i kinda know what this stuff is but can someone tell me if having it on hinders your car's performance? (speed, acceleration,handling) Bottom line: is it better with or without, for regular non slippery roads?

 

Depends on the road conditions and the drivers level of experience to those conditions.

 

Better to keep it on all the time.

 

Doesn't hinder the performance one iota......but the DSC does cut down on the fun if you like to get a bit taily occasionally...

 

Just get one with it

 

i was doing some very rough 40-60 mph trials in second (stopwatch on my mobile) and of the 4-5 tries i did two of them were with DSC on and they were both .2 sec slower. (2.4 / 2.6 sec)

Mind you my tires are virtually slicks and it was hardly a scientific approach.

 

yup, using that method, there is a big variable hole there...the manual operation of starting/stopping the stop watch while driving and watching the speedometer.

and a sample size of 2 is very small, and has a very large statistical error to it...meaning even though you saw a 0.2 sec difference with dsc on, the times were statistically the same, and the difference could have been caused by numerous other factors.

but you said yourself that it was hardly scientific. to be made a general statement, there would have to be a larger number of different rx8s participating, each of which doing many runs...ideally 30 or more runs for both dsc on, and dsc off (for a total of 60 or more runs...and the more the better)...and there would have to be a more precice method of measuring the speed/time that eliminates the human variable.

 

my rx-8 does not have dsc. my car is fun to drive. i like to drive it.

 

if you have it hold down the button for 7 seconds and it all turns off

 

doesn't having both on decrease gas mileage?

my mileage has improved by 2-4 mpg with them both turned off or at least that's what i've noticed.

 

This has been discussed over and over, DSC has no effect on MPG.