So I’m looking at buying a new Mini Cooper S, something a little sporty without breaking the bank and still gets decent gas mileage. As far as further factory options, I was looking at the dynamic stability control system and the limited slip differential. I’m not much of a car guy, so I read up on both of them and, well, I still don’t know what I should get, but I feel relatively smarter. 
Anyone else have a more informed opinion?
If icy roads or very muddy roads are likely to be a problem where you live, the LSD could very well come in handy to prevent you from getting stuck. In normal driving conditions it doesn’t do much, if anything.
As for dynamic stability control, I guess you need to take an honest look at your own driving style to tell whether or not you need this. Have you taken one (with or without DSC) for a test drive?
LSD can cause stability/oversteer issues in RWD cars on very slick surfaces. (both rear wheels spin instead of just one). On FWD cars like the mini this could cause loss of steering/understeer instead which is not good, but usually easier to regain control than oversteer.
If you can get both the LSD and stability control, this issue could be mitigated if not eliminated.
I haven’t taken a test drive yet, but hope to this weekend; supposedly the “oh shit” version, so maybe that will address the DSC issue. As for my driving style, I’ve got something of a lead foot, but I’m not generally too adventurous otherwise. But then, I didn’t really have a car to be adventurous with before.
From what I was reading of the LSD, I guess my concerns were that it 1) might be noisy (not good for making the wife happy) and 2) a maintenance problem.
New research on accident rates indicates that the single best safety upgrade you can get for your vehicle is stability control. Better than air bags, better than ABS brakes. Why? Because with ABS, you still have to have the reaction time to brake, and realize that you have to brake. Air bags are of limited benefit if you already buckle in properly.
But stability control works for you in the typical accident scenario where you don’t have time to do much but attempt a quick swerve. Many, many accidents are caused by people swerving around dogs or kids that run into the street, then losing control of their vehicle. Stability control saves you, and you don’t have to do anything special to make it happen.
My next vehicle will definitely have stability control. Doubly so if it’s an SUV, because rollovers are the biggest added safety risk in SUVs, and stability control is great for preventing rollovers.
I highly recommend Limited Slip Differentials. If you live where it snows, you often encounter spots where one side of the car is on dry pavement, and the other side is on snow or ice. A regular differential will deliver power to the free-est moving wheel; the one on ice will spin, and the one on dry land won’t move at all. With lim-slip, you can make a dignified exit from a parking space or stoplight.
The new answer to the same problem is electronic traction control. If one wheel starts to slip faster than the other, the system gently applies brakes to the slipping wheel. It may sound mysterious, but it really works well.
I guess the DSC is in (I was leaning towards it anyway), but the LSD is out. If I decide I really want it later, it looks like I can add it for about the same price after-market, anyway. Thanks for the help.