 2005, pg 11): "Mercedes says international research has shown that stability control can prevent 15 percent of all crashes and up to 35 percent of single-vehicle crashes."

To the contrary. I drive perfectly well with or without ABS. I just do it differently, since if you pump the brakes (which is what ABS is supposed to do for you) you'll confuse the computer and probably are worse off than letting ABS do it for you. My ABS only kicks in when some retard does something stupid in front of me; like cross the centerline because they are driving too fast.

Hard to say whether that's a testimony to the brilliance of the automotive engineers or the bumbling stupidity of most drivers....

probably some of both. Situations will always arise that you cannot and did not anticipate. I for one, would feel better with a car that can help when that happens.

Hard to say whether that's a testimony to the brilliance of the automotive engineers or the bumbling stupidity of most drivers....