General STS thread
Re: General STS thread
MR in the Camaro is not really cheap. Over 40K, since it starts at like 39K plus MR, and an auto trans is like 2500 more. MR and an auto is probably over 45K. If we were talking a gen 3 Camaro, I would be more inclined to agree, but the Gen 6 is above and beyond "cheap speed" that the old Camaros were about. I am not ready to say that the Camaro is a luxury car, but it is getting the best of the best for performance, and can be optioned pretty high.
Re: General STS thread
Right but if you want what I currently consider a luxury car you are going to pay a lot more than that.
Re: General STS thread
My neighbor's 2004 E320 Wagon's rear air suspension has failed. It looks like a low-rider from the rear. Luxury?bill25 wrote:I disagree that leveling air suspension is not luxury. If you want to also make MR suspension in the luxury category, I am ok with that.
Re: General STS thread
Not when broken. lol but that is a perfect example of "luxury crap" that breaks and plagues used ownership.
Re: General STS thread
That's actual air suspension. When my leveling fails it still has a spring and drives normally.
I think a lot of people would have just left it alone.
I think a lot of people would have just left it alone.
Re: General STS thread
Snowing and cold so it was slippery driving in this morning.
Some STS AWD observations:
- Like with the SRX, as you apply throttle, the traction control works to route power where it needs to go. Even though this happens through the brakes rather than via the transfer case or differentials, it seems to be quite effective and even when the traction control has already engaged, if you apply more throttle, you get more RPM and more forward motion. Many cars do not work like that.
- AWD does not make up for crappy tires. Your stopping and turning is no better with AWD, even though the layman's intuition is that it would be (because you feel more confident). This is actually a dangerous phenomenon. I'm not saying I have crappy tires but they certainly aren't snow tires (rather they're more a performance all season).
Some STS AWD observations:
- Like with the SRX, as you apply throttle, the traction control works to route power where it needs to go. Even though this happens through the brakes rather than via the transfer case or differentials, it seems to be quite effective and even when the traction control has already engaged, if you apply more throttle, you get more RPM and more forward motion. Many cars do not work like that.
- AWD does not make up for crappy tires. Your stopping and turning is no better with AWD, even though the layman's intuition is that it would be (because you feel more confident). This is actually a dangerous phenomenon. I'm not saying I have crappy tires but they certainly aren't snow tires (rather they're more a performance all season).
Re: General STS thread
This is why when it snows, most of the vehicles you see in the ditch are AWD/4WDkevm14 wrote:- AWD does not make up for crappy tires. Your stopping and turning is no better with AWD, even though the layman's intuition is that it would be (because you feel more confident). This is actually a dangerous phenomenon. I'm not saying I have crappy tires but they certainly aren't snow tires (rather they're more a performance all season).
Re: General STS thread
Another thing this car does that I like is across the DIC, it tells you whether traction control or stability control is engaged. I think this is cool and most people wouldn't know or care. But I appreciate the info.
The difference is this:
- Traction control refers to wheel slip due to the application of torque from the engine. One or more wheels is spinning faster than it should be so the system applies measures to limit that slip, including individual brake application, which diverts power to the other wheels. For the most part you could think of this as 4 wheel ABS operating in reverse (on an AWD car) - instead of an individual wheel going too slow while braking, an individual wheel is going too fast while accelerating.
- Stability control refers to a deviation of intended path to actual path, based mostly on correlating steering angle and vehicle speed (intended direction, which calculates to an expected lateral acceleration based on steering angle and speed of travel) to the yaw sensor (actual lateral acceleration). To get back on course, it has a number of options that include the braking of individual wheels (which may NOT be slipping), which applies a rotational force to the car and gets it going in the direction the steering wheel is pointed.
In essence, it's the difference between peeling out or spinning out (oversteer/understeer). So knowing which one it is correcting for is interesting (and often can be deduced based on what's happening). Traction control is only for when you are applying torque. If you are coasting, there's nothing it can or would do (other than pure ABS, which requires brake application). But stability control can engage at ANY time. Coasting, maintaining speed, or accelerating as it does not really care about the brakes or throttle - just which direction you are trying to go.
The difference is this:
- Traction control refers to wheel slip due to the application of torque from the engine. One or more wheels is spinning faster than it should be so the system applies measures to limit that slip, including individual brake application, which diverts power to the other wheels. For the most part you could think of this as 4 wheel ABS operating in reverse (on an AWD car) - instead of an individual wheel going too slow while braking, an individual wheel is going too fast while accelerating.
- Stability control refers to a deviation of intended path to actual path, based mostly on correlating steering angle and vehicle speed (intended direction, which calculates to an expected lateral acceleration based on steering angle and speed of travel) to the yaw sensor (actual lateral acceleration). To get back on course, it has a number of options that include the braking of individual wheels (which may NOT be slipping), which applies a rotational force to the car and gets it going in the direction the steering wheel is pointed.
In essence, it's the difference between peeling out or spinning out (oversteer/understeer). So knowing which one it is correcting for is interesting (and often can be deduced based on what's happening). Traction control is only for when you are applying torque. If you are coasting, there's nothing it can or would do (other than pure ABS, which requires brake application). But stability control can engage at ANY time. Coasting, maintaining speed, or accelerating as it does not really care about the brakes or throttle - just which direction you are trying to go.
Re: General STS thread
I have a whole new appreciation for this car in the winter now. Been driving to work with my heated seats, heated steering wheel and AWD. It's just a nice place to be. Definitely a great daily or even winter car.
Re: General STS thread
Thought I'd go to the ATM before clearing the driveway. That did not work.
This car is definitely not as good as the SRX in the snow. It has a few disadvantages:
- Tires. The Conti ExtremeContact DWS or whatever it is. It's more of a performance all season. They are also not brand new.
- Weight dist. There is more weight on the front but the open transfer case can't really do anything. The stability/traction control system is left to pick up the pieces. It does not seem to do as good a job as the SRX but that may just be due to the other differences.
- Ground clearance. This is extremely important in deep snow. And the SRX has more of it.
So yeah. The STS may have had just enough traction to move if my driveway were completely flat. But as it was it could really only go slightly downhill. It wouldn't drive up toward the road. So I parked it and tried the SRX.
- Tires. The Conti ExtremeContact DWS or whatever it is. It's more of a performance all season. They are also not brand new.
- Weight dist. There is more weight on the front but the open transfer case can't really do anything. The stability/traction control system is left to pick up the pieces. It does not seem to do as good a job as the SRX but that may just be due to the other differences.
- Ground clearance. This is extremely important in deep snow. And the SRX has more of it.
So yeah. The STS may have had just enough traction to move if my driveway were completely flat. But as it was it could really only go slightly downhill. It wouldn't drive up toward the road. So I parked it and tried the SRX.
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