I have a question that I have not seen completely answered in my short tenure as a member of the TSX community.

What differences in driving dynamic are evident while driving with the VSA on versus driving with the VSA off ?

Is acceleration different? Gas milage? I know it keeps me from spinning my tires, but asside from that, what else will be different if I drive with it turned OFF?

Thanks for any comments, they're much apprieciated.

Burnett

 

If it detects that the car is/may become unstable, it applies braking to certain wheels to bring you back in line. It doesn't affect gas mileage, does affect acceleration if you're trying to do the 1/4 mile though.

 

For normal driving. No, you probably wouldn't feel any difference. You'd only feel a diference during hard cornering, or acceleration where there would normally be wheel slip. Gas mileage? not likely affected...

The system only corrects if it detects slipping. So as long as you are driving normally or even a little spirited, you wouldn't even notice the system on,

Besides... you can always just turn it off.

 

VSA is really not that intrusive. i've had my car for 2 years and its never gotten in the way. i've taken some hard corners with it left on, and it will permit some tire squeel around corners and when accelerating. It really comes in handy in rain/snow. on dry pavement it really doesn't interfere at all unless you are trying to do donuts. not that i've ever tried, but you get the idea.

 

VSA cuts out my power... but then again if it was on my GF wouldnt have crashed my car...

 

VSA works by using a series of sensors throughout the car to monitor the yaw, acceleration, and steering angle of the car and determine whether the car is following along its intended path. If it detects that the car is going off path, it applies individual brakes and can cut engine power to bring the car back on what the computer predicts is the intended line.

The VSA system is also tied into a traction control system that prevents wheel slip.

All of this conspires to keep you out of trouble. It also affects your acceleration times by preventing wheel spin (a little of which is required to achieve the best acceleration times). If you are into spirited driving, the VSA might intrude if the car is beginning to slip around corners and prevents the car from achieving the more impressive slip angles.

For normal driving, it is recommended that you keep VSA on. It is also a great thing to have in foul weather. Otherwise, you can always turn it off, but it really is one of the least intrusive systems on the market today.

 

Tell me about it. When i used to have a 4runner, i was a member of the toyota forums. One of the biggest complaints of the 2001+ 4runners was the traction control/skid control. There's really no way to disable it. Many people would be trying to go up a muddy hill in 4wd where all they would have to do is spin out the tires a little bit with the rear diferential locked and they would make it up there. However, with the 4runner's conservative traction control system, the engine will not allow the driver to spin out the rear tires. So basically... they'll be sliding backwards on the muddy slope.
Not good...

 

Damn...what happenned?

 

Not sure that it applies directly to the TSX, but on the RL, Car&Driver (current month) recorded better times in the slalom with VSA on (63mph) than without it (60).

 

Probably has to do with the VSA being tied into the sensors on the SH-AWD rear differential.