I have another DSC question but just applied to the MCS. I have read the pros and cons of this system. I have owned cars for 30 years and never had it. I currently have an 01 Honda Accord without it. But, is the mini a different beast. Is the car more prone to having to need it I.E. lighter and less stable?, maybe the design, I have no Idea. I am in no need to call my MA and add it and spend another $500.00. I will say that two teenagers will be driving the car time to time. BTW, the 16 year old girl has way more of a lead foot than my 18 year old son. Any thoughts. Thanks

 

Get it. It's better to be safe and spend $500 than be sorry. Especially if you're going to have your kids driving the car. Don't know how much it helps but if it helps you or your kids once from losing control of the car and getting into an accident no matter how minor it will more than pay for itself. The only people that really wouldn't want the DSC are people that like taking their car to the race track or ones that drive where it's always dry and sunny. I know if I was buying a car that family members might drive I'd get all the safety features I can, but than again I'm paranoid.

 

I say get it, too. The DSC went out on our BMW and we hit a patch of wet leaves after a rain on a sharp corner. We were traveling in a string of BMWs on a fun drive, and we were the only car to get sideways. Fortunately my husband caught it in time, but had it been your child, he or she probably would have spun.

I think there's a law coming in the next few years that will require it for new cars, just because it does add so much to safety. Anyone know anything about this?

 

Yea... get it. And tell the kids not to turn it off because it can be turned off from the cockpit. I didn't get it because I will be the only driver. If my kids were driving then I would have also.

 

Check out this Insurance Institute for Highway Safety video:

http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/esc.html

Click on: Video: electronic stability control (1.5 minutes)

P.S. Our DSC is like the ESC described here (different car manufacturers use different accronyms).

 

I've got it and think I have used it. Early on I had a car cross into my lane head on and had to jump sideways. After the jump I expected some skiding and steering wheel work . . . but there was none. I had simply hopped into the lane next to where I was, and the offending car passed harmlessly. I think it is great.

 

With teens driving, yea, $500 is a bargain if it keeps them out of an accident. Just make sure they don't think it will overcome the laws of physics, or they may think they can do anything and have it save their butt.

Which reminds me of a story about a first sports car. My cousin's friend called him up and invited him for a ride in his brand new Porsche -- just picked it up at the dealers. They drove out to a rural area near San Diego, going along a country road at a good clip. My cousin kept telling him to slow down as they approached a T intersection with a fields straight ahead. The driver said something to the effect, "This is a sports car, don't worry."

As you've probably already guessed, the Porsche didn't make the 90 degree turn and slid into the field. As soon as the wheels hit the soft dirt, the car flipped several times. It landed right-side-up and they were unhurt. However, the brand-new Porsche was dented top and sides, and covered with mud and weeds on its first day.

Morale of the story: MINIs have a reputation (as do Porsches) for great handling. An inexperienced driver may overestimate its capabilities and get into trouble.

 

I'll add another "get it" vote. As has been debated in this forum before, my opinion is that DSC is a worth-while "investment" in safety. Those that oppose it typical argue it impedes on performance and is rarely needed (it does come with an off button). Those that are in favor might say it can control your car during evasive or adverse maneuvers in ways that go beyond human abilities. Not a bad feature, especially for new drivers. Besides, if you're getting a manuel, DSC comes with hill-holder. Another bonus for those teenagers.

Do the research, I think you'll find it worth the 500.

 

Better yet tell the kids that's the super turbo button, then it's going to be pressed all the time for sure

 

Aside from the cost, I don't see how DSC can be a negative. But I suspect the mini is in less need of DSC, in comparison to an SUV, for example, but it may come in handy. I've had it kick in a couple of times, slowing me down, when I was crusing on a windy mountain road.

 

Well, there are many reasons for and against DSC. Nothing is foolproof.

Positives
Can be passively enabled if not turned off
Will work all the time rain or shine. (helps in bad weather)
Probably helps novice MINI drivers

Negatives
Initial cost of $500 for the option
Can be manually turned off and kept off therefore canceling it
Performance driving is better with DSC off- once a driver learns this they could prefer to turn it off.
Will not prevent an accident if driver exceeds laws of physics

MINIs need DSC because they can be driven hard and driver skill varies.

SUVs need DSC because they can be inherently unstable.

I have DSC and leave it on all the time except for performance driving on closed courses/roads/track. For my teenaged drivers I leave it on. We don't even discuss it as an option.

 

So, how would we know whether our kids are disabling stability control or not. With it disabled they can do a lot of the things they see in the movies. Those who race will always disable stability control so they can do controlled slides on the track.

I think these days it's good to make sure your kids know how much information can be determined about how one drives simply by connecting an OBD diagnostic tool. For instance, I've read where in some areas police gather information about how a car was being driven leading up to an accident by simply plugging their diagnostic tool into the OBD connector under the dash. Along those lines, I would guess that stability control status (was it on or disabled?) would be included in that readout. Now that I think of it, if my kids were of driving age I'd probably buy one of those things for myself.

 

Pressing the button turns it OFF. Do not tell the kids to do that. I don't think the MINI is more prone to need it; actually, it's probably less. But, def get it. It is one of the best safety features to come along.

 

Get it definetly. Mini may be more prone to needing it, especially an S. It is easier for the engine to over power the tires in a S than say a slow SUV.

 

not sure what part of the country you live in, but if you get any snow or wintery weather, its a great feature to have for winters.

 

Hmm, I didn't get DSC but now I wish I would have. I have ordered a automatic MC. Would it be right to say that the MC would need DSC less than the MCS? I guess I am trying to make myself feel better...

 

Only in that someone might be likely to drive an MCS faster than an MC, but as far as avoiding accidents caused by others, no difference. A kid or dog is not going to be more likely to run out in front of an MCS than an MC.

 

By pressed I meant that it will be in the on position.

 

Thanks for the reply Robin Casady.

Now I have a really stupid question. Sorry about this but... can you add DSC onto a car after it is built? I am thinking I know the answer but I figure it can't hurt to ask.

 

In theory, I guess that it could be done, but it would be big $$$. DSC uses the ABS wheel sensors to measure wheel rotation, but there is also a yaw sensor on the steering column that keeps track of the vehicle's intended course, and the actual DSC computer itself. Probably not worth the expense, even if it can be done.

 

For your MC, you don't "need it" if you drive sanely and at the speed limit no matter what car you have.

DSC is not likely to be activated if you MINI is functioning normally. But when you drive fast and corner hard you may start to loose traction and then DSC will come to life to help you maintain control. Naturally if you drive way too fast and totally loose control, DSC will not be enough to avoid an accident. During bad weather DSC may come on more easily and could come in handy.

For teenagers, if you want DSC on and not be turned off then remove the toggle switch on the dash to allow for manual control then DSC will always be on.

Adding DSC would be too costly after it was built. If you didn't buy it as a factory option, your MINI has many other safety features built in.

 

I have to disagree with you here. DSC is not necessarily meant for fast drivers who take corners at high rates of speed.

I tried to avoid examples, but here goes... a few years back I was driving in heavy traffic that was moving at a moderate rate. A car several lengths in front of me wasn't paying attention when traffic slowed. The gentlemen looked up in time to swerve before rear-ending the vehicle in front of him. This sent him into a series of fish tails forcing him back and forth between the shoulder and other cars on the highway. How he managed not to hit anyone was simply luck because it was clear he was NOT in control of his car. It is clear that DSC was made for these situations, controling brake rate and acceleration to keep your car from spinning out or fish tailing during evasive maneuvers. The Insurance Institute's video is a great example of this. One does not get DSC for reasons you can think of, it's for all the reasons you cant.

It is this logical approach to safety that has the government taking steps to require systems, like DSC, are standard in every new car(http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site...3ab10cba046a0/). They recognize this system can save thousands of lives every year. Anyone who has been in an accident would most likely say they didn't plan on it and most would probably say they thought they were good or even great drivers. If you value things like front and side curtain airbags, seat belts, and ABS to name a few, consider putting DSC, and the like, on that list.

Don't just take my word for it... quotes from the folks with more clout.

Definition of Electronic Stability Control (another name for DSC) from Wikipedia...

"ESC compares the driver's intended direction in steering and braking inputs, to the vehicle's response, via lateral acceleration, rotation (yaw) and individual wheel speeds. ESC then brakes individual front or rear wheels and/or reduces excess engine power as needed to help correct understeer (plowing) or oversteer (fishtailing). ESC also integrates all-speed traction control, which senses drive-wheel slip under acceleration and individually brakes the slipping wheel or wheels, and/or reduces excess engine power, until control is regained. ESC cannot override a car's physical limits. If a driver pushes the possibilities of the car's chassis and ESC too far, ESC cannot prevent a crash. It is a tool to help the driver maintain control."

NHTSA concluded that ESC reduces crashes by 35%. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) later issued its own study that concluded the widespread application of ESC could save 7,000 lives a year.
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd.../05-0135-O.pdf

 

Does anyone know what the difference is between DSC and ASC in the Mini?

 

Along with the DSC, which I recommended in my comment above, your teens should have better driving education than they typically receive in high school. Many of the BMWCCA chapters offer a Car Control School, and they are excellent. My own club's offering includes a soaped-down skid pad, lane change maneuvers, ABS experiences, an autocross-type course, etc, along with classroom instruction. The following day there is an autocross. That might be especially valuable for your lead foot daughter. She's probably that way because she has no idea of the trouble she can get into!

At our last autocross (held at the Houston Police Academy) a 16 year old kind of went sideways and collected some cones--not an unexpected occurance for an out-of-control driver. The look in the driver's eyes was priceless!

 

Another GET IT vote. I'm a highly experienced ex-road racer, and I will ALWAYS order cars with DSC (or equivalent) if offered. On the highway one can run into unexpected slippery conditions (dirt/sand/water/ice) even when driving well within the dry-pavement traction limits for the car.

Don't tell the kids what the DSC OFF toggle does! Mine is only OFF when I autocross the car.