Who actually likes the driver aids on newer vehicles? (18 Viewers)

[Dolmen]

Our octavia has done 104k miles is 8 years old and is still on the original battery and we use stop start all the time. There's no noticeable delay pulling away it's dead reliable. It's also got automatic wipers lights main beam dipping etc and I like all of it.

Ditto my Audi Allroad, 10 years old from new, 120k miles, original battery, stop start dead reliable, believe Audi and Skoda are one and the same, regardless, have never heard of any manufacturer with unreliable stop start.

 

[Nirvanauk]

My BMW had auto lights and dip-switch, pivoting headlights, linked to steering and rain sensitive wipers.
I never touched the lights switch, dip beam or wipers in 5 years.

It was a bu&&er getting used to my next car, without all those features.

But did it have indicators fitted?

 

[Janine]

I think that the ‘lane assist’ is downright dangerous - imagine overtaking a cyclist and having to battle with the steering wheel so as not to hit him! It gets turned off every trip as does the stop-start.

T’other day, I decided to put my foot down on a dual carriageway to test the acceleration of my Skoda and a warning flashed up on the display. I had to take my eyes off the road to be informed that, as my windows were open, I was not being dynamically efficient

 

[makems]

Don’t you find the start stop ‘noise’ and that slight delay before being able to pull away annoying ?

On my car a slight easing of the pressure on the brake (not taking foot right off) re-starts the engine when light turns amber and ready to go instantly the light turns green.

 

[funflair]

I think that the ‘lane assist’ is downright dangerous - imagine overtaking a cyclist and having to battle with the steering wheel so as not to hit him! It gets turned off every trip as does the stop-start.

T’other day, I decided to put my foot down on a dual carriageway to test the acceleration of my Skoda and a warning flashed up on the display. I had to take my eyes off the road to be informed that, as my windows were open, I was not being dynamically efficient

I don't know about Skoda but on our IVECO the lane is assist is adjustable to you can set the amount of intervention and it is very easy to override it it's certainly not a battle, if you indicate it switches it off altogether while you make the move.

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[jerryz]

only modern gizmo I need is Cruise control the rest are all garbage, they add complexity, cost and are all expensive nightmares when they fail.

 

[makems]

. And reversing lines on a screen. What's all that about ? Turn your head and see where you're going

reversing,lines are fantastic - you can see where you will go with a given amount of turn of the steering wheel. You can see instantly if you are going to miss that car or bollard without guessing. Perfect if you have limited neck movement (I do)

 

[Carpmart]

The absolute best ‘advance’ in technology is the blind spot red light warning in wing mirrors. IMHO, they should be mandatory on all new vehicles.

The rest I’m completely ambivalent about.

 

[Revolvor]

It's an offence to use rear fog lights unless in fog or falling snow!

However you did say relevant lights so perhaps you knew that.

Yes I did. Likewise front fog lights.

 

[Revolvor]

But did it have indicators fitted?

I'm afraid I'm " old school" and hopefully not a typical BMW driver. I still indicate if I turn off somewhere, even when there is no one in sight!

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[The Coops]

The absolute best ‘advance’ in technology is the blind spot red light warning in wing mirrors. IMHO, they should be mandatory on all new vehicles.

The rest I’m completely ambivalent about.

So no use on a BMW or Audi then?

 

[Gellyneck]

We've had stop / start technology in all of our cars, right back to our first Morris 1000 Traveller with the pop out indicator stalks!
However, we weren't ones to keep up with the Jones and just called them brake and accelerator!

 

[Carpmart]

We've had stop / start technology in all of our cars, right back to our first Morris 1000 Traveller with the pop out indicator stalks!
However, we weren't ones to keep up with the Jones and just called them brake and accelerator!

 

[Jane And Rog]

I’m up for all and any help I can get. I don’t really get why you wouldn’t want help driving. I miss the car’s driving aids when I’m in the van. I’m reminded of Douglas Adam’s quote:

I've come up with a set of rules that describe our reactions to technologies:
1. Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works.
2. Anything that's invented between when you’re fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it.
3. Anything invented after you're thirty-five is against the natural order of things.

So, synchromesh, power steering, ABS, automatic choke OK. Stop start, collision detection, lane detect, automatic hazard lights bad

Of course, he also said:

We are stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that works

So maybe it’s because the newer assists just don’t work as well.

 

[Raul]

Has anyone used parking pilot? My van has it, I never used it, yet to find a empty car park to try it.

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[Devon Sue]

On my Skoda Kamiq when the lane assist kicks in the steering tugs back. I was driving down a curving slip road to join the A38 a few days ago, nowhere near white lines and the wheel tried to pull me over. I usually turn it off before reaching the 35mph speed trigger as I too feel it could be dangerous if the vehicle decides I am driving out of lane when I am not.

 

[dazandandrea]

Cruise control is the only thing i want , everything else in my view is dumbing down driving .
See it all the time on the Motorway, especially when im on the motorbike, people faffing around with their huge centre console computer screens. Warning lights flashing on mirrors to warn the blind driver im there, just in case they had forgotten what a mirror is for.
People having conference meetings on their easy to use phones when driving.
I wonder if the reason so many stick to one lane regardless of traffic volumes is down lane assist. Scared of it activating.

 

[The Wino]

Ditto my Audi Allroad, 10 years old from new, 120k miles, original battery, stop start dead reliable, believe Audi and Skoda are one and the same, regardless, have never heard of any manufacturer with unreliable stop start.

I think switching off stop start in built up areas ought to get you a fine. It's put on for a reason to reduce urban pollution and reduce fuel use.

 

[Landy Andy]

Happy driving everyday without the toys. I know exactly what is going on, because I am doing it, experiencing it, and controlling it. I don’t even have a noise to tell me my lights are on and I should remember to turn them off.

Smart stuff, makes stupid people.

 

[Littlewheels]

We've had stop / start technology in all of our cars, right back to our first Morris 1000 Traveller with the pop out indicator stalks!

There used to be after market indicator kits you could buy to modernise your car as they all had the pop outs.

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[The Wino]

Happy driving everyday without the toys. I know exactly what is going on, because I am doing it, experiencing it, and controlling it. I don’t even have a noise to tell me my lights are on and I should remember to turn them off.

Smart stuff, makes stupid people.

I'd actually say exactly the opposite! I think things on modern vehicles that make driving easier than before safer than before or less polluting than before are great.
Stupid people don't like smart stuff!

 

[Odd job]

I like most of them but auto braking, I found that dangerous, adaptive cruise control, unless paying a lot of attention you just end up in a train of cars controlled by the slowest car at the front, stop start probably because I've only had it on automatics it makes pulling out at a junction or roundabout dangerous, automatic dip headlights are too slow to go to full beam, surround sensors are great but I wish I could turn them off unless needed and automatic parking, I've only tried it once as I'm able to park my own car but it does work so as so many people these days seem unable drive, after passing their test I'm sure it's useful for some people.

 

[Pausim]

If these driver aids make people signal before changing lanes or overtaking cyclists then I am all for them. Far too many lazy drivers drifting about on our roads. The only one I have reservations about is the auto dip on the headlights which I sometimes find a bit slow.

 

[rod_vw]

Our octavia has done 104k miles is 8 years old and is still on the original battery and we use stop start all the time. There's no noticeable delay pulling away it's dead reliable. It's also got automatic wipers lights main beam dipping etc and I like all of it.

Ah but that's Volkswagen based and just what I'd expect .

 

[bobnick]

Being a DRIVER i love getting in Bertie and going for a drive without all this tech "looking after your safety".
Take responsibility a drive proppa like.

Most annoying modern Si@@te for me is this stop start rubbish, ignition on stop start off immediately

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[EuroTrotters]

Got a few on my sprinter, none of them worked after 3 years

 

[dazandandrea]

If these driver aids make people signal before changing lanes or overtaking cyclists then I am all for them. Far too many lazy drivers drifting about on our roads. The only one I have reservations about is the auto dip on the headlights which I sometimes find a bit slow.

Lazy drivers as they are relying on other automated systems to do it for them?

 

[dunnah01]

When i was working I used to get a couple of hire cars each week and drive a few hundred miles in them. The biggest issue with the gadgets was that there's no standardisation across manufacturers so when something kicks in that had been set by the previous hirer you'd no idea what it was or how to turn it off - very dangerous...

 

[Landy Andy]

I'd actually say exactly the opposite! I think things on modern vehicles that make driving easier than before safer than before or less polluting than before are great.
Stupid people don't like smart stuff!

Easier yes, but driving isn’t something that should be easy it should be thought about considered, and controlled. Pollution is a factor if you believe all the tosh that is spoken about new cars being better than old, which removes the pollution of manufacture, and disposal of all the plastic and batteries.
People just expect the toys to look after them. They have no idea what is going on, where they are or what the conditions are. They are in their own little “smart” bubble oblivious to everyone else.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

We only have cruise control. Generally, it only gets used when we're in Europe. The exception in the U.K. is overnight trips or early A.M trips when the roads are empty. All to often in this country I find vehicles pull out and overtake you, then pull in JUST in front of you, and then as they have to punch their own hole in air they slow up and you're suddenly on their @rse and at risk of being at fault in the event of an accident. So you end up in a game of "hopscotch" with them, passing and re-passing, ggrreee.
Mike.

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