Hello. Anti-lock brakes are generally considered a good thing and an added safety feature, but are there any disadvantages to having them? Do they add much weight to the car? Do they make the car much safer, or can an average joe be okay without them?

 

well I have never had ABS and gotten around allright. But saying that, if I get a Cobalt I'll opt for ABS. In addtion to more contol under braking, might be a good option to have when selling

 

If you end up getting an SS you'll be getting ABS whether you wanted it or not.

 

i think that abs is a good feature, especially here in Michigan in the winter time. There is no way i could survive without it. It also comes in handy on gravel/dirt roads.

 

They still make cars w/o ABS?

even my 97 Grand AM has ABS

 

if you can get it why not... its a worth while thing to have i think

 

GM took ABS off many of its models---as standard equipment. This mostly applies to lower end car/models. But they are available as an extre cost option.

 

My fiance's Sentra GXE doesn't have ABS (even my 93 Cavalier RS does.) I'd say it's the most important safety advance of the last 20 years. That's why it's standard on all but the lowest models. If I had been present when she bought her car, I wouldn't have let her buy a car without ABS.

Imagine the difference here during a panic brake where you stop as fast as you can.
1. With ABS, you can steer during the entire braking period, and the car doesn't spin.
2. Without ABS, you go straight (because your wheels are locked), no matter which direction and how far you turn the wheel! And if you were going fast, you may not only go straight, but the car may spin!

Also, it is invaluable in winter climates when traction is already very low, even at slow speeds.

If someone ever tells you that "pumping the brakes" is the same thing, they are wrong and they need to see a demonstration of a panic stop done by a professional race driver. No human performed techniques are as fast as a good ABS system. Race cars generally do not have ABS (some still have it), and I would guess that's because in some cases it's not allowed by the rules, but mostly because they require absolute control over what the car is doing at all times, and don't have things like cross traffic where panic stops are needed anyway.

 

I have to agree totally, ABS is by far one of the best advances for cars as far as safety. I have a 96 Grand Am Gt and I live in Ontario Canada so I know my winters here. I can count about 6 times where I have hit black ice with my car and the ABS has kicked in, and I have been able to slow down enough to a stop without hitting something, and I have also been going around a curv when my low traction light came on and I had to slow down and the abs kicked, and i was able to still steer the car where i wanted it to go. Why not get the ABS, they are used a lot. Airbags on the other hand, i've had my car for 8 years now, never had an accident, never blown out the airbags. Does that mean their not worth it either, hell no. It's all apart of safety, and yes some people will argue that some people would have lived without the airbags or vice versa, but Airbags, ABS, they all contribute to safety and i'd much rather take my chances on the road with those safety features as opposed to not having them

 

Thanks, guys. I did a Google search yesterday prior to posting, and one site said:

"The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says studies have shown that cars with antilock brakes are involved in more single-vehicle crashes than those with conventional brakes."

But it also said that most people don't know how to use ABS. LOL. So I guess it's just a matter of knowing how to use them. :p

 

Yea, but that's because most cars have ABS, so yea, those numbers will be higher of course

 

Sounds like bad drivers to me....

Its stupid not to have ABS....

Only the cheapest cars and ones with a very short wheelbase dont have them

I'm almost positive the JEEP Liberty doesnt have them for the short wheelbase reason.

 

well, let me just say i hate ABS
i know how to threshold brake, i dont need the car to do that for me
i live in an area with a very bad winter, and i never had ABS, i did fine
..i wish i could disable mine

 

My 2003 Alero doesn't have ABS.

I can't see why you wouldn't want them. The do the thinking for you in slick braking situations.

 

To answer your question, let me ask you one!

WHY is ABS on MOST up-level vehicles and not the base?

Price consideration.

Many looking for lowest price, place safety secondary.