Vehicle Stability pkg: what is is, and worth it?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rebbi @ Apr 25 2006, 08:19 AM) [snapback]244842[/snapback]</div>

there's actually a lot of debate re. vsc going on right now... i won't have my prius until the end of the week, so i can't speak from experience. but i can speak from my research which, to brag for a moment, is considerable.

(but first of all, check your package definitions on toyota's website. i beleive that package 3 is "all safety features including vsc" and package 4 is all that plus the fancy stereo.)

in a nutshell, vsc (vehicle stability control) checks the yaw of the car, which means horizontal spin, by comparing the position of the steering wheel (the direction you want to be headed) with the actual direction that the car is going. if the computer detects a discrepancy, it will automatically take control of the brakes on each wheel independantly in an attempt to point the car in the direction that you are pointing the steering wheel.

many people report many different results. one fellow took his new prius into an empty, snow-covered parking lot and did everything he could to try to skid the car, and couldn't. if that's true, then it's an incredible achievement on toyota's part. other folks have said that vsc seems to be oversensitive, and can result in poor traction on slippery hills. it's unclear in many of these stories whether the vsc system actually is to credit or blame, as most drivers do not mention whether they heard the beeping that the car makes when the vcs system kicks in. it's possible that folks are just not accustomed to a car which weighs 2800 pounds, has a completely different transmission from every other car on the road, and has very good anti-lock brakes. for example, my 98 vw jetta has either lousy anti-lock brakes or none at all, i can't tell. and my jetta weighs far less than the prius and has a manual transmission. so i'm in much more direct control of the car. this is a blessing, because it means i know what's going into the equation and can anticipate what's coming out, but it's also a curse because it means everything is dependant on *my* timing and *my* input, both of which are very fallable.

do *not* let yourself believe that human input is better than computer input when it comes to things like reaction time. a human will always make better art than a computer, but a computer will *always* react quicker than a human. it's just basic math.

my reaction is that vsc is just like everything else that's new with the prius: you need to learn how to interact with it. before you learn, it will seem like an impediment in *some* of the rare instances in which vsc will activate. after you learn how to work with it, it will seem like an improvement.

the truth is that all professional reviews of vsc and similar systems have concluded that it is a very good thing, perhaps the best safety feature to be invented since the air bag. it may be inconvienient for you if you live in an area which is either very hilly, very icy, or both, especially if the bulk of your driving time has been in a manual transmission car without abs brakes.

in summation: i think you should always get every safety feature that's available, almost without considering cost, because safety features will save your life. it may require that you change your driving habits, and i may take some of the fun out of driving by preventing you from safely pushing the limits. but overall, your safety is the most important function of your car.

regards
sam

 

My feeling is to get all of the safety features they offer.

All of these are tested and tested and tested.

As with airbags, VSC is something you hope you never see in action, because it means that the car is making a last ditch effort to save your life.

Many people use the term VSC instead of traction control. The traction control system kicks in quite a bit, but is completly different from the VSC (as described in many threads).

I would get it. Don't look at the price difference...look at what it would cost you not to have it if you needed it.

 

I have been driving my 2004 Prius for just over 2 years, including 1.5 winters in Fargo, North Dakota. My Prius with VSC and Traction Control handles better on ice than my old 1989 Civic with studded tires!

The people who complain about VSC are probably always really complaining about Traction Control, which is standard in all Priuses. VSC acts to inhibit skidding (or more properly, yaw, as Sam says). I won't say it absolutely prevents it, because it seems unlikely that anything would prevent skidding on absolute glare ice. However, VSC has saved my a** on several occasions, and I will never buy another car without it.

Do be sure you get VSC and all the air bags. Safety is more important than a few dollars price difference.

And enjoy your new car when it comes!

 

I think I may be the gent in the empty parking lot.

If so, I probably didn't explain myself sufficiently. Yes, I got the Prius to skid, but VSC corrected the skid.

If you live in the snow belt it's a must have in my opinion. I'll never buy another car w/o it.