I agree that bad DSC can be worse than no DSC, but if done properly it could be quite useful. Since it can react faster than a human can, no amount of driver's school can make up for it. The Porsche implementation seems to be quite good -- doesn't get in the way of having fun, but saves your butt when you take it too far. The jury seems to still be out on whether the R56 implementation is good or not. Until that is known, we are just arguing over what each of us imagines it to be.

 

If I had DSC that behaves as you describe, that WOULD suck.

Luckily, the DSC in my cabrio is NOTHING like that. It has saved my tail twice already. There is only one scenario where it engages when I don't want it to... and when it does, it's not the DSC, it's the traction control system - when turning left out of my neighborhood into traffic while punching it - that will cause it to cut power right when you need it most - because it detects wheel slip. So I turn off DSC when I'm about to make such a maneuver. Then I turn it RIGHT BACK ON. But it has NEVER cut in prematurely on a freeway interchange, on ramp, off ramp, or even driving the Dragon - except when I hit a corner too hot and did start to drift... and then it did what I wanted it to do... slow me down and keep me in my lane.

I don't doubt that some early DSC systems behaved quite badly. But the R52 DSC behaves pretty well IMHO. I suspect the R56 is in the same ballpark...

 

Why just last Saturday I did a drivers school. Wet track with snow & a bit of ice. No DSC, did I crash & burn? Heck no & I caught & passed a much faster MINI than I who had his DSC engaged. Not everyone needs such nannies. If you feel you need it get it. I am very glad that MINI gives you a choice. I know one day it will be mandated & that will be a sad day for me.

EDIT>>> I'm sure the Porsche system is state of the art. The one that comes in an R53 sure isn't. I hope the one in the R56 is an improvement. The jury is still out on that.

 

The DSC on my 05 MCS has been largely unobtrusive. I see the little idiot light flicker once in a while and that's about it.

For what it's worth, I have to pull out daily across 2 lanes of fairly heavy traffic and hit a opening on the other two lanes. I live right next to that 4 lane road so the engine isn't even warmed up when I pull out. I rev a couple times to make sure I don't get the cold stumble and then hit the gap. I have never noticed the DSC during that manuever so I guess its been improved since the earlier models.

 

My MINI is an 06 a November 05 build. No DSC, but it has that crappy traction control. If I spin the tires it just about dies. I have Ian Culls Circuit with track mode on all the time. It doesn't happen anymore.

My guess is that you aren't spinning your tires. Which is good, because if you do the engine will fall on its face. Could be most dangerous pulling into the road.

 

You're right, I intentionally don't spin the tires during that move. I need the tires to be hooked up not burning rubber. Well, maybe a chirp once in a while.

 

"Is this really even debatable? Saying you don't like DSC because it interfers with your driving is like my former step father saying he didn't like to wear his seatbelt because it was uncomfortable."

Many can debate it if they wish. I don't and DSC is turned off in my auto nearly all the time. The anology provided above is false.

 

EEEEEXXXXXAAACTLY... so many people that criticize or don't like the technology, saying that DSC sucks, etc... are completely mistaken about their complaints. It isn't the DSC technology that gets the most complaints, it's the ASC. ASC is the technology that cuts power to the driving (front) wheels when wheelspin occurs, which are 99% of the complaints about it.

DSC is ASC "plus more", meaning that it adds additional (non-obtrusive) functions, primarily in the form of a yaw sensor, so that if you start to spin out, it will brake individual wheels (which NO driver in the world can do on their own) to correct the course.

The thing is, if you think you're "escaping" the annoying technology by not getting DSC, you're not. Every 1st Gen MINI Cooper S (both coupe & convertible) came standard with ASC (it didn't come with Coopers). Every 2nd Gen MINI (both Coopers & Cooper Ses) comes standard with ASC.

So you know what? Unless you buy a 1st Gen Cooper, you're getting the annoying technology anyway. TOUGH! You'll still have to disable it manually or buy a circuit (such as Ian Cull's Auto-Up Circuit or MCAW) to disable it for you.

Why not pay a bit more and get the added DSC functions that will save your butt in many situations? Even if you only enable it in snow or rain?

In my opinion, if you don't choose DSC, you're just shooting yourself in the foot. Even if you never use it yourself, it will still help your resale value, especially as the technology grows in the public eye (as it inevitably will, since it will be required on new cars soon).

 

No holes in my feet. I bought my MINI equipped for me. Not the next owner.

 

DCS is great... especially in the winter I love pulling out onto unplowed roads and punching it, accelerator all the way down. The MINI just plows its way down the road!

I agree with Crashton and Edge. It's the ASC that annoys me and most of the time in the summer on perfectly dry roads. And especially when turning into traffic from a parking lot, etc.

 

It sounds like you are talking about ASC, not DSC. Are you basing your complaint about R56 DSC on R53 ASC? This thread is about DSC.

 

Give me a break. Yes I have had cars with DSC. First off, perhaps your argument is with a specific DSC, not the system in general. Second, in my opinion, DSC can only be a problem with a specific kind of driving, overly aggressive. DSC is going to engage when you're driving in such a manner that would engage the system in the first place. I have plenty of experience with folks spinning out of control during evasive manuevers to know that DSC is a valuable feature to have on an automobile.

To say, "I sure hate it when my power cuts out when I'm trying to cut across two lanes of traffic," is simply adolescent mentality of "I could never be in an accident, I'm invincible." 9 out of 10 times, DSC is unnecessary, but you'd be thankful to have it the one time it matters.

 

If you find my first post in this thread & follow along you will see how I got here.

I love these DCS vs no DSC discussions. Some folks feel it's the hand of God saving them & some feel that it's just an intrusive nuisance.

 

I initially had it as an option and we're ordering the car at the beginning of the week. After reading this thread I stated to wonder.

Here's our situation. This MCS would be for my wife. Unfortunately it will be an auto. She tends to use all the power she can get and I wouldn't be surprised if she got into a corner too hot although since she's coming from a Jeep I'll teach her how to drive properly again in a real car

I asked the dealer and he said that DSC was created for rear wheel cars and almost useless on front wheel drive cars like the Mini so he didn't think it was necessary. If it were just my car I wouldn't care. We live in CA and the car won't see that much snow in its life. Rain ok.

As a safety feature in this instance is it necessary or not really?

 

Nah It's sort of a modern natural selection thing

 

As stated above, you're going to get ASC whether you like it or not, and that is the component that gets the negative posts. The DSC is a good option that has the potential to save lives in normal use. I would go with DSC and if you later find the ASC causes problems during certain actions, shut it off for those actions.

 

Your dealer doesn't know what he's talking about. Any car can spin, and DSC is VERY helpful in correcting that. Even in rain, DSC is very useful, particularly if you drive aggressively. It's saved me several times in the rain.

 

the dealer knows nothing of braking, traction or the like. Don't get any more advice from him. He's an idiot. He doesn't even know how the systems work, so I wouldn't believe a word he has to say about it. To make matters worse, he pretends to know, and that leads to things like dissemination of that pure BS.

Matt

 

RWD will spin more freely. FWD cars won't spin out unless you brake very hard and turn. However, when the ABS was not standard on cars companies made similar videos about ABS saying "apply brakes as hard as you can and turn the steering wheel. The car will steer into the direction without locking up the wheels". ABS seemed to be the best thing that would prevent accidents. Now the DSC comes along and ABS is like buried 6 feet under. No one even talks about it. In reality, if you are a sensible driver you will be fine with just ABS. ATC and DSC are extras that will save your butt when you drive irresponsibly. In California? I would not worry about it. In deep snow? Put on studded tires and drive slowly. Traction is your best guiding angel.

 

This important to know since I took him "as the expert" since he's the top MA at a very well know Mini dealership.

I appreciate everyone's help since I'm trying to get this car right before we order next week. I know a lot about older British Cars having restored them myself. This is all new ground for me.

 

FWD cars are safer than RWD cars unless you are a RWD expert driver. I have been driving only RWD cars for the last 6 years and have done driving ed's at the track and autoX'd also. However, I still face situations where I say to myself "OH! *****!!!!! Is this another wreck-my-car day!!!??!!!!" I have not gotten a speeding ticket for the last 4 years and 5 months and 2 days and I am trying to be a responsible driver everyday. But sometimes I lose it and give the car too much throttle or go into a turn with too much speed or fumble a heel and toe and make the car jerk.... If you are a responsible husband and responsible member of your community, you will be OK in CA w/o DSC. But if you don't drive crazy like me you will never see the DSC work and never know whether DSC is truly intrusive or not either. But when CA freezes over once in a blue moon the DSC might save your butt. If you are a conservative type, get the DSC. It will be there for you like the front airbags. I hope you will never need them but they will be there. I am planning to order DSC and turn it off when I want to.

 

I'm a pretty good driver having owned motorcycles and sports cars my whole life. As I mentioned its a concern for my wife whom I've been in a Mustang with while we did 4-wheel drifts through Big Sur. If it has the power she'll use it. Those drifts weren't like some cool ballet like F&F Tokyo. These were unexpected..... It might be back on this list....

 

Nui said this car is for his wife. "She tends to use all the power she can get and I wouldn't be surprised if she got into a corner too hot..."

The thing about California drivers is that few understand how to drive in the wet. They either completely freak out and drive 5 mph. Or, they drive like it is dry. When things go wrong, they really haven't had enough experience to know what to do. It just doesn't rain here enough.

I think DSC would be a good idea for anyone who isn't F1 competitive. Actually, when it was allowed, I think F1 drivers were turning faster times with various forms of computer enhanced handling mechanisms. Don't recall how close they were to DSC.

 

OK to drive without DSC? Don't you realize that this is just increasing the chance (not the certainty, but the chance) than a now avoidable accident will damage you or your car? We're not talking about track driving, we're talking about street driving. No corner workers, no tire walls, no tech inspection to go on the street, no certification of other drivers skills before they drive on the roads. Personally, I'm of the opinion (not gained by experience, but by reading the accident data) that DSC is a great, great thing.

A couple of things to thing about...... Can you slow the inside rear wheel to transfer weight to the outside front for improved turning traction? Nope, you don't have access to individual brakes... No human can... These systems can access parts of the vehicle control envelope that are impossible for humans to get to.

Now, ABS isnt' talked about, but it is the basis for all these systems, as it can maximize braking at each corner independantly, increasing overall braking drastically while not locking up any tires. Think of it as the ground level of driving aids.

Traction control is in between ABS and DSC..... You look at each wheel, and if one there are large mis=matches in speed, first the break is applied to the spinning wheel, then power is cut. So this is pretty much a software add-on to ABS that gets the ABS system to talk to the ECU.

Then you put some more software into the car, and some acclerometers and a steering position sensor, and now the system knows where you want to go, and how fast the car is rotating, and can correct things. It starts with individual brakes, but then cuts power to try to save you hinie! But it's not perfect. But it sure is better than not having it.

Here's a question for you folks that don't think it's a good idea. How many of you drive without insurance?

Matt

 

i got it . , but my mini s didnt come yet (end of may) hopefully, will it work even in N ?, or it must be in gear 1?