RWagz

Absolute truth. This car has many times better handling than any other car I've ever owned and it scares the crap out of me. Every other car I've driven would warn me when I'm cornering beyond its ability with tire squeal. Maybe the tires will squeal if I corner harder. I don't think I'll try to find out though.

valpac

iTrader: (2)

DSC has saved me many times while pushing it too hard/driving over my head/hit unexpected wet leaves or gravel in the north GA mountains. It's a good thing.

LionZoo

That's more a tire issue. Some tires will start to squeal at even moderate cornering speeds, but others, like my Advan Neovas, are completely silent right up to the limit. There are other ways to figure out how much more grip you have than just squeal though and those are generally more reliable. I find tire squeal to simply be annoying.

Blackout04RX

I work on cars for a living, I know what the DSC on the 8 does, and how good it is, I have driven in rain, sand, dry pavement, all of which I experienced with DSC and without, and people need to learn more about the real technical facts. People quote damn sales catalogs when it comes to questions like these. The only time DSC would have a real effect on your driving, is if the tires had zero traction (aka drifting, or in a total loss of control). The public is told that the feature does soo much and it really doesnt. Ive worked on just about every companies variation on this, including the mazda. Dude unless you know know the difference between sliding and just squeeling tires, you wont die. If you are a half decent driver you might even enjoy it. But make sure there arent any other cars on the road.

Blackout04RX

in fact most of the torque adjustment that keeps your back end from causing oversteer (which is the most likely issue with a rwd car) is in the differential. The limited slip that you paid for with the car does most of that. Not the electronics.

mkaresh

Baaaaaaa

Leave it on. As others have said, it's very well calibrated. If it cuts in, there's a good reason for cutting in. You can push the car quite hard without any intervention from the DSC.

I especially like to have the DSC on unfamiliar roads.

Mobile

I agree with other members here that if your asking, just leave it on. If the benefits are not immediately apparent, and you can't make your own mind up about driving with or without - just leave it on until you can.

I would disagree with some members who say that it's only going to come on to save you and won't affect your driving. I find it to take over just when the car begins to sit into its suspension a bit and can ruin perfectly good corner exits as you gas it coming off the apex. My routine when I start the car includes putting on my seatbelt and turning off DSC. Don't listen to some of the nannies in here that can't get their head around why you would possibly want to disable this feature - they forget the point of a sportscar.

Things could get dangerous if you grow accustom to driving with it on, and become lazy - then try driving with it off. However just like the drivers of the base model 8's plus the thousands of other cars out there that lack DSC and don't handle even close to as well as ours - you get used to it, and may find that you prefer it. It always comes down to the driver.

Everyone should choose to do what works best for them, and let everyone else do the same. Of course there are going to be some drivers out there that should always be driving with it on - but such is life.

xsnipersgox

holy crap.. no.. take a U turn with it on, 80% thorttle, nothing happens

with it off, 80% throttle u turn will swing ur rear end.

i think knowing when to turn it on and off will help you alot, you know those "close call" left turns where ppl gun the thorttle to get away and sometime spin out? DSC will prevent that from happening.

c41250n

iTrader: (5)

just leave it on since you'll never know whats gonna happen when you're on a public road, and you're not racing anybody neither you're on a track, so no point of turning it off.

c41250n

iTrader: (5)

no...my DSC kicked in even i know i still have traction!
in some other people opinion, drifting is still consider as having traction. so it depends on how you define traction!

Mobile

Agreed - plus DSC can kick in well before your even drifting. It definitely nannies your driving.

I think Blackout04RX should do a little less wrenching and a little more driving :

Socket7

The real question you have to ask yourself is, Should you ever be driving on a public road hard enough to get DSC to engage in the first place? What if theres a Deer? Or a someone on a bicycle around that corner. Maybe fallen rocks, Or a kid crossing the road? I've come across all of those things in the road in the past couple months. If i had been driving at breakneck speed around those twisties, my 8 would be totaled.

If you want to push your car to the limit, take it to the track. If you want to have a nice drive and throw yourself back and forth in your seat a bit, then having DSC enabled should be a non issue unless you encounter an emergency situation, where it may save your life or your car.

Mobile

Who says anything about breakneck speed, or pushing the car to the limit? I didn't buy a track car, I bought car. I agree if you want to drive at the limit, take it to the track - but you don't need to drive it anywhere even close to the limit to get DSC to kick in. Are you saying that all those driving around without DSC are in danger? Not everyone needs to rely on a their DSC system to bail them out of situations.

In my last post I mentioned everyone should choose whats best for them, there is no right answer - and that way nobody on either side of the fence is sitting on their high horse talking down to the other side *ahem After all, how could others pretend to weigh the variables and understand the conditions better then the driver? DSC is an option for a reason, and every sports car with it equipped has the ability to switch it off for a reason - and it isn't just for the track.

Socket7

I maintain that my personal oppinion is that if your DSC is kicking in on public roads you need to ask yourself "Is what I am doing right now safe?" and "Could I avoid a person standing in the middle of the road, just around the next bend?" NOT "How do I turn that damn DSC off?"

This isn't about driver skill. This is about unknown unknowns.

Mobile

You can get DSC to kick in at 10 kph, and yes I could stop if a person magically appears in front of me. So again I maintain you really have no idea what you`re talking about, nothing but assumptions and imagination. If in your own experiences you deem it necessary to keep DSC enabled, or perhaps you don`t even notice when its on - cool - what place is it of mine to tell you otherwise. Maybe you can learn something from that attitude - perhaps not.

Some people enjoy having the rawest experience possible with their vehicles, they don`t like traction control, automatic transmissions and other electronics getting in the way of their driving experience. It`s not about being out of control, its about being totally in control. Those are the type of people that Mazda build the DSC Off button for, you are clearly not that type, and that`s OK, I don`t think less of your because of it - to each their own.

Perhaps all cars without DSC should be immediately recalled and fitted with systems that couldn't be disabled - would that help you sleep at night? After all it would be stupid to drive around without a DSC system right? The nerve of those completely unsafe reckless drivers for even venturing out on the roads! Why stop there? Any base model owners that have previously been in an accident should sue Mazda for the complete disregard of their safety or safety of others. After all, if they would have had DSC in their cars, they would be impervious to bad decisions and bad driving behind the wheel. Much better to have a bad driver with DSC then a good driver without it. It really is a magical system that DSC!

Not.

I wouldn't own a car like this if I didn't sometimes put the spurs into it - whats the point. You worry about your driving, and I will worry about mine. I have never had anything close to an accident, so my driving is covered - point your nose back down and look to your own steering wheel as you know absolute nothing about mine or others on this forum.

CompMan

iTrader: (1)

There has been many situations that I see that little light flick on to help me out on the slippery roads. I would leave it on, I would just take it off if your running the quarter.

Tim Tim Tim

I Agree these people just read the book and think it saves the day. I dont always turn it off, If i know i may possibly take a corner quick then its for sure going off, I dont want the car telling me what i can and cant do, i decide that on my own

Rhawb

I think most people are saying that, on the streets, there's no point in keeping it off, as it shouldn't be intervening anyway. Plus, in the event of encountering some unknown factor, it's going to be best 99% of the time to have that safety net. Sure, you may be the best driver in the world, but even the best driver can be caught off guard by an oily or excessively slick patch.

It has nothing to do with driving purity or anything, as it doesn't intervene in any but the most necessary situations. Frankly, it's a very good DSC system - it intervenes very infrequently, and even when it does, it simply makes its corrections and sends you on your way. I wouldn't call it "nannying" in most situations, more like "saving." It will even let you slide around a bit before it will step in and calm things down. I say if you have it, it's silly to deactivate it on your daily drive. On the other side of the coin, it's probably silly to leave the DSC on while at a track day unless you've never raced before.

Socket7

Why are you so angry mobile? You call me ignorant, know nothing, and say that I have no idea what I'm talking about. Whats up with the personal attacks?

I haven't said a goddamn thing to attack you or your driving style. I said it's my opinion you should leave DSC on, and I gave a few perfectly valid reasons why I think you should do so.

I have not called anyone ignorant for driving with DSC off. I have not called them reckless, or stupid, or that they make wild assumptions about their ability to handle their vehicle. I have not questioned anyones driving competence.

But hey, feel free to look down on me because I'm such a novice that I leave DSC on. I don't really get upset over what people say about me on the net. I do think it would do you some good to think about why you're being so defensive though. It's not very becoming to you.

Mobile

Dude, I thought I made it perfectly clear that everyone should do whats best for them. That`s the theme to everything that I wrote - I was trying to illustrate `to each their own``. I never called you ignorant, I just implied it. Just as you never called others reckless or stupid, you just implied it.

I was never attacking your driving style, just what I perceived as a high horse attitude.

I am angry because I dislike it when people impose and look down on others because they make different choices then their own. It irritates me. Your posts came off implying that its irresponsible to drive without DSC. If you don`t think so, re-read what you wrote.

Aside from that, I apologize if I got a little riled up - I might have come on a bit strong, but that was only because you comments seemed aimed at me (you quoted me) - I am trying to make generalizations about the topic, not trying to attack you personally. If I have taken your comments completely the wrong way, then I truly apologize, it can be a casualty of the internet.

All that I am really trying to say is there is no right answer to questions of the OP. Everyone needs to judge this for themselves. However I maintain that if you don`t know the answer, you should just leave it on. I think it to be unfair for others to assume that those driving without DSC are not as safe of drivers that do.

YaXMaNGTO

+1 Leave it ON... and don't expect it to allow you to defy the laws of physics.

You don't have a clue if you even have to ask.

Lebren

iTrader: (5)

The DSC can have disadvantages that have not been mentioned. For example, I have recently upgraded my rear tires and not the fronts. I wont go into detail but don't have money for fronts. 225/45 front and 245/40 rear makes that signifigant of a difference the DSC will kick in even when the situation is mild, this can be dangerous so I turn it off ALL THE TIME.

I have experience driving hard, so my situation is different from all others on this board. Since I have driven twisties HARD I have to agree that your first spirited drive/s should be with the DSC on. I never had it before the 8, but that's me. When you feel comfortable, have upgraded your tires as they are important to keep check on.... then you may be ready to take it up a knotch.

Even with the different size tires (staggered to some, lol) she's still a riot on the twisties; and predictable with DSC in the off position. When you are ready, I hope you have a blast with yours!

Flashwing

My version of the sport doesn't even have DSC or traction control and I drive canyons here in Arizona rather frequently. The key is knowing your vehicle, throttle modulation, and being able to know what the car will do before it happens.

How do you learn that? Hit the track!

Winfree

I think it is personal preference -

The 8 felt like my old Mazda, only much much better - far more control and road holding, and a wonder crossing bridges during a high wind!

But, when I ran it with the DSC on, I felt like I was driving with the hand brake left on. Our roads are usually dry, sometimes dusty, and have some grand twists.

I think I get better milage with the DSC off...

Just based on feel, I like it off - but if I was planning to go a little faster than feels comfortable, I might practice with it on.

DaveCM203

Will someone please explain how DSC is dangerous. The only complaint I have is if I pull out quickly into heavy traffic and the wheels start to spin, the traction control kicks in and I don't like that. But in the twisties, how is it dangerous? If it is so bad, why are racing leagues outlawing it and the teams want to use it? People keep saying that it is dangerous but not explaining how. I am a very agreesive driver at times. I live by some great roads. Sometimes I turn it off for a bit of fun, but I leave it on most all the time. It has saved my *** twice. Once when a road was flooded and once when a load of gravel was lost in a blind corner. It will kick on at the edge on bumby roads because the back end is steeping out in the bumps a bit. The only thing that bugs me is that the throttle is slow and I can't get a good drive out of the corner. Without it on I have to make corrections, but I get a better drive out of the corner.