The biggest problem with Traction Control systems is that while they can adjust performance for what's happening RIGHT NOW, they have no way of predicting what's going to happen in the future. There have been times when I'll get momentum going up a hill and even while moving forward one tire might break loose and I am faced with the choice of letting it 'slip' on the snow/ice and maintain my momentum - or to let up off of the gas to make it stop slipping but risk losing momentum in the process.
I'll give an example... the corner of the parking lot at a shop I used to work for had a slight downhill angle to it. We had a few inches of snow and I was driving a poorly maintained Nissan X-Terra around that corner to get to the back of the building. In the process, gravity did its thing and pulled the truck with its bald tires down the hill. As I would start going and finally get a little bit of forward momentum the traction control would kick in and I would slide right back down again. I went to hit the button to turn off the TC but it wouldn't turn off (of all things the TC button was broken!)
Needless to say, after about 20 minutes I managed to work it out of there but if the TC hadn't kicked in I feel confident that I could have maintained some forward momentum - even if it meant letting the tire slip some, and pulled out of there much quicker.
Now I understand that modern systems work even much better than that (especially those with AWD) and in all honesty it's amazing how far they've come with it all but I firmly believe that all of the technological advances in the world couldn't prevent as many accidents as driver training could. Auto manufacturers have conditioned people to believe that if they don't have AWD and Traction Control and Anti-Lock brakes and Radar Systems and Automatic Wipers and Daytime Running Lights and Air Bags and (Gasp! Dare I even mention this) Seat Belts then YOU'RE GONNA DIE!!! That's just not true. What cracks me up is that they implement all of these safety devices in order to reduce accidents (and fatalities) HOWEVER then they install other devices that increases those risks! Things such as GPS, DVD Players, touchscreens, etc! If safety truly was the #1 concern for consumers then they wouldn't care about such things. It's all pretty messed up if you ask me!
I mean really... It wasn't long ago that Rear Wheel Drive was the norm and people managed to get around just fine in the snow and the ice. They did it by using common sense, by driving slowly and cautiously and by driving only when absolutely necessary. These days people want technology that will enable them to cruise down a highway at eighty miles-per-hour in fourteen inches of snow and three inches of ice while straightening their hair, talking to their BFF, eating a bowl of yogurt, programming the GPS, and fiddling with the DVD player so the kids in the backseat can watch Shrek... while driving to the supermarket to load up on milk and bread so they can survive BLIZZPOCALYPSE '2011, only to strike a yellow pole and gouge the heck out of the side of the car in the McDonalds drive-thru on the way home!
I'm not saying safety features are bad. Really they're not. What scares me is the 'dumbing down' of people. I'm afraid that technology is replacing common sense and that can't be good for any society. Yes AWD vehicles are more stable during acceleration in extreme conditions but for someone to make a statement that you MUST get an AWD car because of having to drive in the snow every once in awhile... well that's real similar to saying that non-AWD vehicles aren't safe and can't be safely operating during adverse weather conditions. This simply isn't true. Personally, I'd rather trust my life to an experienced driver who is better educated in how to handle adverse conditions in a car with no safety features than to someone who has a "slam it and forget it" attitude when it comes to the gas pedal and the brakes in a car with the most modern safety features in the world!
Yeah I know I'm exaggerating a bit to get the point across (and to be funny) but seriously.. anyone who wants to spend $40,000 on a new car so that they feel more stable while driving in the snowy/icy slush on the highway a few times out of the year doesn't really care about safety. Penguin, not to say bad things about your mother but I suspect her *REAL* reason for wanting to spend $40,000 on a new car is because she wants to spend $40,000 on a new car! It's really that simple! People often need to justify spending large sums of money, and feeling safer in the ice and snow is her justification for it all.
From a common sense standpoint it would make more sense to make her keep the Accord and to get her a good set of snow tires this fall - It would definitely be cheaper! Yet something tells me that your mother won't truly be happy until she has a shiny new Audi in the driveway... and if it's financially feasible for your family then by all means GO FOR IT!
