Well I've usually been one in the past for turning off so called nanny aids when I am driving, but I have to confess since I've had the Clio, for the most part, I've left the ESP switched on.

And boy am I glad I did last night, as I got caught out totally by surprise.

Was driving home from my mates last night down some of my favourite B roads, roads that I might add, I've driven down dozens and dozens of times in many different cars.

On these roads, there is a series of left + right hand bends, which on a good day can be taken at 60+ mph. However, last night, I misjudged the state of the roads. It was not too cold at 5 celcius, so I doubt it was ice. Maybe mud, but the roads were also slightly greasy. Now even so, I've driven on these roads before when in this state.

As such, I wasnt going for it or anything, a smooth cornering action taken at maybe 40-45 mph. I went round the right hand bend perfect fine and in a nice smooth manner. Then I hit the left bend. Car suddenly breaks grip, and I start a nice unexpected slide onto the other side of the road (luckily for me, nothing was coming). Before I'd even had time to digest what had happenned in order to take avoidance action, the little ESP light flashes on the dash, and I feel the different wheels cutting power and breaking, and as quickly as it happenned, I was pointing straight ahead again.

Maybe I would have caught the car had I not had it, but one thing for sure is that it reacted faster than I could of. And it did what it said on the tin - regained my control - without it, perhaps I might have ended up in a ditch on the other side of the road.

Mind you if something had been coming the other way, it would not have saved me, but then thats hardly surprising. I guess I must take some blame here for misjudging the conditions in the first place. However that is one gripe with mine in terms of handling. It does everything in such a composed fashion always that theres little warning of impending doom, until it finally does snap. I feel like my Golf would have communicated the poor conditions better and earlier than this Clio does. Anyway, still mainly my fault, and I admit it, but I wont be so quick to dismiss ESP in the future.

Good to know it works

Now whn are you going to admit you were going like a nob?

I really wasnt.... but I admit that it was clearly still too fast for the conditions.

[slaps own wrist]

I really wasnt.... but I admit that it was clearly still too fast for the conditions.

[slaps own wrist]

Sounds shockingly similar to my "off road" experience. Perhaps it would have remained an on-road experience if I had ESP.

My next car will be specced with it for sure.

Out of interest, is it possible to have ESP setup on a car at the dealers? Is it just a setting in the ECU or are there physical parts that need to be fitted etc?

I had a worrying experience a couple of nights ago where i slipped right across to the other side of the road while passing a parked car... I got control back but I didn't react as fast as a computer would have and it could have resulted in my smacking into kerb... It made me realise that if that can happen at 20mph then what could happen at 50+ on some of the b roads around here! :-/

Out of interest' date=' is it possible to have ESP setup on a car at the dealers? Is it just a setting in the ECU or are there physical parts that need to be fitted etc?

I had a worrying experience a couple of nights ago where i slipped right across to the other side of the road while passing a parked car... I got control back but I didn't react as fast as a computer would have and it could have resulted in my smacking into kerb... It made me realise that if that can happen at 20mph then what could happen at 50+ on some of the b roads around here! :-/[/quote']

It's a factory fit option only i'm afraid. It uses sensors to detect the physical motion of the car in relation to your traction and speed in case you have to swerve or get into a slide. Your car won't have the required sensors.

ESP is a great safety feature but in poor enough conditions or at high speed it still might not stop you going through a hedge or hitting the oncoming traffic. Hope that cheers you up.

this is exactly what esp is for, when your not thinking. glad it saved you and maybe some others will read this and understnad why it isn't a waste of time

it only needs to save you once to save you a hell of a lot of money and possibly nasty injuries

it only needs to save you once to save you a hell of a lot of money and possibly nasty injuries

Never a truer word said

Now, dont misread this as me saying esp is a waste of time, cos it isnt, but it doesnt stop gravity and natural forces from helping you leave the blackstuff.

If you find esp useful, then you are probably driving beyond your ability.

If you find esp useful' date=' then you are probably driving beyond your ability.[/quote']

I'm not sure i agree with you there shifty. Im sure those crap bridgestones I have are partially to blame but it's hard in my motor to take of quick if the roads are anything other than bone dry without the ESP light coming on. ESP kicks in quite a lot but then again because ASR is part of ESP, it just takes the traction control to kick in a bit to light up the ESP indicator.

I'm not sure i agree with you there shifty. Im sure those crap bridgestones I have are partially to blame but it's hard in my motor to take of quick if the roads are anything other than bone dry without the ESP light coming on. ESP kicks in quite a lot but then again because ASR is part of ESP, it just takes the traction control to kick in a bit to light up the ESP indicator.

I didnt mean anybody in particular.

My personal opinion though, is that the less driving aids the better. I know there is a good case for esp, i've had it demonstrated to me in a very scary never to hopefully be repeated way, but what I was saying is that if it's constantly working, then the driver is either relying on it, or driving badly. Setting off in damp cold conditions is not really waht I meant.

I hate bridgestone turanzas. :( I have them on now for winter, and they really are poo.

Now' date=' dont misread this as me saying esp is a waste of time, cos it isnt, but it doesnt stop gravity and natural forces from helping you leave the blackstuff.

If you find esp useful, then you are probably driving beyond your ability.[/quote']

yeah but no but,

what i think is that if your going to drive beyond your abilities then ESP isn't going to help you but what i think esp is best for is when you are tickling along and something unexpected happens and it stops you sliding/spinning/skidding into someone or something.

esp isn't there to save you when your playing but to save you when your not expecting something, like with Mr.Birkett above

yeah but no but' date='

what i think is that if your going to drive beyond your abilities then ESP isn't going to help you but what i think esp is best for is when you are tickling along and something unexpected happens and it stops you sliding/spinning/skidding into someone or something.

esp isn't there to save you when your playing but to save you when your not expecting something, like with Mr.Birkett above [/quote']

I see that point Bengie mate, and that indeed is what it was designed to do, which is a different point to the one I was making. I think :confused:

Anyway, mine hasnt got esp, so i cant play with it :(

And no heated seats either, so not only do i have a chilly bum, i have blanks on my dash. I hate blanks.

If you find esp useful, then you are probably driving beyond your ability.

Chris

lol, i've played with esp on empty tarmac and it really is a clever little sod.

before chaning anything on my car so i had stilt suspension etc i drove alond a very wide empty road at 40mph and started swerving from left to right increasing the speed/strength of the turns untill i was turning as much as i could without removing my hands and as quickly as i could and all the car did was wiggle along, not the slightest hint of sliding/oversteer/understeer or anything.

and tonight i came round a roundabout obviously to quickly as the tarmac turned out to be greasy and i thought my car was broken as it accelerated then suddenly stopped accelerating and just carried on happily round the roundabout without any sliding/oversteer/understeer and i noticed the flashing light on the dash

you need to give it a try dave, preferably in a fabia as you know how the react without the esp. it really is an amazing thing

lol' date=' i've played with esp on empty tarmac and it really is a clever little sod.

[/quote']

Wouldn't be without it. Besides my driving probably isn't up to shifty's standards so I need it.

Wouldn't be without it. Besides my driving probably isn't up to shifty's standards so I need it.

I seem to have dug a huge hole for myself here. I'm not suggesting anybody involved in this thread is a poor driver, or that i don't need it. My dads saab aero has esp, and it enables me to drive that around wet roundabouts as fast as possible with 250 bhp trying to go straight on. I know an Octavia driver who uses esp to his advantage when cornering, and of course the most important aspect of esp is safety. But lets get things into perspective. Esp may not have stopped Tom ploughing fields. It may well have done, I dont know how it happened exactly, with not being there.

If i were to take my old mans saab down my favourite twisty, and went into a sharp left corner with negative camber too fast, esp would have a job to prevent me leaving the road, as gravity would be in control. 1600 kgs, too fast = scenery.

If I were accelerating through a corner, then esp would help prevent me putting too much power down and exiting the road. It also helps you dodge roadcones on ice lakes which is right handy i should imagine.

I suspect that when the esp light comes on, its a lack of traction on accelleration the majority of times.

Ive driven a 120d bmw on a skid pan at the launch, and it was mighty impressive.

My mate took me round a motorway roundabout faster than i thought was possible in a mercedes vito with esp. i thought i was going to die, but the esp kept everything in check. Id rather do that myself. Its part if the fun. Like i said earlier, im not knocking it, just that if you NEED it, maybe you should slow down to a speed more suited to your ability.

Shifty, Chris (yes I mean you mr Scooby :P), you dont get it do you?

I was going around a corner at 40-45, a corner which I've previously done at 60 or 70 at times, and had no problem with - this time I was caught out.

How is that driving beyond my "ability"?

Not saying I'm a driving god, anything but, however I fail to see how I was driving beyond my ability.

At least Bengie gets it.

I probably didnt get it either until last night, that is...

Personally I think those that doubt ESP or cant see whay you need it have never driven a car with it.

It makes a great half-way-house for an average handling car to help an average driver in un expected situations.

What it is not is a substitute for a propper chassis and/or driver skill. I diddnt have ESP on my Integra Type R and never felt I needed it. That car could beat any Octavia "through the twisties" regarldess of ESP.

What some cars have is wolly handling that is a compromise to suit all potential buyers. This gives the driver a slightly detatched feeling that IMO means you're less likely to respond in an emergency situation, not because you dont think fast enough about it but because the car doesnt give you signs soon enough or react fast enough.

I think of ESP in the same way as airbags - they only need to help you once.

But the bottom line is that it can't defy the laws of physics, but it sure can react quicker than a not-quite-alert human.

:iagree:

Personally I think those that doubt ESP or cant see whay you need it have never driven a car with it.

It makes a great half-way-house for an average handling car to help an average driver in un expected situations.

ESP should be standard.

Sadly we are all average drivers at best. Those of us who think we are better than that are either deluding ourselves or drive for a living. It's amazing how many people confuse luck with ability. There are some fantastic 'track day' drivers out there that simply should not be allowed on public roads because there's more to being a safe motorist than being able to physically drive a car at speed. It does help of course.

. It also helps you dodge roadcones on ice lakes which is right handy i should imagine.

.

This is a question,not an arguing point.

Why does everyone turn esp off when going round a track(on the car shows etc).When the Stig blats round in a car with ESP,does he turn it off or leave it on,and why?

We have ESP on the Fabia BTW:)

It makes a great half-way-house for an average handling car to help an average driver in un expected situations.

What it is not is a substitute for a propper chassis and/or driver skill. I diddnt have ESP on my Integra Type R and never felt I needed it. That car could beat any Octavia "through the twisties" regarldess of ESP.

What some cars have is wolly handling that is a compromise to suit all potential buyers. This gives the driver a slightly detatched feeling that IMO means you're less likely to respond in an emergency situation' date=' not because you dont think fast enough about it but because the car doesnt give you signs soon enough or react fast enough.[/quote']

I dont agree my car has poor or even average handling though....

When you're gooing for a fast time on a track, you've not got oncoming cars to worry about. The last thing you need is ESP/TC/ASR cutting power mid corner.