Honda Car Forum

Actually, ABS increases stopping distance in an emergency because the brakes
are pulsing to prevent locking. Anyone who learns proper emergency braking
techniques, can stop a car better than ABS without locking the wheels. The
technique is called threshold braking but unlike ABS, you are constantly
applying the the brakes to the limit of locking. Proper threshhold breaking
is better than ABS. And don't try and say that you can't do that technique
in an emergency because you panic because I've used it many times.

"Jason Hsu" <jason_hsu@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:f7d9a152.0309020907.6d523836@posting.google.c om...
> I was thinking of buying a new car in 1-2 years. Since my 1988 Honda
> Civic has been and still is a good car, the most logical choice for me
> would be a new Honda Civic.
>
> But I noticed that the new Honda Civics only offer ABS on the
> top-of-the-line models. It's not even an option on the base or
> mid-level model. What gives? ABS is not an exotic new technology.
> It's been widespread for years. I'm not paying $14K for a car that
> lacks ABS. The top-of-the-line Honda Civic starts at something like
> $17K!
>
> I would consider a new Toyota Corolla, which offers ABS on all models.
> But from what I've heard, it's hard to come by on the base models.
> And the Nissan Sentra is like the Honda Civic - no ABS even as an
> option on the base model.
>
> What gives? I'm not paying $14K or more for a car that lacks ABS. I
> can't believe skinflint manufacturers think a few hundred dollars more
> on a $14K car for a safety feature is exorbitant. Come on, I'd rather
> skimp on the sunroof, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power door
> locks, power windows, remote keyless entry, cruise control, etc. But
> I'm not about to skimp on safety when buying a new car.
>
> Given all this, a used Buick seems like a better deal. ABS has been
> standard on Buicks for years, and a few of them are on the Consumer
> Reports recommended used car list. Due to rapid depreciation, I
> should be able to buy a 4-to-6-year-old Buick Century, Regal, or
> LeSabre for 4 figures (instead of 5) AND have ABS. I'm willing to
> sacrifice a few mpg and image in favor of more economy and safety.
>
> If I buy the used Buick (or Ford Escort, Ford Crown Victoria, or
> Mercury Grand Marquis), I will write Honda, Toyota, and Nissan to tell
> them that they lost a sale because they were too cheap to add ABS to a
> $14K car.
>
> Jason Hsu, AG4DG
> usenet@@@@@@jasonhsu.com

On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 02:19:43 GMT, "Sean" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote:

>Actually, ABS increases stopping distance in an emergency because the brakes
>are pulsing to prevent locking. Anyone who learns proper emergency braking
>techniques, can stop a car better than ABS without locking the wheels. The
>technique is called threshold braking but unlike ABS, you are constantly
>applying the the brakes to the limit of locking. Proper threshhold breaking
>is better than ABS. And don't try and say that you can't do that technique
>in an emergency because you panic because I've used it many times.

You can't reliably do that in a panic situation without skidding one or
more wheels. Hell your brakes are not so well calibrated that they all lock
at the same pedal pressure, to say nothing of the variation in road
surface. There I've said it. I'll stop now before we get to the next
part.

>"Jason Hsu" <jason_hsu@my-deja.com> wrote in message
>news:f7d9a152.0309020907.6d523836@posting.google. com...
>> I was thinking of buying a new car in 1-2 years. Since my 1988 Honda
>> Civic has been and still is a good car, the most logical choice for me
>> would be a new Honda Civic.
>>
>> But I noticed that the new Honda Civics only offer ABS on the
>> top-of-the-line models. It's not even an option on the base or
>> mid-level model. What gives? ABS is not an exotic new technology.
>> It's been widespread for years. I'm not paying $14K for a car that
>> lacks ABS. The top-of-the-line Honda Civic starts at something like
>> $17K!
>>
>> I would consider a new Toyota Corolla, which offers ABS on all models.
>> But from what I've heard, it's hard to come by on the base models.
>> And the Nissan Sentra is like the Honda Civic - no ABS even as an
>> option on the base model.
>>
>> What gives? I'm not paying $14K or more for a car that lacks ABS. I
>> can't believe skinflint manufacturers think a few hundred dollars more
>> on a $14K car for a safety feature is exorbitant. Come on, I'd rather
>> skimp on the sunroof, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power door
>> locks, power windows, remote keyless entry, cruise control, etc. But
>> I'm not about to skimp on safety when buying a new car.
>>
>> Given all this, a used Buick seems like a better deal. ABS has been
>> standard on Buicks for years, and a few of them are on the Consumer
>> Reports recommended used car list. Due to rapid depreciation, I
>> should be able to buy a 4-to-6-year-old Buick Century, Regal, or
>> LeSabre for 4 figures (instead of 5) AND have ABS. I'm willing to
>> sacrifice a few mpg and image in favor of more economy and safety.
>>
>> If I buy the used Buick (or Ford Escort, Ford Crown Victoria, or
>> Mercury Grand Marquis), I will write Honda, Toyota, and Nissan to tell
>> them that they lost a sale because they were too cheap to add ABS to a
>> $14K car.
>>
>> Jason Hsu, AG4DG
>> usenet@@@@@@jasonhsu.com
>
>

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??