this sounds like it'd be good to have, but I don't know much about it.

 

its a nice safety feature to have. and even nicer when going around curvies. the dealer let me take it to a little canyon pass with and without the vsa. wish all the sport came with it.

 

you mean its nicer without around curves right?

usually electronic stability programs hamper your cars ability to reach its limits, to protect you.

and i seriously doubt you would physically be able to tell the difference in handling unless it was instrumented. this is further enforced by the fact that you (?) think it makes it handle better....?

 

I thought VSA stood for Very Slick Asphalt, which I passed on due to the fact that I thought my insurance premiums would go through the roof.

 

I know when I drove a MB C230 that had their version of VSA, It was easy to tell. When You take the car to a parking lot, drop it in first and spin with VSA off, and then turn it on and just drive in circles, it becomes obvious how much VSA does... definitely not for someone who likes to slide... I spent most my time with it off. I definately see the benefits of it though... specialy in any type of slick wheather.

 

Would definitely prefer it... wish it was available without the NAV.

I've autocrossed in a 3-series BMW with stability control and there were definitely some situations that it allowed me to push harder than I would have otherwise because I didn't have to worry about lift-throttle oversteer.

Even with more than a little track and autocrossing experience, I've had on-street emergency situations where I've locked the brakes or had unwanted understeer/oversteer. While a good driver in a track situation MIGHT be able to threshhold brake or corner a bit better, in an emergency situation on the street, I'd put my money on ABS and VSA being more effective.

 

VSA is awesome. I'm waiting for it to be standard on all Fits. Should be coming soon.

Ford and Toyota said all of their cars by end of calendar year 2009 will have VSA. I am doubtful about those claims; but if they can deliver on that statement I think Honda would have to match it as well.

 

I am going to say that since its for safty and you have no control over it really its a good thing

 

I am big fan of VSA and have had it on my last 3 cars/suvs. Being able to turn it on & off is also a great feature of the 09 Fit VSA imo, only 1 of my past 3 had this option.

 

VSA (and other stability control systems) is a proven safety feature. In fact, by 2012, ALL cars on the road will be required to have VSA. IIHS and NHTSA have numerous facts & statistics to back up VSC's life-saving claims.

The only thing about VSA that bothers people is that it takes the fun out of "fooling around" and may hamper your car on track days. However, nowadays on performance cars (BMW M3 and Corvettes for example), VSA allows for aggressive driving and only kicks in to save your butt from disaster...and is very progressive in it's interventions. And since VSA can be disable on Fit, it is a must-have IMHO. Thus, if i do get a Fit, then i will get the NAVI simply for the VSA.

 

Well, I have finally decided to get the navi/VSA instead. I will contact the dealer tomorrow to change my order from regular sport to the navi model. I just hope they have one in the pipeline - in orange color! All this is just for $50 bucks more per month. If it can save my life even once, it will be worth a million times as much.

 

And unlike the Mercedes or BMW Navi units, the one in the Honda is actually pretty decent...so, it is not a totally wasted $2000 upgrade for the VSA/NAVI.

 

You are right. since i need a navi anyway having one w/o the dangling wire is a good thing.

 

Interesting opinion on Honda's VSA in the Fit: Honda and ESC – Safety for Everyone?: Consumer Reports Cars Blog

 

While driving a rental car in Hawaii ( the road between Pahoa and Hilo), a car suddenly pulled in front of me from the left. I turned sharply to avoid a crash. It was a dry sunny day, but my car (a relatively new Aveo) swerved out of control and ended up facing the opposite direction on the other side of the road. Due to sheer luck, no damage to any car or injury. A few months later, I sold my Civic and bought a VW Golf, with stability control, which I have driven without incident for the past 5 years. A few months ago, a similar event happened. I turned and braked sharply to avoid a SUV with a driver on a cell phone. There was no loss of control, except for my temper towards the schmuck driving the SUV.

I like the FIT. I like the way it drives. But I can't get one with VSA and a MT in the US (2010). The 2009's, that have it with Navi/MT, but all are gone in my area. So, I may wait to 2012, when VSA is mandatory. But will probably just get a new Golf when the itch get a new car gets too strong.