Whats the difference between ESP and ASR?

Pep · 03-09-2007 2:44pm #1

Hi all,

Can anyone tell me the difference between ASR and ESP? Both seem to be on Passats Iv seen and both bring up the same sign on the dash. Are they just the same thing? Why are there different names on them?

peasant · 03-09-2007 3:05pm

ASR (Anti Schlupf Regelung)controls driven wheels for slip and breaks them individually, if necessary (i.e no spinning wheels on take off) = traction control

ESP (electronic stability programme) monitors all four wheels for spin / loss of adhesion and breaks the opposing wheels to bring them back into line/traction again (i.e. no skidding , controlled under- and oversteer)

Pep · 03-09-2007 4:39pm

I suppose ESP is better than. Would they have been different options when buying the car? ASR just seems like a cheaper version of ESP.

peasant · 03-09-2007 7:27pm

Well ..ESP certainly offers more functions and for the inexperienced driver it could probably be vary valuable.

Having said that, I've never driven a car with ESP and haven't felt the need for having one either. A good suspension setup, a dollop of sense and a sensitive arse and you will never need it

lomb · 03-09-2007 7:36pm

asr is an older system. the difference is that esp has control over engine power and can reduce it if needed. in asr the antilock brake system sensors are used to merely control any wheelslip by braking the appropriate wheel.
esp will get you out of real trouble, ie losing grip at high speed in a bend, asr will not. i have gone around a small tight roundabout purposely at around 40mph in an ESP golf, trying to accelerate and lose the back end. the ESP kicks in and reduces engine power while braking individual wheels to maintain the direction. very impressive but i doubt you would need it in real life. anyone who is losing control of a modern mid level wheelbase car with good suspension and balance shouldnt be on the road. the old cars or narrow wheelbase cars like the yaris, that is another story. those cars are dangerous and shouldnt be on the road.

nialler · 03-09-2007 8:05pm

I've tried to loose control with the ESP on a sandy stretch of road, very very impressive car would not budge more than an inch or two either side, lights flashing everywhere in the car, did it again with ESP turned off, changed my underwear.

E92 · 03-09-2007 9:46pm

ESP will incorporate ASR(Anti Slip Regulation aka Traction Control) anyway, its very strange for a car to have ESP and no Traction Control, even though its technically possible.

Type 17 · 03-09-2007 9:52pm

lomb wrote:

...very impressive but i doubt you would need it in real life. anyone who is losing control of a modern mid level wheelbase car with good suspension and balance shouldnt be on the road.

There are many reasons to lose control of a modern mid-sized car - look at the clips called "The falling box" and "ESP is more than an option" here and tell me that ESP is not required...

peasant · 03-09-2007 11:49pm

No doubting thath ESP is a useful and potentially life saving invention.

Still a bit of a two edged sword though, due to to the human factor.

Drivers with all sorts of safety enhancing gizmos in their car seem to experience a heightend degree of (perceived) invincibility

The more gadgets the car has, the more risky driver behaviour becomes.

This is not the gadget's fault, but it happens nonetheless.

Another problem is that all those little helpers remove the driver further and further from the actual physics of driving the car and feeling the road ...leading to ever increased speeds, shorter safety distances, more risky driving etc ..all more or less unknowingly.

An old, purely mechanical car would long since have signalled you that you're going too fast ...all the little helpers do is briefly flash a little light on the dash and give you a false sense of security ...until the point were even an ESP can't bail you out any more.

Lord Nikon · 04-09-2007 4:21am

Turn them both off if you have them, wahooooooo.

nialler · 04-09-2007 8:05am

peasant wrote:

No doubting thath ESP is a useful and potentially life saving invention.

Still a bit of a two edged sword though, due to to the human factor.

Drivers with all sorts of safety enhancing gizmos in their car seem to experience a heightend degree of (perceived) invincibility

The more gadgets the car has, the more risky driver behaviour becomes.

This is not the gadget's fault, but it happens nonetheless.

Another problem is that all those little helpers remove the driver further and further from the actual physics of driving the car and feeling the road ...leading to ever increased speeds, shorter safety distances, more risky driving etc ..all more or less unknowingly.

An old, purely mechanical car would long since have signalled you that you're going too fast ...all the little helpers do is briefly flash a little light on the dash and give you a false sense of security ...until the point were even an ESP can't bail you out any more.

Agreed, but not everyone is a natural born driver and the more safety features the better in my opinion. ESP has prooven it's track record for saving lives I think in the states.

You are right though everything from ESP to parking sensors, you become cocooned in your own little ways, used to the car you're driving and when you hop into another car parking for one becomes more difficult, brakes are worse etc etc so you do find yourself holding way back from the car in front.

DublinDilbert · 04-09-2007 11:43am

nialler wrote:

Agreed, but not everyone is a natural born driver and the more safety features the better in my opinion. ESP has prooven it's track record for saving lives I think in the states.

You are right though everything from ESP to parking sensors, you become cocooned in your own little ways, used to the car you're driving and when you hop into another car parking for one becomes more difficult, brakes are worse etc etc so you do find yourself holding way back from the car in front.

I would say that all these devices add to the safety of the car, as long as you drive as if they were not fitted... if your constantly relying on them to work your doing something wrong and are not any safer...

I was doing 40kmph on sunday, was braking to turn into where i live and the ABS started to kick in big time and could feel i was sliding.... pulled around the corner went back had a look and there was what looked like diesel all over the road, I'd hate to have been going any faster...

My car tires are supposed to be 205/55/R16's but the last owner had fitted 225/55/R16 (50% more expensive

for a decent brand), the way i look at it if you need that extra 20mm of rubber on the road your driving to fast...

Vegeta · 04-09-2007 11:51am

lomb wrote:

i have gone around a small tight roundabout purposely at around 40mph in an ESP golf, trying to accelerate and lose the back end.

will a golf oversteer??

I thought due to it being a hatch back with front engine it would understeer

Never driven a golf so just curious

Wossack · 04-09-2007 11:52am

peasant wrote:

No doubting thath ESP is a useful and potentially life saving invention.

Still a bit of a two edged sword though, due to to the human factor.

Drivers with all sorts of safety enhancing gizmos in their car seem to experience a heightend degree of (perceived) invincibility

The more gadgets the car has, the more risky driver behaviour becomes.

This is not the gadget's fault, but it happens nonetheless.

Another problem is that all those little helpers remove the driver further and further from the actual physics of driving the car and feeling the road ...leading to ever increased speeds, shorter safety distances, more risky driving etc ..all more or less unknowingly.

An old, purely mechanical car would long since have signalled you that you're going too fast ...all the little helpers do is briefly flash a little light on the dash and give you a false sense of security ...until the point were even an ESP can't bail you out any more.

think this is called 'the volvo effect'

lomb · 04-09-2007 1:04pm

Vegeta wrote:

will a golf oversteer??

I thought due to it being a hatch back with front engine it would understeer

Never driven a golf so just curious

persumably all cars will overstear if pushed by centrifugal force. the front engine front wheel drive of course helps to pull the front into the direction of force but the back will breakaway if there is a violent amount of force ie if one sweves or goes around a bend to quick and its wet. thats what i think anyway:D
incidentally ive got a front engine front wheel drive yaris to dangerously overstear on wet roads and ion a wet roundabout at 'normal' speeds. dont know what the story is there. terrifying...

Whats the difference between ESP and ASR?

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