Stability control - Doing the right thing

Last Sunday I was driving home from spending a pleasant sunny day looking at old muscle cars and street rods. Pulling onto a long on-ramp for Route 84 in New York, I looked for a place to merge and saw something that you really don't ever want to see: a first generation (1997-2002) Ford Expedition traveling backwards through traffic.

Like many roads here in the Northeast, volume on this divided (mostly) two-lane highway can make traffic suddenly go from flowing above the speed limit to slowing down to a crawl. It appeared that the driver of the Expedition came up on the traffic too quickly and tried to avoid a collision. Some combination of steering and braking put the Expedition into a spin on the dry pavement.

Miraculously, the big SUV came to a stop on the passing lane shoulder, facing into traffic with a Dodge Dakota stopped about three feet from its front bumper. Even more impressive, all of the surrounding cars avoided it. And it's a very good thing that the Expedition stayed on the pavement, because leaving the pavement dramatically increases the chance of a tripped rollover. Still, all of this would likely have been avoided if the Expedition had stability control. (Newer Expeditions do.)

That got me thinking about the car I was driving: a 2008 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Special Edition. With agile routine handling and a decent ride, the Legacy is quite enjoyable. Even though it is the least expensive Legacy, it's no penalty box: fully featured, it includes basic power amenities, moon roof, and alloy wheels. But the one feature the Legacy is really missing is electronic stability control (ESC).

Given the proclivity of previously tested Legacys' toward oversteer in our emergency handling testing, ESC becomes doubly desirable--even though the Subaru system could be better tuned. So, we're happy Subaru has significantly increased ESC availability across the Legacy's line-up for 2008. Still, buying it requires jumping through some hoops. On a "basic" non-turbocharged Legacy, you'd need to pay $2,500 to move up to a 2.5i Limited with a leather interior to even make the $300 ESC option available. It gets worse--adding ESC on a turbocharged Legacy GT forces you to buy an automatic-transmission unless you get the high-zoot $34,000 2.5 GT spec.B edition. To be fair, Subaru is by no means alone in packaging ESC with luxury or other equipment, but we think safety features should be available at all price levels. Given that our Legacy came with an oft-available $1,000 rebate, why not cut that to $750 and make ESC standard?

On the other hand, some auto companies have done the right thing in making ESC standard in this class. Hyundai has standard (and well-tuned) ESC on the Sonata and it's standard on the Volkswagen Passat. Honda also made ESC standard on all versions of the newly redesigned 2008 Accord. It's available on more and more small cars as well, including most versions of Subaru's redesigned-for-2008 Impreza.

Over a dozen studies have shown ESC's benefits in reducing accidents. I'm a firm believer; ESC quelled the fish-tailing after a 35 mph lane change on a slushy highway in a Lexus RX400h that I was driving last winter. Even though I've been trained in skid control recovery, ESC works quicker and far more deftly than I can. We've seen ESC dramatically improve emergency handling--on both wet and dry pavement--in our testing here at the track.

So, while it's understandable not having ESC on the classic muscle car that you drive to a car show or a track day car, it should be standard on your daily driver. (It will be standard on all new cars starting with the 2012 model year, but the benefits are so great that it should be standard now.)

--Tom Mutchler

Comments

[David]

The ESC is standard on all VW cars. I believe VW is the only major non-luxury manufacturer to over ESC standard on all VW cars. I wish others would follow.

[David Evans]

Canadian Imprezas only get VDC if you order the sport package.

[AntAus]

As mentioned before, ESC will be forced as a standard feature mandated by the federal government around 2012, but numerous vehicles will be phasing it in prior to that, Ford has mentioned by next year majority will have it. GM has made similar statements.

Yes it WOULD have been nice if many more vehicles had this prior. Mainly the high initial cost of the technology made it unattainable for many. Luckily Ford adds "Roll Stability Control" along with their SUV's to prevent roll-overs.

I see it this way, either spend the $750-1000 initially for the option, or spend it on your insurance deductible when you do get into an accident.

[Tom Mutchler]

ESC is still optional on the Rabbit and the Jetta here in the US. It's standard on their more expensive models.

ESC is standard on almost every SUV - the ones that have it now as an option get it as standard when they get redesigned. GM has announced standard across-the-board ESC by 2010 and Ford has said the "end of 2009."

[Cale]

I agree that ESC should be more widely available but comparing the driving dynamics of a first generation Expedition to a late model Subaru Legacy, even with its "proclivity", is a stretch. Relax Tom, that Expedition driver was probably trying to dodge lane bumps, it wouldn't take much to upset the Expedition. On the other hand, you'd have to try to cross three lanes of traffic AND back in 100 feet at 60mph to upset the Subaru. I doubt you'd try that.