Question about cornering...

ElVee

Being a newbie, I actually know what you're feeling. I get the same behavior as well on a few corners I take, usually from a stop into a sudden left-hand right turn with some power, and I'll feel the back-end "slide" a little bit before the VCD neuters me (it's on, of course). The slight slip never becomes anything more than just that.

It's normal, and I have 4 reasons I feel it now and then:
- it's still cool here in the mornings, even below 40 degrees, which is the low limit rating for my tires.
- My tires are still new.
- The car is rear wheel drive; my first. It just feels a bit different than my previous cars, even when things are completely normal and safe.
- Lastly, I'm probably just surprising the VCD a bit; in most other cases, it takes over pretty much behind the scenes, though on some right turns that I roll into, it'll clearly neuter me pretty dramatically.


I echo the suggestion of a driver's course/training (which I also need to do this summer), but not because of an implication that you suck. Rather, because you can safely explore the limits of your car. That or take it to a place you can legally screw around on, like a large parking lot, and throw your car around. Try to feel that slipping and see what happens when you don't back off, and whatnot. Just be legal and responsible!


Oh, and usually I hear of "roll" in terms of body roll or body lean when doing a turn. Our car doesn't roll or lean (tip, tilt...) much during a big turn. An SUV, on the other hand, will roll (lean, tilt, even tip!) when in a tight turn at high speed. A nice example of a sporty car with lots of lean would be youtube vids of Mazda RX-5 Miatas going around a track.