BMW Traction Control - Good Enough To Let Your Wife Drive ?
Discussion
Hi guys,
I've never been a fan of modern cars nor of Traction control etc but my wife quite fancies a 530 BMW either the older 2003ish shape or the newer 2004 one.
She drives a 20 mile commute in early mornings on back roads so I've always insisted she has Front WD and winter tyres (in the winter)
Is BMW traction control good enough to not to worry about RWD being an issue for a cautious (but also rubbish) driver ?
I once got a girlfriend an E30 325 and that ended up taking out 100m of hedge within a few weeks of ownership - hence my caution.
I've never been a fan of modern cars nor of Traction control etc but my wife quite fancies a 530 BMW either the older 2003ish shape or the newer 2004 one.
She drives a 20 mile commute in early mornings on back roads so I've always insisted she has Front WD and winter tyres (in the winter)
Is BMW traction control good enough to not to worry about RWD being an issue for a cautious (but also rubbish) driver ?
I once got a girlfriend an E30 325 and that ended up taking out 100m of hedge within a few weeks of ownership - hence my caution.
No: BMW openly admit that their cars are dangerous when driven by women, even if the traction control is on. Any woman driving a BMW WILL crash 18 times per 100 km driven (or 3.33 mpc (miles per crash) in the British system of measurement).
They go as far as saying they won't fix it because they are purists and believe only men should be allowed to drive.
They go as far as saying they won't fix it because they are purists and believe only men should be allowed to drive.
Despite the slight misogyny inherent in original post I can sort of see your point as if someone isn't used to RWD and you give them a powerful RWD car with lots of torque it has potential to end badly, conversely give the average god like Pistonheader something similar and they may bin it being over confident and trying to do the dab of oppo thing.
I remember when some Police force or other got the original 325 TDS a good few got crashed as the drivers were not used to that combination of torque and RWD, these werent motorway cars so replace Pug 309's and the like but I think a 2003 model will be pretty hard to crash as it will have ESP as well as TCS and ABS, plus it would be beneficial to find somewhere free of obstacles and get her to take some liberties and get a feel for it with the safety stuff off and then with it all switched on.
I don't think women are inferior drivers, just less interested sometimes and tend to muddle through not understanding things or caring as long as it gets them to where they are going, but, like I said, sometimes petrolheads with more enthusiasm than talent (me
) can be even worse.
I remember when some Police force or other got the original 325 TDS a good few got crashed as the drivers were not used to that combination of torque and RWD, these werent motorway cars so replace Pug 309's and the like but I think a 2003 model will be pretty hard to crash as it will have ESP as well as TCS and ABS, plus it would be beneficial to find somewhere free of obstacles and get her to take some liberties and get a feel for it with the safety stuff off and then with it all switched on.
I don't think women are inferior drivers, just less interested sometimes and tend to muddle through not understanding things or caring as long as it gets them to where they are going, but, like I said, sometimes petrolheads with more enthusiasm than talent (me
) can be even worse.All joking aside, this is utterly ridiculous.
She would have to be driving flat out and cornering like Colin McRae on a gravel stage to get a 530 with decent tyres sideways.
Snow and severe ice would obviously be slightly different but you could smash up a FWD car just as easy in those conditions with a bit of under steer.
Put it like this: my 911 has 300bhp, doesn't weight a lot, is RWD and has zero driver aids at all apart from ABS, and I have to actively try really hard and fast to get it sideways. In fact, I sometimes wish it was easier!
My girlfriend, who is 30 and only been driving for 6 years, manages the 911 on a regular basis and her own 120D Sport no problem at all, and hasn't died 18 times.
Have some faith!
She would have to be driving flat out and cornering like Colin McRae on a gravel stage to get a 530 with decent tyres sideways.
Snow and severe ice would obviously be slightly different but you could smash up a FWD car just as easy in those conditions with a bit of under steer.
Put it like this: my 911 has 300bhp, doesn't weight a lot, is RWD and has zero driver aids at all apart from ABS, and I have to actively try really hard and fast to get it sideways. In fact, I sometimes wish it was easier!
My girlfriend, who is 30 and only been driving for 6 years, manages the 911 on a regular basis and her own 120D Sport no problem at all, and hasn't died 18 times.
Have some faith!
A lot of rear end action 
will also depend on the tyres.
The modern systems are fine and tbh you can pretty much punish the car with all the aids on and watch the fancy lights correct you.
Different story with them turned off.I've only got the family mans choice of 320d tourer MY 56 and with out any aids on you can get the back end going at will with all the low down torque.In the wet with out aids on it will behave like any other rwd thats being driven to be a bit tail happy.
It'll be fine.
will also depend on the tyres.The modern systems are fine and tbh you can pretty much punish the car with all the aids on and watch the fancy lights correct you.
Different story with them turned off.I've only got the family mans choice of 320d tourer MY 56 and with out any aids on you can get the back end going at will with all the low down torque.In the wet with out aids on it will behave like any other rwd thats being driven to be a bit tail happy.
It'll be fine.
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