Does traction control help in snow ?

[vector9mm]

I have an 08 Yaris and love it but I could use help in the snow or in loose gravel and such. I won't replace my car anytime soon but when I do, should I look for an AWD or does traction control help a lot?

[vector9mm]

Feel the car? I'm talking hills and snow, sometimes ice and I guess all those people with 4WD have been deceived.

[bronsin]

IF Traction Control or ABS activate it means you are driving out of control. This is corporate Big Brother trying to protect us from ourselves. Which only results in a disconnect from reality. These things dont make driving better.

They dupe us into spending money for things we dont need. Its an illusion that technology is saving us from danger. When in reality all that is happening is that your pocket is being picked.

I ride a motorcycle for 35 years and know what I need to do to handle any situation. But now with things like ABS and Traction Control motorcyclists believe they are not safe unless they have them. They actually freak out in bad conditions when the ABS conks out and get into accidents! Its documented.

Reject Big Brother and learn to take care of yourself.

The long awaited bullet will be there to enter your brain otherwise.

[vector9mm]

I don't care for ABS and maybe traction control is crap, that's what I'm trying to find out, but the message I'm getting here is if I was a good driver I could handle any icy hill. I live by High Ridge, Mo. and it's nothing but hills so I could use AWD or something that helps in snow. My first motorcycle was a 1966 Bridgestone 175 and I have several bikes right now so I've had experience on bikes too. I rode in snow on bikes a few times in my younger years but I'm 55 now and need to get around in bad weather.

[thepartsmancometh]

winter tires are a huge improvement. I thought the yaris was CRAP in the snow until we switched tires. Ours had Goodyear Eagle LS for OE (junk) and they were bad in the snow.

AWD DOES help, but you'll pay the penalty in fuel economy.
***apples to oranges car camparison***
My car is AWD (Subaru WRX) and its great in the snow (even with all season tires), but the yaris can turn and stop better with winter tires (I can still take it in a straight line, wheelspin or not). Fuel economy is 22-23 mpg (burning 93 octane of course) this time of year with 85% interstate driving.

[A-Dingo-Ate-My-Baby]

traction control pretty much prevents you from over revving the engine and
slipping the tires on ice and snow. in some cases it is great, because even on flat
roads sometimes you sit and spin trying to move forward, traction control can do
more for you than you booted foot can

sometimes traction control stinks, like climbing a slippery hill you know you could
make but traction control cuts in, slows you down, then you are stuck

so....you should learn to use traction control, go find a slippery wide-open space
and have some time learning about it...and also know how to shut it off.


PS: real snow tires on the Yaris make it a monster in snow. it has such a short wheelbase it
pretty much requires dedicated snows. once on, this thing rocks in the snow.

[Yury]

I'd take winter tires over traction control any day of the week. All these years driving in toronto winters, tc on my cars kicked in a handfull of times.
I feel abc more often, but even than I take it as a signal to take it easier so it never kicks in again. As others mentioned the main part of safety is awareness and driving to conditions.

[Hamster]

Originally Posted by PK198105

learn to feel the car and you wont need traction control. In addition traction control can be a hassle in some situations. The Yaris really doesn't need TC, its more of a gimmick IMO for such a lightweight and low power vehicle.

I absolutely agree with you. My Yaris is a 2009, and therefore doesn't have traction control. I have no trouble driving in the snow. Oh, and ABS is also stupid. I learned to drive in a car without ABS, and I never felt like I was missing anything.

[A-Dingo-Ate-My-Baby]

Originally Posted by Hamster

I absolutely agree with you. My Yaris is a 2009, and therefore doesn't have traction control. I have no trouble driving in the snow. Oh, and ABS is also stupid. I learned to drive in a car without ABS, and I never felt like I was missing anything.

ABS is not stupid. people are.

some are more stupid than others, but we've all been stupid
at some point or other and gotten into hairy situations.

but people are stupid. hence, ABS

[Hamster]

Hah, hah, good point! I'm amazed by how many idiots out there don't keep assured clear distance when the weather is bad.

[A-Dingo-Ate-My-Baby]

Originally Posted by PK198105

nobody said you were a bad driver. but you need to learn to feel the car and not rely on gadgets.

harder and harder to find cars nowadays that let's you do this...and that is what is dangerous

[bronsin]

So it looks like the answer to the question is no, tc wont help you go up and down hills.

But snow tires will...

[RedRide]

ABS/TC are just two more examples where technology has become our masters instead of us becoming the masters of our technology!

[RedRide]

Originally Posted by PK198105

speak for yourself, my tech answers to me and not the other way around

Speak for yourself!
Your sig reveales your surrender to technology!

[RedRide]

You have hit on a growing problem.
Some have embraced all new technology (wether good or bad) and insist that everyone else should embrace everything also.

Lke I said before, I want the right to pick and choose what technology I want to embrace and reject those I don't want.

I realize that some new technologys will have to be adopted by everyone.
However, I refuse to adopt and/or embrace technologies that are not needed and uselees to me.

TC and ABS are intended to make driving safer for less than competent drivers but, they are forced upon me by those (the general public) who enbrace it simply because it is new technology.

[bronsin]

I would go farther and they these things do nothing to increase "safety".

Rding a motorcycle there is only one thing keeping the rider from death or serious injury and that is his judgement.

[RedRide]

Originally Posted by bronsin

I would go farther and they these things do nothing to increase "safety".

Rding a motorcycle there is only one thing keeping the rider from death or serious injury and that is his judgement.

Good point.

[malibuguy]

I yank my abs fuse to disable the nannies when it snows...i want to know what the car is doing and going to do when traction is compromised...not w/e the computer thinks it needs to do...which is generally trying to send me off the damn road