To VSA or not to VSA, that is the question
Well, in a way, it sounds like a "The Kids These Days" speech. Of course we should all be schooled in the "primitive arts" of living off the land, spinning our own yarn, and performing self-dentistry, but I like VSA.
I was born before calculators were invented and later saw the introduction of PCs / Apples, and now smartphones and Google Glasses. Big changes in the last 40 yrs but I love my spreadsheets and their graphing capabilities. I can't go back.
As a former "paper boy", I routinely throw cashiers for a loop by providing an increment of the payment to use up the change in my pocket and round off the returned difference. Without the machine telling them what to do, they have that "look" on their face.
The one thing that "drives" me crazy is the poor penmanship of the kids these days. Typing this and swiping that has hurt their fine motor skills to the point when they do write something, it looks like they had both hands on the pen.
Time marches on and with it technology and our allocation of brain power to things we have to do, want to do, and the rest we can delegate like wearing a seat belt rather than trying to brace myself for the crash. Yes, my first hand-me-down car didn't have seat belts or built-in turn signals. Arm gets pretty cold in the winter when you want to make a turn and then there is that big delay of hand cranking down the window in preparation of signaling and then putting it back up. Driving in the "old days" was pretty busy. Again, I like my VSA.
I was born before calculators were invented and later saw the introduction of PCs / Apples, and now smartphones and Google Glasses. Big changes in the last 40 yrs but I love my spreadsheets and their graphing capabilities. I can't go back.
As a former "paper boy", I routinely throw cashiers for a loop by providing an increment of the payment to use up the change in my pocket and round off the returned difference. Without the machine telling them what to do, they have that "look" on their face.
The one thing that "drives" me crazy is the poor penmanship of the kids these days. Typing this and swiping that has hurt their fine motor skills to the point when they do write something, it looks like they had both hands on the pen.
Time marches on and with it technology and our allocation of brain power to things we have to do, want to do, and the rest we can delegate like wearing a seat belt rather than trying to brace myself for the crash. Yes, my first hand-me-down car didn't have seat belts or built-in turn signals. Arm gets pretty cold in the winter when you want to make a turn and then there is that big delay of hand cranking down the window in preparation of signaling and then putting it back up. Driving in the "old days" was pretty busy. Again, I like my VSA.
I think it's just the culture we live in, that says your time is to valuable to learn how this works or to obtain a skill In that or to proofread, hell spell an entire word out. Just go sit on the couch and watch DWS while face booking and eating frozen pizza because you can buy anything and everything you need and all your devices will do everything for you, you never have to strain your brain again.
Sure we're all guilty of this in some form but hell I just thought driving skills were a hallmark of an automotive enthusiast. But here I am again living in the past...
I just believe in a world that is continually getting more complicate and technical we should be getting smarter not dumber... Excuse me my hot pocket is done, got to go!
Last edited by slimchriz; Mar 6, 2014 at 02:04 PM.
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Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 850
From: The 603
I live in New England. I've never had snow tires, and this car is the first one I've had with traction control. The first time it lit up I pulled over to figure out how to kill it, and now I shut it off whenever it's snowing. It's not that I live to spin my wheels, it's that having a computer decide to hit the brakes for me isn't cool.
Applying the brakes is something I like to be in control of- the ABS module doesn't know a damn thing about what's going on outside my car or what I'm trying to do with it. On that note, an automatic transmission doesn't know any of that either, I have a perfectly good headlight switch and there's an AC button on the dash- so I'll stick with an MT, I've disabled the DRLs and I'm waiting to find the time to disable the AC on with defrost.
No, no, no. It's about shift knobs and tinted lights.
Don't forget the decals... 
Don't have VSA experience. Don't drive much in the snow but have had my share of black ice and driving sideways on ice in a previous life... Sounds like this calls for a Subaru
. Then again, can't touch the price range and mpg of a Fit.Kidding aside, the thread just caught my attention. Interesting, the old school, new tech points and counterpoints which is the category I fall under. The Fit's my first car with an MM and that took me a while to get comfy with. I'm used to a maintenance log notebook in my glove box (still have it though).
But sure sounds like the discussions when ABS first came out. Tapping the brake is still a good practice (defensive driving) but no longer for better braking but rather to keep the car in my rear view from kissing my butt.
Just me...Just like any other gadget, I guess it takes getting used to and making it work for you. Preventive for the unskilled and negligent... Aids for the skilled and cautious... As OB1 might say "Be one with the car and may the force be with you..."
I'm all for having basic driving skills and experience in your tool box.Now
or get a Subaru!
Last edited by Subie; Mar 6, 2014 at 06:34 PM.
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 201
From: PA
Ive been professionally servicing vehicles for 25+ years and have driven more vehicles than I could ever count. Even with my experience I could not duplicate the traction gained by VSA while on ice and full throttle unless its a real 4WD with studded snows. At that point the 4WD advantage and heavy weight increase traction and there is no slippage. Does that mean I am doing it or the vehicle is set up for traction? Its the vehicle set up!
Example: My 05 Rubicon Unlimited has 4WD with front and rear lockers. If I lock the rears and punch it to the floor on ice or snow it doesn't break traction because of the studded snow tires it has on it. The difference is that my jeep is built for traction and weighs over 5,400 lbs with all of the skid plates, armor plates, warn winch and all of the other upgrades I added to it. Its very heavy and made to grip.
The Fit is not an overly heavy 4WD high traction vehicle. Its an economical and light weight vehicle. The VSA does a very good job of creating traction when the vehicle needs it. Its technology and the VSA system does things a human cant do as fast. A human may be able to be an excellent driver and come close but the reaction speed of the VSA is much quicker than the motor skills of the human body. The biggest benefit is for most drivers who are not in tune with their vehicle and now have built in technology to keep them safer.
Example: My 05 Rubicon Unlimited has 4WD with front and rear lockers. If I lock the rears and punch it to the floor on ice or snow it doesn't break traction because of the studded snow tires it has on it. The difference is that my jeep is built for traction and weighs over 5,400 lbs with all of the skid plates, armor plates, warn winch and all of the other upgrades I added to it. Its very heavy and made to grip.
The Fit is not an overly heavy 4WD high traction vehicle. Its an economical and light weight vehicle. The VSA does a very good job of creating traction when the vehicle needs it. Its technology and the VSA system does things a human cant do as fast. A human may be able to be an excellent driver and come close but the reaction speed of the VSA is much quicker than the motor skills of the human body. The biggest benefit is for most drivers who are not in tune with their vehicle and now have built in technology to keep them safer.
Got it. For sure anything new takes getting used to, to take advantage of its intended purpose and used properly... Definitely 4WD is not a "free pass" to not get stuck or be immune to existing driving conditions.
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Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 206
From: Chicago burbs
Just bought a used 2010 Fit Sport Nav and the VSA option was a nice surprise. Got to try it out right away. It doesn't seem to kick in until you are past about 20% throttle position and if you mash the throttle too much, the brake pulsations gets very noticeable and impede progress. I found it's best to back off a bit if the brakes start pulsing. I live in the flatlands, so no experience on hills. It is quite useful in suburban traffic because about 25% of the vehicles are AWD and 75% of the drivers are maniacs driving in the snow.
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