time vs feel?

[mr.wigglesaur]

okay so this should have been in the dirt 3 forum but i figured that since this can easily apply to gt5 itd be better suited here.

presently im running time trials on *insert mixed surface track here* and im really confident and capable as a driver, but im having trouble considering which car to stick with on said track-

presently, the sti i run has about a 1sec lead over all the other cars i put up against it- save one, the ford rally car (notice how im making this very applicable to gt5 ). However, i use these time trials as a test to see which car is best suited to me, and ive noticed that while the sti is the quickest, the ford is very consistent and 'flowy' in that i can manage it very well around corners and such. So this begs the question: is a quick car better than a well-rounded one? keep in mind the track i was driving on wasn't just an oval or anything.

as well as this, im looking for ways to help shave off seconds on the mixed surface track- my entrys are clean, but my exits are a little hairy from time to time. not terrible but it costs me tenths of seconds... so if anyone has an explanation for that it would be much appreciated. im also wondering how to shave off seconds in other ways, whether it be smooth/sharp powerslides into turns, how to maintain speeds, or how to run straights quicker.

thanks in advance for the opinions and advice!

 

[kennyblanco]

IMO the car that feels better to you would be the one to go with. 10 consistant clean laps are worth more than 9 blazing fast laps followed by a spectacular crash. If you don't already, try using mt to gain some time. I recently made the switch and have managed to shave full seconds off my time in some instances. Though it was akward at first using a ds3, it became natural to me and has allowed me to extract more from my cars.

 

[zodicus]

I like the car that feels good as i will be more consistant with it and better able to race with other people near me. If youre just doing time trials and want that one fast lap, go with the fast car who cares how it feels if its faster. If youre going to race go with the car that feels better, as long as its still competitive.

On corner exit you want the car rotated in the direction you want to be pointed on the straight. Keep it pointed that way and use the gas to accel and slide to the outside as you exit. As you come on to the straight you should be done sliding and pointed the way you need to be, if youre tank slapping on the straight you are trying to exit to fast. Try getting on the gas later and/or not as hard. From a set up stand point if you want more grip on corner exit, what works on pavment will work on gravel get more weight on the rear. Lower spring rate and compression dampening in the rear or less extention dampening on the front dampers. More neg toe on the rear can help with on-throttle grip. If its late corner exit try less anti roll bar in the rear, more camber, or more down force.