[eye30]

Has anyone had their ESP light activated/come on whilst driving?

If so what feel do you get from the car handling properties?

[Lakes]

i can not answer that eye, but i can tell you the abs that the i30 has is not as good as  the abs on my 4 year old Ford Falcon Ute. but in this price range can't expect too much. my work mate just bought his wife a new convertable Pug that has a hard top that folds up into the boot cost $70,000. my i30 CRDi SX cost $21,000 drive away, my Falcon was $40,000. so can't expect much for the $ mate.

[Shambles]

Well early in Fergie's life I played around with the ESP deliberately off. Swung her through gravel and in excessively understeerable corners. Made sweet **** all difference to be honest. I don't rate it at all

[grug]

Hi Shambles

This video may be of interest -

I'm at work though, so I can't hear what they're saying.  For all I know they're spending the whole time bagging ESP.

[drew1981]

ESP unlick ABS is something that you should not feel working, with it on or off your not going ot notice any difference in the general driveabilty of your car, and even when you do get your self into a position where the esp will start working your not going to feel it that the beauty of ESP its a life saving peice of safty equipment and i would not have a car with out it. like any saftey system or any computer it does have its limits and i very much doubt that doing donuts on a gravel road was in the designers minds to demonstrate how good ESP works its designed to correct over and under steer in normal Driving conditions, not to correct stupidity of over confident drivers.

If any one wants a detailed lesson on how and what esp is please feel free to ask. it is by far the most important feature of your new car.

[Lakes]

Drew, i'm sure it is good. just as i have always said, if you are 100% into trying to be safe in the event of an accident you need full in car roll cadge and onboard fire system as well as full face crash helmets. there goes your hair style girls.
i have seen a car stopped at lights in Sydney and a container truck turn at the same lights, and the container tip over ontop of the car crushing it killing the people in car. maybe a full roll cadge could have helped. all i'm saying is you are never 100% safe.

[bumpkin]

Hmmm

I have to say that it is something I would expect to kick in when driving on greasy roads, yet I have not seen the light come on, even when accelarating away from standstill, where I have managed to spin the front wheels a few times.  It has been hard remembering that I am not in a 4WD anymore which used to just bite and go.

I thought ESP would be similar, but apparently not

Cheers
Brian

[kinesiologykid]

Hyundai gave me a DVD of ESP.

It absolutely changed my mind, I was of the opinion that I am a pretty defensive driver, and would not get into the position of needing it. PLEASE watch it then make your decision.

Its not how YOU drive, its what can happen, something falling off a truck in front, for example.
Your dealer will probably give you the DVD if you ask.

It only has to save your life once!

Does anyone know what happens if the ESP comes on? Does a light come on the screen? For how long? Would you even notice if it came on for a short time, if you were in an emergency situation, wouldn't your eyes be on the road?

[eye30]

Does anyone know what happens if the ESP comes on? Does a light come on the screen? For how long? Would you even notice if it came on for a short time, if you were in an emergency situation, wouldn't your eyes be on the road?

The letters - ESP -  lights comes on.  The ESP word can be found on the speedo.

I'll post picture later.

[fatboy_daveb]

Hi there

I'd like to confirm that ESP does work on the i30. It just seems to be a bit more tolerant than some other cars. I have previously had a Mazda Rx-8 and a BMW 320d. The Mazda's would come at the slightest hint of a skid. Typically, this would be in second gear through a roundabout (limited slip diff locking and unlocking) and the BMW just never seemed to like the wet or cold damp conditions (despite 255 reaer tyres). The i30's reluctance to kick in the ESP led me to wonder if it was working at all, especially given that the car's tyre width was the same as my Mazda Rx-8. I, therefore, decided to conduct a small experiment last summer.

I went out in a heavy downpour and went around at 10 metre wide roundabout, in second gear, at 35 mph. The car stuck to the road (surprisingly), but when I hit a small bump, and I felt the car begin to slide, I saw the ESP light come for about 2 seconds. That was it. It worked and it kept me in the direction of the steering wheel. I have to admit that it the quietest system I have ever heard. I mean that mechnically, as opposed to warning sounds (which it didn't make). The sound the Mazda made had you thinking that the engine had broken and that the wheels had fallen off.

I do a lot b-road driving in the Peak District here in the UK and I find that my wheels provide all the grip I need. And that has been in 27C to -8C (heated windscreen is a godsend).

On a safety note, and in case anybody thinks that I am a bit reckless, that I have had high-speed driving lessons from my brother-in-law who is a traffic officer (cars and motorcycles), and I do drive a Mini Cooper S for fun at Knockhill (Scotland) as often as I can.......or as often as I can when I'm sure that my girlfriend will not find out.

Cheers
Dave

[eye30]

I saw the ESP light come for about 2 seconds. That was it. It worked and it kept me in the direction of the steering wheel. I have to admit that it the quietest system I have ever heard.

Welcome fatboydaveb.

Another Brit, (I say that because you have Scotland and England in your location) to swell our lowly but increasing numbers.

I've never seen the ESP light come on. So I'm a rather slow, I mean cautious, driver or the road surfaces I've travelled on haven't caused it to activate yet.

Anyway, so long as it works when required is all I ask for.

Same as ABS. It's there working silently in the background.

ps. Many years ago just when ABS was being introduced, a mate was buying a car and asked me what ABS stood for.

I told him - Ajustable Back Seat - he went to look at the car and when we next met he said @~@##@@##==++.

I never found out if he bought that car.

[bumpkin]

Hey another Scot!!  Almost

Welcome to the club 'dave, I have also done Knockhill a couple of times, Formula Ford experience where in the training laps with the MGTF I was overtaking the racing cars and the rally experience where the instructor wanted to know when I learnt left foot braking and clutchless gear changes.

Brian

[fatboy_daveb]

Hi Bumpkin

Aye, I am yet another Scot, albeit originally a Paisley Buddy not a Wegie. I just have a girlfriend down south and a beautiful baby daughter in Cheadle, and my office is in Sheffield (just to add to the mileage). I do 30,000+ miles a year and I have owned 8 different cars in the last 4 years. I've now done 22,000 miles in the year that I have had the i30. I even bought the girlfriend one, I like it that much.

Cheers
Dave

[bumpkin]

Good man

Don't shout too loudly about buying the wife an i30, they'll all want one!!

I am trying to persuade mine that we should be looking at a recent plate Getz since the i10 release should make the price of that plummet even further, cheapskate!!

Cheers
Brian

[Dazzler]

Hi fatboydaveb & Welcome....

Great to have someone decent from over that way....

Actually I'm only joking...Shambles, Eye30 and Bumpkin are all bonser  blokes...  

[Shambles]

What's "bonser"  

[bumpkin]

I think its Aussie for all round good fella mate, but not in a gay way

[Dazzler]

"remarkable or wonderful" .. also spelt "bonzer"

[Thumper]

the rally experience where the instructor wanted to know when I learnt left foot braking

Don't bother in the i30! (Unless you have a 'safety' feature removed that prevents you from left foot braking!)  :

I don't have ESP or traction control. (Though I have so much torque now, that I have traction issues in 1st & 2nd in the dry, 3rd and 4th in the wet)