I have a 2010 RX350 AWD, owned for one-year.

Yesterday for the first time experienced a really amazing safety feature while driving into a turn on a paved road with enough gravel to cause a skid that had the (stability? traction control?) system kick in (hear the beeps) and what felt like to me the brake being applied to just one wheel (front left) to slow the keep the vehicle maintained safely, pretty seamless and instantaneous.

To others this is probably old news, but just wanted to share my experience.

Not sure if the 1RX's did the same; I had an '01, and while in that I experienced hearing the beeps with when (I think) VSC kicked in, (though it was much louder on that vehicle), I don't remember it feeling as composed.

 

i know the abs is much, much smoother in my 15 than it was on my 01 n 05

 

Every once in a while the Engineers get something right <grin>!

Congratulations to you for purchasing a vehicle that was capable of keeping you safe.

As a mildly-related aside: I have a roadster that has ESC; and I wanted to see if I could "feel" or experience the effects/benefits of ESC - since I drive it like the old man that I'm becoming (broken parts cost more than I care to budget) - so I figured that if I slalomed the centerline of one of our local roads I could feel/hear or otherwise determine some effects of the ESC Nanny..

...so heading down the road at an un-admitted speed I did, in fact, slalom those white lines - only, despite the speed, the car very capably made the maneuver - however I had to laugh because the car beat me up slamming my body against the door.

Fun one-time planned experience - and I hope to not need to do it again.

(I was not aware of the ESC System's help - but, I guess that's the point.)

I worked on the development of Antilock Brakes (called Skid Control back then) for air-braked heavy trucks back in the early Seventies - and I have to admit I've been doing a mini evaluation of the antilock brakes of many of the cars I've driven since then - and the strides/improvements in vehicle stability since those days are mind boggling.

(P.S.: we did it with analog electronics in the controller and pneumatic logic with memory in the relay valves - and once digital computer logic replaced the analog controller, things got Really good quickly.)

 

justin1203, great story. It's amazing all the technology Lexus has put in the RX to keep us safe. Most of the times we're oblivious to it until needed. Like the time VDIM kicked in on the 450h when I tried to stop on snow covered ice. Or when PCS activated after I jumped on the brakes to avoid getting hit by some idiot cutting across three lanes to make an exit at the last possible second. Plus all the little adjustments in between. It only gets better and better.

 

If I drive alone, I will make the traction control work overtime. 300HP with FWD bias will do that.
How often VSC kicks in is hard to say, as it is very-well integrated into VDIM, which makes Trac and VSC play nicely together.
There is no doubt the systems are getting better-tuned by day. Many overpowered RWD vehicles can only be driven with the safety systems ON. How good those vehicles are is all dependent on these electronics.

My '03 IS300 was impossible to drive with the traction control set to on. When the 2IS came out, it was much more manageable. 3IS took it even further, with VSC being of more help than hindrance.

Some neat things can be done with the brakes other than stability control. Some manufacturers use brakes to simulate Limited-Slip differential action by slowing down faster-rotating wheel, which transfers torque to the opposite wheel in an open diff. Others, such as the 2015 Subaru WRX STi I own, brakes inside front wheel in a turn to create torque-vectoring effect and proactively point the car where it is intended to go.

So, congrats on trying out this feature. Now do it again!