PSM Question

I am looking to get a 2003 996 Cabrio. I live in New Jersey but will bring the car to Florida in the winter months. My parents will drive the car occasionally while it's in Florida (they are in their early 60s). I am wondering if I should get PSM as they will not be used to the car. Does PSM make a big difference safety wise? I have a BMW 5 Series with DSC and it really helps alot in inclement weather. THANKS!!!

i live in jersey too, and i would definitely get the psm, for many reasons. it can save your ***-i see no reason not to get electronic help.

Thanks for the input. I found two cars in stock that I like, both with different options but one has the PSM and the other does not. Thanks again.

what dealer you going to?

My dealer said - if you ask the question, you know the answer.

I like that dealer's quote... I spoke with another dealer yesterday who said that the PSM adds weight and did not think it was very useful unless you were in very poor weather or really pushing the car to the limit. Has anyone had a situation where it really saved them?

It's saved me plenty! I personally think you'd be nuts not to get it. It NEVER gets in the way of normal driving {unlike my BMW's system} and it is rarely an issue even for track driving, but when you really get out of shape it's there and saves your butt every time. Also, I grew up in FLA, and if I remember right ... after a rain storm the streets there are as slick as ice. Add to that a little too much power and you have quite a ride with out it!

claims-i think that the dealer who says that psm is weighty and useless unless you are in bad weather is wrong. i agree-wet slick roads can provide a nidus for an accident without psm. unless you feel that you are an expert driver, invest in the psm.

Have the DSC in the M-5, it got me to get the PSM on the C2. It has saved my bacon in both cars. I now leave DSC on the M-5 off at the track and ON on the street. I leave the PSM on all the time since I'm not good enough (yet) to turn it off on the track. Now when I'm at a two day event it may flash briefly once or twice. It won't be long until I turn it off at the track. Then I can see what the car will really do!!!! It is one of the better safety items you can buy, especially on the street when "unexpected" events cause you to react really quickly!!!

I've done a inclement weather DE with a bunch of Audi guys on the track here in the PacNW last year and drove with and without the PSM...do yourself a favor- screw that extra weight crap, especially if you want to increase your chances of keeping your car in inclement weather driving, there is NO DOUBT that you want to GET the PSM. If you believe that you have wet weather driving skills that you can count on to get you out of trouble most of the time then, YMMV.

Thanks for all of your input-I really appreciate it. I have narrowed my search down to two cars (at two different dealers)...one with PSM and one without. I will definitely lean towards the PSM car now. I do have another question...the car with PSM has the hifi system and the one without has the Bose. Is the Bose really that much better? Thanks again!!!!

It's saved my butt a few times - just once makes it worth it. It's also one of the only option you can't add later.

Don't know much about the n/a 996's, but PSM saves my @$#!!! on a regular basis in my TT.

I had an '02 C2 w/o PSM. If you're in the mood, it's fun to dial-in a little counter steer now and then. Obviously, I'm talking about street driving here. Problem is, you're not always in the mood, and you can get caught out. I now have PSM on my '03 C2, and it's much better than the DSC on my '02 M5 - much less intrusive. And you can turn it off if you feel like reliving 911 history. As for the Bose, I have it and I'm entirely underwhelmed. IMO, a complete waste of money. Haven't a clue what all the hoopla is about. Every new car I've owned in the past 10 years has had a better sounding system than this (OK, maybe except for my Miata, and well my Wrangler...OK I might be exaggerating). Stemler, do you not just hate your M5's DSC? Seems like it was always stepping all over my ability to drive the car hard, kicked in much too soon and much too agressively, IMO. Did you do the M5 DE in Spartanburg? I lapped faster w/o it. Weak link in an otherwise phenomonal car (well that and having to press about 50 buttons before rolling off). -DT

I may be way off here, but I can't see how PSM adds significant weight. My uneducated guess is that it consists of a control module and a couple yaw/accel sensors. My guess is that it weights less than a pound. Anybody actually know?

A pound sounds right. Two at the most.

Yes the M5 DSC was very noticeable, especially compared to the PSM. With the PSM I found I had to check to see if the light was on when I noticed a "different" feel! The DSC was always readily apparent, even intrusive, when it activated! Still, it has its place for "unexpected" situations. That being said, I always turned it off for the track, and could tell on the first hard turn when I'd forgotten to!!!

You are out of your mind if you don't get a car w/ PSM. It is unobtrusive for all but the most spirited driving, it works beautifully, and any dealer that tells you that the weight it adds detracts from the car's performance is stupid at best and irresponsible at worst. It's fascinating to me to hear amateur street drivers talking about not wanting any electronic aids getting in the way of their performance driving, and then hearing some of the world's best sports car drivers at PDE saying they wouldn't get in a street car without it. We all survived our earlier Porsches without it, but since it's there, there's no reason not to have it, in my humble opinion.

if hamman is looking at this thread, i would be interested in his opinion on whether raclaims should or should not get the psm.

There is a reason they call it "PSM - Please Save Me". It has saved me from spinning at least twice on the track and prevented an embarrassing fishtail on the street once or twice. Also - the one time I had it disabled on the track, I trail braked into turn 1 at WSIR, and I wound up in the dirt! My Vote = GET IT!!!!! I have a turbo now, and eventually I plan to get a GT2 or whatever Porsche's supercar happens to be at the moment. I am training myself to drive well enough not to have to use the PSM, but until I can do several track days without needing PSM, it will stay on!

MRW, You said all that needs to be said. PSM is an absolute for street driving. I'd like to turn the question around, why wouldn't you get it. To save $1300...is your life worth that little..or anybody else's?

i agree, colm. but, in a previous post, hamman was very critical of drivers who used electronic aids (psm, awd) to help save themselves from harm. i wonder if he would weigh in on this issue.

The argument against electronic aids is usually aimed at competition. To deride them for street use is incredibly short sighted. In Europe I believe the numbers show that the accident rate for models that now include some form of stability managment as standard is >30% less than the rate for pre-stability managment models (I don't recall where I saw those #s though). At $1300 PSM is damned cheap insurance that you can actually see, and feel, doing something for you.

I finally closed a deal on a car with the PSM. Thank you all for your input. It definitely cost me a lot more money as the only cars that had PSM also had every option in the book but based on your opinions it is worth it. I will post photos when the car is delivered. If any of you live in New Jersey I hope you can help me with my next problem. I tried to add the car to my business auto policy and they refused to cover it. Do any of you know a good agent in New Jersey or know a good insurance company that you would recommend? Thanks again for everthing!!!