Same here. The Auto-Off keeps it turned off all the time. I turn it on for wet or icy surfaces. The way I drive, the DSC was always engaging and robbing power when I wanted it.

 

The DSC is still programmed to be far too intrusive, especially when tuning mods (ie JCW) are in the mix. It is, however, still very useful for slippery surfaces.

 

Great info, thanks!

 

I'm not certain how turning off the DSC (with a switch that BMW provides) can in any way affect the warranty

 

These 2 do not provide anywhere near the same functionality. The sole purpose of the LSD is to get more power from the tire/road interface. The DSC is designed to ensure that traction limits (fore/aft, lateral) are not exceeded)

OEM only

Yes, see eVal's post.

 

I'd get it without a doubt, it can be turned off completely so I don't see a problem with it.

 

No doubt here, either.

 

I'd get it. Wait, I have it!

Sure, you may want to turn it off if you're driving hard and you're also a really skilled driver (which I am not so it stays on), but what about those times when you're distracted by a cell phone, radio station change, or an Egg McMuffin and you hit a wet/icy patch or the road takes an unexpected turn? Even the most skilled driver isn't 100% engaged in driving 100% of the time.

But let's say you are the most skilled driver in the world and you're never distracted. Is your wife? Friends? Anyone else who might take the car out for a drive?

In other threads you indicated you are concerned with resale value when selecting trim options. Go for DSC - that will help your resale value more than if you have a chrome ring around the speedo.

Paul

 

Dang, how have we driven all these accident-free years without DSC? Pure, dumb luck, I suppose.

BTW, DSC isn't on the KBB used-car valuation checklist.

 

Tracking the car is what can effect warranty coverage not turning off the DSC. From what others have posted it seems that BMW/MINI, as well as other brands, have been increasingly proactive about finding out if people track their cars. I'm just saying that since people are suggesting track time to be aware of the issues around it and be careful.

Edit: Sure, many people made it w/o lots of stuff - seatbelts, airbags, disc brakes, ABS, etc - but also some did not and got into trouble that new technology can help help with to improve things to prevent accidents or injury. I don't advocate technology that lets the driver fall asleep while driving like some things that are coming up since the driver's engagement is key and nothing can replace that, however with higher and higher population of people on the road safety measures that can help improve traction, braking distance and the like are a good idea to help prevent people from colliding into one another whether its road conditions or driver conditions as needed that its helping with
(boy, whatever is making me sick is messing with my ability to write clearly, sorry)

 

KBB lists "traction control" and Edmund's has "stability control". Who knows what will be up there in a few years?

Don't misstate my point. I never said DSC is necessary for safe driving. It's extra help in extraordinary circumstances. Would you argue against seat belts and airbags too because you've never needed them personally? I bounced around the back seat of my parents' car as a child and survived to adulthood unscathed. I'm not going to toss out the car seats my wife and I use for our kids, sarcastically telling her, "how did we live through all those years as untethered passengers?"

DSC is a good thing. 99.9% of drivers are better off with it during daily driving. Yes, that number is my personal estimate and not based on research. If you're at the track or drag racing from a red light, flip the switch and turn it off. If you're a great driver who is always fully engaged on the road, even when running to the store to get some milk, turn it off. And then post a video showing me how you brake individual wheels...that I have to see!

Paul

 

Sorry, I'm chiding you because of statements like this:

It's a bit of fear-mongering if you ask me. Sounds to me like the entire basis of your argument for DSC is "you never know." I need more than that to plunk down 500 of my hard-earned dollars. Further, it seems to me if this was such a great safety feature, it would be standard (like, uh, seatbelts and airbags, perhaps?).

BTW, the "Traction Control" option on the KBB site refers to the standard ASC. Every MCS owner gets to check that box, and there's no box for DSC. I'd say 99.9% of prospective used-MINI buyers (my personal estimate and not based on research) don't even know what DSC is. And a good percentage of those that do roll their eyes at it -- like I do. Maybe when I find the need to let my car decide when to brake individual wheels, I'll change my mind. Don't hold your breath waiting.

 

Skilled driving 101: no cell phone, no Egg McMuffin, use the steering wheel controls

No, No and absolutely No. Only the MINI mechanics get to test drive.

 

open the garage door when you're tuning the MINI

 

I'm glad I didn't ask you then!

Re: the basis of my argument, you are partially correct. Let me distill it down to two points:

1. For skilled drivers who can drive the car better (more safely) without DSC, DSC is worth it if you let other people drive your car who aren't as skilled.

2. For the vast majority of us who benefit from DSC (i.e. DSC will increase my safety in questionable situations) $500 is worth it if it helps avoid even one accident.

You never know what situation you'll find yourself in. Me, I'll pay for a little deck-stacking in my favor. My car weighed in north of $35k...I'm not going to sweat the $500 (especially spread out over the years I plan to keep the car).

Airbags weren't always standard, you know. Heck, neither were seatbelts. And who here remembers good ol' metal dashboards? I have no doubt computer-assisted driving technology will be standard on all cars within the decade.

Another cool thing about all this...we don't have to agree. You have your opinion, I'll have mine, and happy motoring to both of us!

Paul

 

Did they give you a bottle of snake oil with the DSC? Because then maybe it would have been useful.

 

lol, seriously these Minis run so rich it doesn't take much

wish it was from working on the car rather then being 'exhausted' from some germ :P

 

My wife drives my no-DSC MCS. She is a bad driver, but she is a SAFE driver. She has little notion of what's going on underneath her, and yet she's never had an accident in her life. She has no need of DSC, because she will almost certainly never put herself in a situation where it will be necessary. DSC comes into play when the driver exceeds the limits of the cars capability. She is smart enough to recognise when its raining or snowing that she should simply slow down. At some point, if you're not smart enough to do that no $500 device is ever going to be capable of saving you, which of course is why so many AWD equipped vehicles wind up in a ditch in winter time as the technology fooled the driver into thinking that there was far more traction than was actually available.

Equally, there seems to be a deep fallacy here. Skill or lack thereof is only a part of accident avoidence. There is a huge difference between being a skilled driver and a safe driver, they are orthogonal concepts. Here's an example. A pro driver who shall be nameless was involved in a serious crash a year or two ago because he was out hammering around on the public roads at speeds that were insane, cut a corner and as a result was involved in a crash that was fatal to the other party and put him in the hosptial an inch from being paralyzed for life. This gentleman's number of race wins demonstrates he is a great driver, his road record shows he's far from being a safe one.

What some of us worry about is that DSC, much like AWD, will embolden some drivers. Bad drivers can be extremely safe drivers because they're cautious and always drive well under the limits of their vehicle. If they are tricked into believing that the limits of their car and their own capabilty are higher than they actually are, they are not in fact safer, rather they are at higher risk. This doen't expand the safety envelope, rather it ups the ante so that when those limits are exceeded, the envelope is diminished.

 

rjmann, I see your point but do not think that every accident is due to the driver exceeding their limits or that the assistance that traction control provides makes everyone push the envelope. There are other people on the road that can suddenly put you in the situation where traction control can help retain control of the car as well as other unexpected factors that just being slow/cautious will not always cover. Also, as human beings people misjudge things and make mistakes (esp in bad weather conditions that can impair visibility), this does not nec mean they have been falsely emboldened by traction control or other safety devices, but it can mean the difference between the error having bad results for them or others.

 

Yes, I use it to keep the dash nice and shiny!

Castro Valley? Why, I grew up around there! In fact, I was just there a couple of weeks ago. I flew out with my daughter to visit my mom in the hospital, and for a break I took my daughter to Golfland (twice) on CV Blvd, and we hung out at Lake Chabot. And, as always when I'm passing through, lunch at Lucca's.

You've got some nice roads nearby. I wish I had my MINI out there. I remember going through the canyons in my friend's Trans Am, back in the day (way back)...

Paul

 

I'd say if you're NOT a professional driver, get DSC. If you ARE a professional driver, don't get it. I didn't order DSC. My sister did.

 

do you NOT buy insurance?

I think one change would make the DSC a no brainer.... It's too intrusive.

But, for all that, you don't have corner workers at every bend of the non-track road to wave the yellow flag if there is an unseen hazard.

Also, air-bags were mandated, not optional. When the technology first came out, Lee Iococa swore the technology was too expensive to put in cars.

I still drive a car with a metal dash (65 Mustang) and it even has a solid steering column!

We all ***** and moan about the "new" safety features. And they all have thier own teething issues.

Did you know that anti-lock brakes didn't really impace accident rates (at least through the mid 80s, I haven't looked at numbers lately)? Turns out people with them drove more recklessly....

And for all of those that think the DSC is a waste of money, you can use it as a driving coach. If you hit a turn JUST RIGHT with it on, you can get the car into the onset of drift, because the computer can't figure out a better way to do it! Ask me how I know!

Anyway, yes, I'd get it again.

Matt