Toby over at Drive.com.au makes the point that there are things ESC can do that you cannot. Specifically, you can't control which wheels you want to brake and which ones you want to keep spinning. There's also a difference between the kind of nanny that exists on your average minivan or SUV, and the sportier modes found on newer performance cars that allow you to push the cars closer to the edge without flying off the track. Wes reckoned that he was faster in the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V with the sporty ESC mode engaged. Personally, most of us have had the experience of underestimating physics only to have that yellow light blink on and save us from the brink.

Electronic stability control and other nanny systems vary from car-to-car, so by asking this question we're asking, in vehicles you've owned or driven, are you better? Which ones are worse than you and in which ones are you superior? Do you really think you can drive better than ESC?

[Source: Blogs.drive.com.au]

I had ran about 15 laps or so with Porsche Stability Management off, but it was 110 degrees out, the AC was useless and I was fatigued. In a stroke of luck, I switched the PSM back and it quite literally saved my kosher-bacon. I also distinctly remember being frightened to switch the stability control off when we had the RS4. I did for a few miles, stared death in the face, and blinked. Also remember that in lardy SUVs, stability control has greatly reduced the number of rollovers those types of rigs are prone to. And furthermore, when a car is already outfitted with ABS, stability control adds no weight whatsoever as it is simply an alogrhythm. Anyhow, that's my argument. Yours?

As some of you know, the NHTSA has mandated that all new cars sold in 2012 have stability control as standard equipment. And trust us, during the Mayan apocalypse, you're going to need it. However, it turns out that stability control is just the beginning. Newer regulations will begin mandating technology like always-on adaptive cruise control. Or cars that steer for you in order to prevent a collision. The NHTSA's current leader, Nicole Nason, explains "automakers may have a hard time selling cars that automatically detect a dangerous situation and override the driver's commands." They may have a hard time? Gee, you think? The future looks bleak, my pistonhead brothers and sisters. Remember what O'Brian said to Winston towards the end of 1984, "If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever." Or in this case, a boot stamping on your brake pedal - forever. – Jonny Lieberman

Giving Up Control [autoweek.com]

Related:
Safest Cars: Insurance Institute's Stability Control Requirement Hurts US Automakers' Safety Scores [Internal]